Season 2024-25

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Rice Speech and Debate Wins NPDA Sweepstakes National Championship in Debate, Excels in Speech, Brings Home 80 Awards!

Rice Speech and Debate has repeated its sweepstakes win at the National Parliamentary Debate Association National Championship Tournament, keeping the squad national championship at Rice! The squad came very close to closing out the final round, with a team in each semifinal bracket, and brought home the top two speaker awards, with a historic top speaker finish by Rija Naqvi.

So far this semester, Rice has brought home 80 awards! These incredible achievements show the hard work and dedication of these undergraduate academic competitors.

The team is not done yet. “Nationals season” is a time of year loosely analogous to March Madness, with the interesting difference being that there is more than one way to win in speech and debate. One way to think about it is to imagine that a basketball team could win both the NCAA and NIT championships. As they prepare for the American Forensic Association National Speech Tournament (speech nationals), the students are working hard to polish their 21 qualified events! We will update on the results after that event in April.

Meanwhile, here is a report on the team’s incredible accomplishments this semester:

National Parliamentary Debate Association National Championship Tournament, March 8-10, 2025, Lebanon, IL

This larger national tournament features highly competitive teams from around the nation. Rice’s history with the tournament extends back to the beginning of the format, with Rice only missing twice. Rice fielded five teams at this event, all reaching elimination rounds, including first-year students Ridhi Dondeti and Travis Johnson.

 

Results:

• Tournament Sweepstakes: 1^st Place, National Champions 
• Season Sweepstakes: 1^st Place, National Champions

Speaker Awards:

• Rija Naqvi: Top Overall Speaker. This is a rare accomplishment. Rija is Rice’s first NPDA Top Speaker since 1996.
• Nikki Stancik:  2^nd Overall Speaker. This makes the duo of Stancik and Naqvi members of a very small group of partners who have taken the top two spots at NPDA. 
• Anna Phan: 18th Overall Speaker.

 

 

 Rice came very close to closing out the final round: 

•  Manna Trevino and Anna Phan: Semifinalists, Parliamentary Debate.

• Rija Naqvi and Nikki Stancik: Semifinalists, Parliamentary Debate. 
• William Wang and Rohan Gupta: Octafinalists, Parliamentary Debate.  
• Ridhi Dondeti and Travis Johnson: Octafinalists, Parliamentary Debate.   

Rice won 23 separate debates.

Rice had three NPDA All-American Team Selections. The All-American award recognizes students’ commitment to community service, academic excellence, and competitive success.

Rice All-Americans:

• Rija Naqvi 
• Manna Trevino
• Anna Phan

Coach honored: David Worth was awarded the Brent Northup Distinguished Service Award for decades of service to the NPDA community.

Coach Shannon LaBove continues to serve the community as Treasurer of NPDA.

This finish marks the team’s third Sweepstakes NPDA National Championship in the last four years and its sixth straight year with a top-four finish.

National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence, March 12-14, 2025, Lebanon, IL

 

The National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence is the second half of the traditional debate nationals run. Qualification for this tournament is based on wins in the regular season.

This tournament features the top 24 ranked teams in the nation in debates, with 2-7 judges in each round. It measures preliminary rounds by ballot count totals; elimination rounds are double-elimination. Teams are given a final ordinal ranking in the tournament.

Going into the tournament, Rice had the number two ranked team of Niqvi and Stancik, number 6 ranked Phan and Trevino, and number 9 ranked Sanderfer and Surya, automatically qualifying them for the tournament. Wang and Gupta qualified as well as an at-large bid, giving Rice the maximum possible entry for this event. 

Results:

• Rice Arjun Surya and Kyle Sanderfer: Semifinalists, Parliamentary Debate.
• Manna Trevino and Anna Phan: Elimination Round 2
• Nikki Stancik and Rija Naqvi: Elimination Round 2

Final placings: 

• Rice Arjun Surya and Kyle Sanderfer: 4^th Overall
• Manna Trevino and Anna Phan 7^th Overall
• Nikki Stancik and Rija Naqvi 8^th Overall

Speaker awards:

• Nikki Stancik: 11^th Overall Speaker.
• Rija Naqvi: 13^th Overall Speaker.
• Arjun Surya: 14^th Overall Speaker.
• Kyle Sanderfer: 16^th Overall Speaker.

Overall, Rice won 31 ballots.

Coach honored: David Worth was awarded the NPTE Most Preferred Critic Award. This award measures the judging preferences submitted by all students from all schools entered in the tournament.  

American Forensic Association District III Qualifying Tournament, March 1, Tyler, TX.

This event is the final chance to qualify for the AFA-National Speech Tournament. Students who did not qualify for an event during the regular season can make a final attempt through the district tournament.

Results: 

• Maya Adhikari: 1^st Impromptu Speaking
• Chloe Pesqueira:  1^st Extemporaneous Speaking ; 3^rd Impromptu Speaking
• Daijah Wilson:  1^st Prose Interpretation

Battle of Flowers Oratorical Contest, February 28, San Antonio, TX

This selective event is the nation’s second-oldest speech contest. Students are competitively selected and deliver memorized manuscript speeches on Texas-oriented themes. Rice has been represented well at this event over the years, and this year was no exception. Maya Adhikari was selected as Rice’s representative this year. Congratulations, Maya!

 

 

Texas Shuffle Swing/SAC and TJC February 22-23, San Antonio, TX

Part 1 

Sweepstakes: 4^th

Catherine Cheng: 2^nd Dramatic Interpretation 

Maya Adhikari: 

• 1^st Place Individual Sweepstakes
• 2^nd Extemporaneous Speaking
• 2^nd Impromptu Speaking
• 2^nd Informative Speaking
• 3^rd Communication Analysis

Vedant Khadiya:

• 3^rd After Dinner Speaking
• 4^th Impromptu Speaking

Part 2 

Sweepstakes: 2^nd

Vedant Khadiya:

• 1^st Impromptu Speaking
• 2^nd After Dinner Speaking

Maya Adhikari: 

• 1^st Communication Analysis
• 2^nd Informative Speaking
• 5^th Impromptu Speaking

Mercer University, February 15-16, Macon, GA

Sweepstakes: 1^st Place

• Manna Trevino and Anna Phan: Semifinalists, Parliamentary Debate. 
• Rija Naqvi and Nikki Stancik: Semifinalists, Parliamentary Debate. 
• Arjun Surya and Kyle Sanderfer: Quarterfinalists, Parliamentary Debate.

Speaker Awards:

• Arjun Surya: Top Speaker. His name will go on the inaugural Cam Wade Perpetual Plaque, a traveling trophy honoring Wade and the top speakers at this event. 
• Kyle Sanderfer: 4^th
• Manna Trevino: 6^th
• Anna Phan: 7^th  

Rice won 16 separate debates.

Cornell University/Southern and Northern Atlantic Forensic Union, February 1-2, Ithaca, NY

Part 1

• Maya Adhikari:  3^rd Communication Analysis
• Shay Olaifa:  4^th Prose Interpretation 

 

Part 2

• Maya Adhikari: 4^th Communication Analysis
• Catherine Cheng: 4^th Dramatic Interpretation 

University of North Carolina-Charlotte, January 25-26

 

 Sweepstakes: 1^st Place

Shay Olaifa:

• 1^st Programmed Oral Interpretation 
• 1^st Prose Interpretation

Caleb Lin: 

• 2^nd Poetry Interpretation

Catherine Cheng: 

• 2^nd Dramatic Interpretation
• 4^th Programmed Oral Interpretation

Daijah Wilson: 

• 2^nd Persuasive Speaking
• 3^rd Prose Interpretation
• 4^th Informative Speaking

Maya Adhikari: 

• 2^nd Extemporaneous Speaking
• 3^rd Persuasive Speaking

Chloe Pesqueira:

• 4^th Impromptu Speaking
• Finalist: Informative Speaking

 

University of Texas at Austin, January 18-19

 

 

Part 1

• Pranav Nagajothi: 4^th Extemporaneous Speaking
• Vedant Khadiya: 6^th Extemporaneous Speaking

Part 2

• Pranav Nagajothi: 2^nd Extemporaneous Speaking

Mound High Swing, McKendree University, Lebanon, IL, January 9-12

Part 1

• Rija Naqvi and Nikki Stancik: Quarterfinalists, Parliamentary Debate. 
• William Wang and Rohan Gupta: Octafinalists, Parliamentary Debate. 

Part 2

• Anna Phan and Manna Trevino: Quarterfinalists, Parliamentary Debate.
• Rija Naqvi and Nikki Stancik: Quarterfinalists, Parliamentary Debate. 
• Arjun Surya and Kyle Sanderfer: Quarterfinalists, Parliamentary Debate.
• Ridhi Dondeti and Travis Johson: Octafinalists, Parliamentary Debate.
• William Wang and Rohan Gupta: Double-octa finalists, Parliamentary Debate.

I-70 Cup winner (Best combined performance at regional tournaments):

• Rija Naqvi and Nikki Stancik

Combined speaker awards

• Rija Naqvi: 10^th

NPTE 1st Round Bid Announcements:

• Anna Phan and Manna Trevino
• Arjun Surya and Kyle Sanderfer 
• Rija Naqvi and Nikki Stancik 

Please join us in congratulating these academic competitors! The team will next compete at the American Forensic Association National Speech Tournament, hosted by the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.

Rice Speech and Debate is coached by David Worth and Shannon LaBove. For more information, please visit humanities.rice.edu/speech-and-debate.

 

 

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Rice Speech and Debate Brings Home 91 Awards in Fall 2024!

Rice University George R. Brown Forensics Society

The George R. Brown Forensics Society, Rice’s speech and debate team, closed out a very successful semester of competition last weekend. Using their voices to express themselves, empower others, and enhance their education, the team works hard to represent Rice with excellence as academic competitors.

As of November 22, Rice has three of the top ten and four of the top twenty parliamentary debate teams in the nation in the National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence rankings!

Nikki Stancik and Rija Naqvi are ranked 1st

Manna Trevino and Anna Phan are ranked 3rd

Arjun Surya and Kyle Sanderfer are ranked 6th

Rohan Gupta and Travis Johnson are ranked 14th

In addition, the team has qualified ten speech events for the American Forensics Association National Speech Tournament!

Individual tournament results are listed below.

Hill Country Swing, University of Texas at Austin, September 21-22

Part 1:

Maya Adhikari:
2nd Persuasive Speaking

Daijah Wilson:
5th Persuasive Speaking

Pranav Nagajothi:
5th Extemporaneous Speaking

Shay Olaifa:
6th Program Oral Interpretation

Part 2:

Maya Adhikari:
2nd Persuasive Speaking

Daijah Wilson:
4th Persuasive Speaking

Chloe Pesqueira:
3rd Persuasive Speaking

Rice University Classic, September 28-29
In addition to competing, Rice played host to competitors from across the nation on our campus.

Part 1:

Debate Sweepstakes: 1st

Overall Sweepstakes: 2nd

Catherine Cheng:

4th Program Oral Interpretation

Caleb Lin:
5th Poetry Interpretation

Vedant Khadiya:
6th Impromptu Speaking

Debate Awards:

Anna Phan and Manna Trevino:
Semifinalists, Parliamentary Debate

Nikki Stancik and Rija Naqvi:
Quarterfinalists, Parliamentary Debate

William Wang and Rohan Gupta:
Octafinalists, Parliamentary Debate

Debate speaker awards:

1st Kyle Sanderfer

4th Arjun Surya

5th Ridhi Dondeti

6th Anna Phan

7th Travis Johnson

Overall, Rice won 22 separate debates.

Part 2:

Sweepstakes: 2nd

Swing Sweepstakes: 2nd

Chloe Pesqueira: 

3rd Impromptu Speaking
4th Persuasive Speaking

Pranav Nagajothi:
4th Extemporaneous Speaking

Catherine Cheng:
4th Program Oral Interpretation

Vedant Khadiya:
4th Impromptu Speaking
5th Poetry Interpretation

Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR, October 12-13z

Top: Arjun Surya, Travis Johnson, Niki Stancik, David Worth, Kyle Sanderfer Bottom: William Wang, Rija Naqvi, Ridhi Dondeti, Anna Phan, Manna Trevino

Debate Sweepstakes:
2nd Place

Nikki Stancik and Rija Naqvi:
2nd Place Parliamentary Debate

Arjun Surya and Kyle Sanderfer:
Semifinalists, Parliamentary Debate

William Wang and Ridhi Dondeti:
Quarterfinalists, Parliamentary Debate

Anna Phan and Manna Trevino
Octafinalists, Parliamentary Debate
 

Debate speaker awards:

2nd Nikki Stancik

6th Kyle Sanderfer

9th William Wang

10th Arjun Surya

Overall, Rice won 19 separate debates.

Battle at the Alamo, San Antonio, TX October 18-19

Vedant Khadiya, Shannon LaBove, Pranav Nagajothi

Part 1:

Pranav Nagajothi:
3rd Extemporaneous Speaking

Vedant Khadiya:
5th Impromptu Speaking

Part 2:

Pranav Nagajothi:
1st Extemporaneous Speaking

Vedant Khadiya:
5th Extemporaneous Speaking

Pranav Nagajothi:
3rd Impromptu Speaking

Fall Lucky 7 Asynchronous Invitational, November 11-15

Pranav Nagajothi:
1st Impromptu Speaking

 

University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA,  November 2-3

David Worth, Rohan Gupta, Arjun Surya, Chloe Pesqueira, William Wang, Maya Adhikari, Travis Johnson, Anna Phan, Rija Naqvi, Ridhi Dondeti, Nikki Stancik, Manna Trevino, Kyle Sanderfer, Shannon LaBove, Max Renteria

4-year Sweepstakes 2nd place

4-year Swing Sweepstakes 3rd Place

Nikki Stancik and Rija Naqvi:
2nd Place Parliamentary Debate

Arjun Surya and Kyle Sanderfer:
Quarterfinalists, Parliamentary Debate

Anna Phan and Manna Trevino:
Quarterfinalists, Parliamentary Debate

William Wang and Rohan Gupta:
Quarterfinalists, Parliamentary Debate

Ridhi Dondeti and Travis Johnson:
Quarterfinalists, Parliamentary Debate

Debate speaker awards:

2nd Rija Naqvi

3rd Nikki Stancik

4th Manna Trevino

Overall, Rice won 23 separate debates.

Speech Awards:

Chloe Pesqueira:  
3rd Persuasive Speaking
4th Impromptu Speaking
5th  Extemporaneous Speaking

Maya Adhikari:
4th Persuasive Speaking

Mustang Invitational, Stockton, CA, November 2

Pranav Nagajothi, Chloe Pesqueira, Daijah Wilson, Maya Adhikari, Shay Olaifa
 

Chloe Pesqueira:
2nd Persuasive Speaking
3rd Impromptu Speaking
5th Extemporaneous Speaking

Maya Adhikari:
2nd Communication Analysis
3rd Persuasive Speaking
6th Extemporaneous Speaking

 

 

Southern and Northern Atlantic Forensic Union, Seton Hall University, November 9-10

Catherine Cheng, Vedant Khadiya, Caleb Lin, Daijah Wilson
 

Part 1:

Sweepstakes:
1st Place, Limited Entry Sweeps

Vedant Khadiya:
1st Extemporaneous Speaking

Caleb Lin:
2nd Poetry Interpretation
 

Catherine Cheng:
2nd Program Oral Interpretation

Daijah Wilson:
4th Persuasive Speaking

Vedant Khadiya:
Finalist, Impromptu Speaking

Part 2:

Caleb Lin:
3rd Poetry Interpretation

Catherine Cheng:
3rd Program Oral Interpretation

Daijah Wilson:
4th Informative Speaking

AFA-NST District III Fall Qualifying Tournament, Online, November 16

Daijah Wilson:
2nd Persuasive Speaking
4th Informative Speaking

Shay Olaifa:
4th Program Oral Interpretation

Caleb Lin:
4th Poetry Interpretation
 

William Jewell College, November 15-17, Liberty, MO

Part 1:
Debate speaker awards:

3rd Anna Phan

4th Manna Trevino

10th Nikki Stancik

Rohan Gupta and Travis Johnson:
Octafinalists, Parliamentary Debate

Anna Phan and Manna Trevino: 

Quarterfinalists, Parliamentary Debate
 

Overall, Rice won 12 separate debates.

Part 2:

Rija Naqvi and Nikki Stancik:
Tie for 1st Place, Parliamentary Debate

Anna Phan and Manna Trevino:
Tie for 1st Place, Parliamentary Debate

(These two teams closed out the final round!)

Rohan Gupta and Travis Johnson:
Semifinalists, Parliamentary Debate (conceding to Phan/Trevino in a closeout of their semifinal round)

Debate speaker awards:

1st Nikki Stancik

5th Rija Naqvi

8th Anna Phan

9th Rohan Gupta

10th Travis Johnson

Overall, Rice won 18 separate debates.
 

Please join us in congratulating these academic competitors! This concludes competition for the Fall semester. The team will resume competing in January 2025.

Rice Speech and Debate is housed in the School of Humanities and is coached by David Worth and Shannon LaBove. For more information, please visit humanities.rice.edu/speech-and-debate.