Two more national speech titles in District 196

ROSEMOUNT, Minn. -- District 196 students were the talk of the tournament again this year at the National Forensic League Speech and Debate Tournament, which was held June 10-15 in Indianapolis. District 196 students took first place in two of the six main speech events, including repeat national champion Nader Helmy of Apple Valley High School, and Eagan and Eastview high schools both received a School of Excellence Award in speech.

Helmy successfully defended his national title in original oratory, one of the six main speech events at the national tournament. He becomes only the third competitor in the history of the tournament (since 1931) to win back-to-back national titles in original oratory. Of the five other students who advanced to the final round of competition in original oratory this year, three are from District 196: Patricia Alexis Reeves of Apple Valley finished third, followed by Michael Ross of Eastview in fourth and Thomas Dyke of Eagan in sixth.

Ashesh Rambachan of Eastview won the national title in international extemporaneous speaking, another of the six main events. Rambachan was national runner-up last year, as a sophomore, and won the event in convincing fashion at this year's tournament. He is the third member of his family to win a national championship in international extemporaneous speaking while attending Eastview; his brother, Akshar won the title in 2008 and sister, Ishanaa in 2004.

Helmy and Rambachan both bested more than 200 competitors in each of their events. Altogether, this years national tournament featured more than 3,000 students from nearly 1,000 high schools all across the United States. District 196 has had at least one national speech champion in each of the past several years, and had four of the six national title winners in 2005.

Three other District 196 students advanced to the final round of competition in one of the six main events: Jacob Guzior of Eagan was national runner-up in humorous interpretation; Karina Devine of Eastview was third in dramatic interpretation, and Justin Wirsbinski of Eagan was fifth in dramatic interpretation. David Newhall and Madeline Sachs of Eagan just missed making the final round in duo interpretation, finishing in seventh place.

In storytelling, one of the consolation events at the national tournament, Eastview's Kiki Laing took first place and Alexander Leehan of Eastview finished fifth.

As teams, Eagan and Eastview were two of 13 high schools in the nation to earn a School of Excellence Award in speech. The School of Excellence awards are based on the number of elimination rounds of competition completed by a school's students during the course of the national tournament.

All totaled, 38 District 196 students qualified for nationals at regional qualifying events held last winter and spring. Others (not named above) who competed at nationals are Maggie Parra, David Wickard, Sophia Callahan, Maxwell Minsker, Kunal Patel, Adam Markon, Emerald Egwim, Reid Emmons, David Stevens, Connor Swanson, Adam Stromme and William Thomas of Eagan High; Svati Pazhyanur, Adithya Balaji, Tony Bigelow, Sergey Ivanchuck and Anant Naik of Eastview High; Luke Stuttgen, John Granlund, Rand Silvers, Szumei Leow, David Quinn and Miriam Kelberg of Apple Valley High, and Ryan Kirkley, Matthew Stefanko and Wesley Just of Rosemount High School.