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Lee's Summit Speech and Debate Students Earn National Recognition at the 2026 National Tournament

Eighteen students represented the Lee's Summit R-7 School District at the 2026 National Speech & Debate Tournament. Students from all three high schools competed against more than 7,000 students from approximately 1,500 schools across the nation. 

Students from Lee’s Summit High School, Lee's Summit North and Lee's Summit West earned impressive finishes across multiple events.

Lee’s Summit High School

  • Evie Latman – 97th Place out of 616 entries
  • Greyson Helm – 126th Place out of 616 entries

Evie and Greyson also tied for 59th place out of 266 in the Public Forum Debate.

Lee’s Summit North

  • Maxon Chen – National Finalist, 5th Place in Extemporaneous Commentary and Top 60 in International Extemporaneous Speaking
  • Bennett Salva – National Semifinalist, 7th Place in Lincoln-Douglas Debate and automatic qualification for the 2027 National Tournament
  • Vivian Chira – National Semifinalist, 9th Place in Original Oratory
  • Jake Johnson – National Semifinalist, 10th Place in Informative Speaking
  • Duncan Black and Micah Sanchez – Top 60 in Public Forum Debate
  • Liam Love – Top 120 in Storytelling
  • Jaylen Hughley – Elimination Rounds in Extemporaneous Debate
  • In addition to these individual accomplishments, Lee’s Summit North earned Excellence in Speech and Excellence in Debate honors by placing among the Top 20 schools in the nation in both categories.

Lee’s Summit West

  • Olivia Nolte – 8th Place, Extemporaneous Debate
  • Noelle Lawlor – 49th Place, Extemporaneous Commentary
  • Coach Matt Good was also inducted into the NSDA Hall of Fame, the highest honor a Speech and Debate Coach can earn.

Congratulations to all 18 students who represented Lee's Summit R-7 School District on the national stage and showcased excellence in speech, debate, leadership and communication.