The Raiders’ debate team won the national championship — again.

For the second consecutive year, Shawnee Mission South debate and speech brought home the National Champions title from the National Catholic Forensics League.

Coach Carolyn Cook said the team’s back-to-back victories symbolizes students building a program legacy of excellence and community.

Two debate and speech students brought home the 2023 title

• Junior Maddie Augustine and senior Jeremiah Rimpson are the 2023 NCFL National Champions.
• The two competed as a team in 10 total rounds during the two-day competition on May 27 and 28, against upwards of 80 other teams from across the country.
• Both Augustine and Rimpson said it feels great to be the 2023 champions, especially after completing five rounds per day — well above the typical maximum of four rounds.
• “I’m very happy and proud of the success that Shawnee Mission South has had since Carolyn Cook has become the head coach,” Rimpson said. “In five years, she’s won two nationals. Most of the thanks definitely goes to Coach.”

U.S., NATO cooperation on global peace and security was the topic

• This is the first year Augustine and Rimpson were paired together, Cook said, and NCFL is the third tournament they won together.
• Rimpson said he and Augustine made several arguments, both for and against a variety of related topics, throughout the competition.
• Augustine said this included debates about the debt ceiling as well as the importance of satellite strength for security.
• For their final debate, the pair read an argument challenging the ways the United States approaches global peace cooperation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Augustine said.
• “Everything we talk about is really important, especially to young people all over the country,” Augustine said.

This is the second debate championship for SM South

• Last year, juniors Clare Bradley and Brooklyn Hato won the NCFL national championship — which Cook said may have been the first debate championship in the school’s history.
• Cook, who began as the debate and forensics coach at SM South five years ago, said the two consecutive wins set the foundation for the program’s legacy.
• “I think they (Augustine, Bradley, Hato and Rimpson) are kind of building a legacy of our program that is committed to both excellence but also to community,” Cook said.

The job isn’t done: Another tournament starts in two weeks

• The National Speech & Debate competition is coming up from June 12 to 16 in Phoenix.
• Cook said the students, including this year’s and last year’s nationals winners, are preparing for the upcoming tournament and fundraising to get there.
• The team is working toward a $20,000 goal, and contributions can be made online here.

Go deeper: SM South debate team brings home national championship from D.C.