15 Arkansas students advanced elimination rounds at the National Speech & Debate Tournament hosted in Des Moines, Iowa, June 16–21, 2024.
Rachael McCall from Cabot Junior High North won first place in the Original Spoken Word Poetry in the middle school, becoming the first student from Arkansas to earn a national championship title at a National Speech & Debate Association national tournament (middle or high school) in state history
More than 6,700 students from 1,500 schools competed in the tournament, which is the largest speech & debate competition in the nation.
In addition to McCall, the following students advanced to elimination rounds at the tournament:
- Nora Shitandi from Har-Ber High School advanced to semifinals in Original Oratory.
- Emma Durham & Logan Hale James from Cabot High School advanced to the top 30 competitors in Duo Interpretation.
- Nyasa Lovely from Russellville High School advanced to partial triple octofinals in Big Questions Debate.
- Allison Frazier from Russellville High School advanced to octofinals in Extemporaneous Commentary.
- Andrew Taylor from Don Tyson School of Innovation to quarterfinals in Extemporaneous Commentary.
- Joie Willoughby from Little Rock Central High School to octofinals in Poetry.
- Bryce Veasman from Cabot High School advanced to to quarterfinals in Original Spoken Word Poetry
- Hayden Xavier Mittlestat from Cabot High School advanced to Extemporaneous Debate to round seven.
- Sophie Moody from Fayetteville High School advanced to octofinals in Prose.
- Grace Haverstick from Cabot Junior High North advanced to semifinals in Poetry.
- Logan Campos from Cabot Junior High South advanced to semifinals in Humorous Interpretation.
- Raygan Grindley from Cabot Junior High North advanced to quarterfinals in Dramatic Interpretation.
- Kaden Buckner from Cabot Junior High South advanced to octofinals in and named tenth place speaker in Lincoln Douglas Debate.
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