LPS students earn top honors at state speech, debate contests

April 9, 2025

Max Apel and Mahshid Farahmand both represent why people across Nebraska have many positive things to say about Lincoln Public Schools.
 
Apel and Farahmand spoke their way into school history books with their efforts at the state speech and debate meets. Apel helped East High School claim the Class A speech team championship by winning state titles in three events, and Farahmand became Lincoln High’s first state speech medalist in eight years with her performance.
 
LPS Secondary English Language Arts Curriculum Specialist Sara Danielson said Apel and Farahmand highlighted how local students are benefiting from the two activities. East swept the speech and debate team titles, Southwest claimed second place in both tournaments and multiple Southeast students returned to campus with state medals.
 
“LPS speech and debate programs are consistently high-quality, and they have established this district as top-tier in competitive speaking activities,” Danielson said. “The time, effort and talent of the student competitors and coaches is impressive and recognized on both state and national levels. It is always a joy to see the hard work of students and coaches across a long season be rewarded.”

East High School

East head speech coach Nick Herink said he was proud of the Spartans for claiming the program’s third straight Class A title. The group created another ring on a sequoia-sized tree of state speech success. East won the school’s 36th team championship since Nebraska began holding state contests in 1974.
 
“Having a state championship team isn’t just about the kids who make it to state. It’s about the entire culture the whole team has built,” Herink said. “This is a group that genuinely cares about each other, pushes each other and celebrates every success, big or small. That camaraderie and commitment has shaped a team where everyone’s effort matters, and that’s what makes this title so meaningful.”

 
Apel finished first in the Oral Interpretation of Humorous Prose, Oral Interpretation of Serious Prose and Program Oral Interpretation categories. He became the first East student to win three individual titles at one state meet.
 
“I feel incredibly fortunate and blessed to have ended my speech season by winning the state championship in three events alongside my friends and coaches,” Apel said. “It was a truly rewarding experience, and I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to represent my school and grow as a speaker.”
 
Herink said Apel’s determination and dedication helped him become one of East’s all-time top speech performers.
 
“Max loves this team and this activity with his whole heart,” Herink said. “He has put in well over a thousand hours over a four-year career to reach where he is now. His heart, drive and talent are what makes him a champion. Watching him make his way into the history books was a perfect capstone to his incredible career.”
 
Apel performed “We’re Not So Different, You and I” for his humorous speech. The piece uses superheroes and supervillains as an allegory for the male loneliness epidemic. He chose “Angry Allan,” a piece about the implications of masculinity in today’s culture, for his serious speech, and he talked about the important roles that teachers play in society for his Program Oral Interpretation entry.
 
“It was an honor to share all of these messages, and I am truly grateful for this amazing season!” Apel said.

 
Apel and fellow four-time state qualifiers Nusrat Amin and Jack Welstead won gold medals in their final contests. Amin clinched the Entertainment Speaking title for the second time in her career, and Welstead collected a first-place honor in the Persuasive Speaking event.
 
“They’ve each left a lasting mark on this team, and seeing them finish their careers at the top was a moment I’ll never forget,” Herink said.
 
East head debate coach John Holen said the Spartans used cooperation and camaraderie to finish in first place. East graduated four state champions from last year’s squad, but many younger students took their places at the awards ceremony.
 
“They definitely stepped up, as they put in over 100 practice rounds and speeches prior to the state competition, and they spent a lot of practice time helping each other get ready,” Holen said. “Sixteen of our 18 entries won awards, many of whom were freshmen, and that’s largely thanks to all their hours of practicing as well as their ability to come together and compete as a team.”

 
Sarah Cai and Elaine Yu led the Spartans with a state championship in the Policy Debate event. Holen said their experience and work ethic were key factors in their successful showing.
 
“These two have competed at many highly-competitive national tournaments during their four-year careers, which has played a big role in helping them become as good as they are,” Holen said. “They learned to adapt their argument to a wide variety of audiences.”

Lincoln High School

Lincoln High head speech coach C. Meier-Bates said everyone associated with the program was “abundantly proud” of Farahmand for her state work. She earned sixth place in the Oral Interpretation of Serious Prose category. She became Lincoln High’s first state medalist since Lilia Fromm finished third in the Persuasive Speaking contest in 2017.
 
“She is a tireless competitor who stays late to get as much coaching as she can, practices constantly on her own and has an innate drive to improve,” Meier-Bates said. “In addition to her individual competitive success, Mahshid is also a team leader who pushes her teammates to improve and succeed. Our team is very young, with only two returning competitors on the district team this year, and she has done a great job of contributing to our team culture of hard work and overcoming the odds.”

 
Meier-Bates felt Farahmand’s state achievement would have a ripple effect on campus.
 
“I think Mahshid’s commitment and success will help motivate other Lincoln High students to tell their powerful stories through speech,” Meier-Bates said. “I may be biased as someone who grew up in the Nebraska speech circuit, but it’s such a welcoming, competitive and exciting community to be a part of.”

Southeast High School

Southeast senior Lexi Velgersdyk capped her award-winning debate career with a state medal. She claimed fourth place in the Congressional Debate category.

 
Southeast head debate coach Colten White said Velgersdyk had created a memorable legacy at school with her hardworking personality.
 
“I am proud of Lexi and her placement at the state tournament, but I am more proud of her whole career as a debater,” White said. “She has placed at state three different times, qualified to the National Speech and Debate Tournament all four years and was invited to the Tournament of Champions.
 
“She’s everything a debater should be – a scholar, a citizen and an advocate. She will be an alumnus who will represent LPS well in the years to come.”

Southeast’s speech team earned seventh place in Class A standings with 40 points. DaZayah Hartshorn-Harvey, Sydney Kjeldgaard and Aolani Wilson earned state medals.

Southeast head speech coach Tommy Bender said he was excited to see all three Knights pocket state awards for their efforts.
 
“The whole team has worked hard all season, and to finish the regular season with a state medal is the best way to finish!” Bender said. “Each one of them has put in so much time and effort, and it’s gratifying to see them on the state stage!”

Southwest High School

Southwest earned second-place team trophies in both speech and debate. Twelve Silver Hawks won medals in their speech events, and 13 students reached at least the octofinals in debate contests.
 
Southwest head debate coach Toni Heimes said she was happy with the way the Silver Hawks performed. Five students finished in the top eight spots of their categories.
 
“I am extremely proud of the work the team did during the tournament to become the state runners-up,” Heimes said.

 
Cole Wilkason and Benjamin Quattrocchi highlighted Southwest’s tournament with a state championship in the Public Forum Debate contest. Heimes said coaches Angela Kwambamba, Serena Schadl and Loc Nguyen helped them find and develop arguments geared toward different judges and teams.
 
“This adaptability helped them to make the run for the title,” Heimes said.
 
Wilkason and Quattrocchi lost their first two rounds in the tournament, but they rebounded in championship fashion. They won four straight debates to qualify for the quarterfinal bracket, and they then swept their next three contests to win the title.
 
Jack McCormick, Ezra Erickson, Brooklyn Bruggeman and Chance Ready spearheaded the speech team’s state appearance with a title-winning effort. The quartet won Oral Interpretation of Drama (OID) gold medals by scoring 148 of a maximum 150 points in the finals.

 
Southwest head speech coach Matt Heimes said the Silver Hawks decided to change their OID script in late February. After finalizing who would be the team members, the group dove into the project and turned it into a championship piece.
 
“Once we got started, it was clear that this group had really great chemistry and were willing to put in extra time to bring the piece to life,” Heimes said. “We spent many days of spring break working at school to polish the blocking and create strong and believable characters. I think it really helps that this piece has an important message to share about ADHD and how it impacts everyone involved in that child’s life.”

 
Heimes said he was “exceedingly proud” of the entire speech team for capturing second place. He said the group’s veteran leadership made a difference in the final standings.
 
“Our team has one of the largest and most talented groups of seniors we’ve had in the program for many years, and their leadership was key to our success,” Heimes said. “That, combined with some really dedicated juniors and sophomores, made for a winning combo."

Class A State Speech Team Results

Lincoln East 276, Lincoln Southwest 134, Millard North 122, Norris 76, Gretna East 46, Scottsbluff 46, Lincoln Southeast 40, Millard West 32, Bellevue West 24, North Platte 24, Kearney 18, Millard South 18, Norfolk 14, Lincoln High 10, Papillion-La Vista South 10, Omaha Marian 10

2025 LPS State Speech Results

East High School

Duo Interpretation: Claire Rooney and Gavin Foust (4th), Jack Welstead and Avery Fast (5th)
Entertainment Speaking: Nusrat Amin (1st), Avery Fast (2nd)
Extemporaneous Speaking: Anish Koduri (5th), Sam Waegli (6th)
Informative Speaking: Claire Rooney (3rd)
Oral Interpretation of Drama: Alex Jurrens, Zach Johannes, Gavin Foust, Sloan Donahoo, Ethan Phan (2nd)
Oral Interpretation of Humorous Prose: Max Apel (1st), Nusrat Amin (6th)
Oral Interpretation of Poetry: Ethan Phan (2nd)
Oral Interpretation of Serious Prose: Max Apel (1st), Jack Welstead (4th)
Persuasive Speaking: Jack Welstead (1st), Belinda Qiao (3rd)
Program Oral Interpretation: Max Apel (1st), Nusrat Amin (2nd)

Lincoln High

Oral Interpretation of Serious Prose: Mahshid Farahmand (6th)

Southeast High School

Oral Interpretation of Poetry: Aolani Wilson (5th)
Oral Interpretation of Serious Prose: Sydney Kjeldgaard (5th)
Program Oral Interpretation: DaZayah Hartshorn-Harvey (3rd)

Southwest High School

Duo Interpretation: Brooklyn Shoemaker, Mason Farmer (3rd)
Extemporaneous Speaking: Maya Stevenson (3rd)
Informative Speaking: Maya Stevenson (5th)
Oral Interpretation of Drama: Jack McCormick, Ezra Erickson, Brooklyn Bruggeman, Chance Ready (1st); Lillian Bittle, Jordyn Davis, Audrey Haugen, Lyra Walsh, Danielle Ibe-Ikechi (6th)
Oral Interpretation of Humorous Prose: Brooklyn Shoemaker (3rd)
Oral Interpretation of Poetry: Mason Farmer (4th)
Oral Interpretation of Serious Prose: Brooklyn Bruggeman (2nd)
Program Oral Interpretation: Brooklyn Bruggeman (5th)

State Debate Team Results

1) Lincoln East, 2) Lincoln Southwest, 3) Millard North, 4) Omaha Marian, 5) Millard South

2025 LPS State Debate Results

East High School

Policy Debate: Sara Cai, Elaine Yu (1st), Alex Ge, James Yu (quarterfinalists), Lily Jobst, Gabe Wick (quarterfinalists)
Public Forum Debate: Arnav Agarwal, Ronav Ganesh (2nd), Sukruth Jangala, Shriish Sathish (semifinalists), Ella Recker, Erin Suh (quarterfinalists), Brad Bobaru, Lucas Neamu (quarterfinalists)
Lincoln-Douglas Debate: Maddie Huggard (semifinalist), Krithik Pondicherry (quarterfinalist), Noah Hoover (quarterfinalist), Jeff Shen (quarterfinalist)
Congressional Debate: Alex Hamric (8th), Emerson Trompke (finalist), Cheryl Zeng (finalist), Cora Jones (finalist), Kashish Nangia (finalist)

Southeast High School

Congressional Debate: Lexi Velgersdyk (4th), Marin Weisser (finalist)

Southwest High School

Public Forum Debate: Cole Wilkason, Benjamin Quattrocchi (1st), Payton Wilkason, Mason Rathje (quarterfinalists), Isabel Loriaux, Carly Wieseler (quarterfinalists)
Lincoln-Douglas Debate: Maarib Basi (octofinalist)
Congressional Debate: Spencer Krenk (2nd), Rawan Al-Ajeel (6th), Elizabeth Falcone (7th), Addison Watchorn (finalist), Henry Fuller (finalist), Daniel Yoo (finalist)

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