The Ladue Horton Watkins High School (LHWHS)Talking Rams Speech and Debate Team is off to a stellar start this season, earning top honors across multiple tournaments and showcasing the talent and dedication that define their program.

“The year is off to a great start,” exclaimed Molly Beck, Head Coach of the Talking Rams. “Competitively, the team is doing very well and remains a top contender at each tournament. More importantly, we see each team member show growth and improvement at each tournament - whether winning a round for the first time or giving a first speech. I am proud of this group of students building on the legacy of the Talking Rams.”

Parkway West Fall Classic - The Talking Rams placed second overall in the Team Sweepstakes.

• Individual Varsity Division Highlights: Multiple champions for LHWHS, including Rex Zhu and Urmil Patel, as well as Bohan Pan and Eric Fan, in Public Forum. Bohan Pan also claimed Domestic Extemp Champion.
• Individual Novice Division Highlights: Zoe Mei and Elle Saleeby were Public Forum champions. Nathan King and Emery Mao earned top finishes in Lincoln Douglas and Interpretation, respectively, for the Talking Rams.

Francis Howell North Speech Tournament - LHWHS took third place overall in Team Sweepstakes.

• Individual Varsity Division Highlights: LHWHS senior Eric Fan won Radio, with Franklyn Yang finishing runner-up in the same category. Additionally, Sahil Chatwal finished 2nd in International Extemp. 
• Individual Novice Division Highlights: Elle Saleeby placed 2nd in Extemp.

Troy Tournament - It was a fourth-place finish overall in the Team Sweepstakes for the Talking Rams.

• Individual Varsity Division Highlights: Addie Flintrop placed 2nd in Lincoln Douglas for the Talking Rams.
• Individual Novice Division Highlights: Zoe Mei and Elle Saleeby won Public Forum, with Ananya Goli and Jessie Wang finishing runner-up. 

GSL Invitational - Although the Team Sweepstakes weren’t announced, the Talking Rams delivered exceptional individual results:

• Individual Champion Division Highlights: Urmil Patel and Felix Zhang took 1st in Public Forum, with Bohan Pan and Eric Fan finishing runner-up. Meanwhile, Addie Flintrop claimed 1st in Lincoln Douglas.
• Individual Varsity Division Highlights: Bohan Pan had quite the performance with a 1st place finish in Domestic Extemp and runner-up in Informative. Additionally, Eric Fan won the Congressional, and Zoe Mei took Top Novice in the division.
• Individual Novice Division Highlights: Nathan King won Lincoln Douglas, while Aalee Khan finished runner-up in Oratory. Meanwhile, the Talking Rams took the top three spots in Public Forum, with Ananya Goli and Jessie Wang winning the category, Zoe Mei and Elle Saleeby finishing 2nd, and Sasha Prasad & Eliana Gebrehiwet placing 3rd. 

Randy Pierce Winter Classic hosted by Pattonville - Once again, despite the Team Sweepstakes not being presented, LHWHS excelled on an individual level: 

• Individual Champion Division Highlights: Bohan Pan, Eric Fan, and Urmil Patel swept 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in the Congressional Debate. Additionally, Bohan Pan and Eric Fan were tournament champions in Public Forum, while Elliot Broadbent and Sahil Chatwal placed 3rd in U.S. and Internal Extemp for the Talking Rams, respectively.
• Individual Varsity Division Highlights: Nathan King Nathan King placed 2nd in Lincoln-Douglas.
• Individual Novice Division Highlights: Zoe Mei and Elle Saleeby were tournament champions in Public Forum. Zoe added another 1st place finish in the Congressional Debate, with Eliana Gebrehewit placing 3rd in the same debate. 

"We have a talented group of novices who continually grow and excel, guided by experienced sophomores and juniors who share their knowledge and passion for teaching speech and debate. It’s inspiring to see emerging leaders take on coaching roles, supported by exceptional seniors who lead as teammates, mentors, and top competitors," Beck added. 

The Talking Rams Speech and Debate team also teamed up with volunteers from the Ladue community to host the Ladue Novice Invitational in late November. Students assisted with tournament logistics like registration and room assignments and helped set up the competition space.

Congratulations to the Talking Rams for their impressive early-season performances. We can't wait to see what they accomplish next!