Championships

A catalog of high school debate championships in Nebraska.

Note: This project will probably not be completed. Last looked over 2025-05-15.

The sweepstakes are school-level awards given to the best-performing school at that year's state tournament.

Year	School
2020	Cancelled
2019	Millard North
2018	Millard North
2017	Millard North
2016	Millard North
2015	Millard North
2014	Millard West
2013	Millard West
2012	Millard West
2011	Millard West
2010	Millard West
2009	Lincoln East
2008	Millard South
2007	Lincoln East
2006	Kearney

This award is given by Fred Robertson to highlight students, coaches, and judges for their work in the debate community.

Year	Recipient	For
2021	Unknown
2020	Victoria Freeman	Outstanding coaching and judging contributions to the Nebraska debate community
	Prema Vasudevan	Outstanding work in Lincoln-Douglas and Congressional Debate
	Ritsa Giannakas	Being a top National-level competitor in Congressional Debate
	Emily Atamov	Great work in Policy Debate

Policy debate has existed in some form at the state debate tournament since at least 1908, though there was an approximate 14 year cancellation because of World War II. It seems to have been originally designed as a one-person event, and then allowed between two and four debaters (based on the results from 1932 to 1938). In 1935, and perhaps other years, schools were divided into classes, and would win the championship in their respective class; this is no longer the case, and there are two debaters per team.

Year	Students	School	Notes/Refs.
2020	Cancelled	N/A
2019	Gavin Graves, Grace Clausen	Millard North
2018	Hunter Guru, Jesse Lin	Lincoln East
2017	Grace Clausen, Emma Clausen	Millard North
2016	Ojus Jain, Annie Jia	Lincoln East
2015	Ananstasia Pasheyeva, Margret Cunliffe	Millard West
2014	Payton Wells, Lia Hagen	Westside
2013	Brian Murray, Jack Spady	Millard West
2012	Matt Casas, Max Anderson	Millard South
2011	Brian Gonzaba, Tyler Snelling	Millard South
2010	Ryan Markus, Shane Adams	Millard West
2009	David Robinson, Ian Lee	Millard South
2008	Keri Hawhee, Brittany Leach	Millard South
2007	Carly Persell, Ashley Morgan	Lincoln East
2006	Ian Peterson, Josh Larsen	Westside
2005	[Finding...]	Millard North
2004	Dylan Sutton, Sam Timme	Fremont
2003	[Tie, finding...]	Omaha Westside
2002	[Finding...]	[Finding...]
2001	Matt Cormack, Cody Sobansky	Lincoln Southeast
2000	Ryan Wilkins, Drew Johnson	Millard West
1999	Tony Todero, Matt Holt	Millard West
1998	Blake Johnson, Nick Lohrmeier	Millard North
1997	Holly Aerts, Nick Lohmeier	Millard North
1996	Trevor Foster, Josh O'Donnell	Millard North
1995	Trevor Foster, Josh O'Donnell	Millard North
1994	Emily Vokt, Garth Patil	Omaha Westside
1993	Jonathan Cohn, Kyle Norman	Millard North
1992	Ben Engel, Anders Wick	Omaha Westside
1991	Josh Holian, Matt Holian	Millard South
1990	Josh Holian, Matt Holian	Millard South
1989	John Lemmers, Pete Chung	Millard North
1988	Peder Bartling, Josh Engel	Omaha Westside
1987	Tom Fridrich, Dan Fridrich	Millard South
1986	Emily Headen, Mark Rohlfs	Omaha Bryan
1985	Blake Simmons, Tim Harmon	Omaha Creighton Prep
1984	Natalie Mahavald, Mike Ehrlich	Omaha Westside
1983	Tim Papa, Steve Robbins	Omaha Creighton Prep
1982	Wally Mullin, Dennis Walsh	Omaha Creighton Prep
1981	Karen Goldner, Dan Bloomingdale	Omaha Westside
1980	Mark DeGrand, Mike Welborn	Omaha Creighton Prep
1979	Tracy Johnson, Ann Beeder	Ralston
1978	Tom Lyon, Beth McConnell	Lincoln East
1977	Dave Lyon, Leo Chandler	Lincoln East
1976	Jim Cotty, Mike Lindsey	Omaha Creighton Prep
1975	Kenneth Allen, Paul Hoffman	Omaha Central
1974	David Alperin, Nick Newman	Omaha Central
1973	Gary Hall, Steve Neilsen	Bellevue
1972	Jim Menter, Todd Patterson	Bellevue
1971	Bridget Haefner, Mary Lou Klipfel	Omaha Marian
1970	Jim Lehr, Jim Kirschenbaum	Omaha Central
1969	William Russell, John Powers	Omaha Westside
1968	Nancy Kirchofer, Teri Risch	Omaha Marian
1967	Ken Wald, Jim Berglund	Lincoln Southeast
1966	Amy Brodkey, Jon Whitman	Omaha Central
1965	James Lyons, Max Richtman	Omaha Central
1964	Joanne Hoefer, Bonnie Prest	Omaha Marian
1963	Susan Turner, Robert Chandler	Omaha Benson
1962	Robert Gross, Neil Darberg	Omaha Central
1961	Steve Ford, Robert Koepke	Hastings
1960	Dave Olson, Steve Johnson	Omaha Benson
1959	Susie Moffitt, Tom Cooper	Lincoln Southeast
1958	Mike Crawford, Richard Nelson	Lincoln Southeast
1957	Rennie Ashleman, Susie Moffitt	Lincoln Southeast
1945-1956	Cancelled	Cancelled
1944	[Finding....]	Benson
1943	Robert Cole, Vern Jacobs*	Plattsmouth
1942	Jerry Ryan, Bernard Svoboda	Lincoln High
1941	Roger Brown, Shirly Chizek	Omaha Benson
1940	William Bouwsma, Donald Meyer	Lincoln High
1939	Nick Douvas, Jerry Scoutt	Hastings
1938	Roger Owen, Robert Turner	Omaha North
1937	[Finding...]	Omaha Benson
1936	T. Walton, D. Ward, E. Sweenas, E. Anderson	Omaha Benson
1935	[Finding...]	Class A: Fremont, Class B: Upland
1934	Louis Hartz, Fannie Witkin	Omaha Tech
1933	Doris Nelson, Robert McCown	Beatrice
1932	Dwight Perkins, Jack Pace, Irving Hill	Lincoln High
1931	Ruth Butcher, William Franklin, Earl Yardley	Grand Island
1930	Eugene Pester, Myron Bickel, Woodrow Magee	Jackson
1929	Mildred Daniel, George Springborg, Charles Gray	Omaha Tech
1928	Dale McClanahan, Howard Gillespie, Edward Brewster	Beatrice
1927	Walter R. McIntire, Lester R. Stiner, Nathan S. Levy	Hastings
1926	Walter Dempster, Wesley Crow, Ephriam Marks	Omaha Tech
1925	David Fellman, Byron Dunham, Sam Minkin	Omaha Central
1924	John C. Gewacke, Roland Propst, Howard Hamilton	Geneva
1923	Edwin Hogle, George Williams, George Hagerman	Omaha Tech
1922	Albert Shenk, Louis Breternitz, George Dent	North Platte	"Decision Goes to North Platte", Holdredge Progress, 18 May 1922, p. 1 (N) (Grand Island Independent, 11 May 1922, reports: "Ninety-five high schools competed in the contest this year")
1921	Paul Haberlan, James Cody, Clarence Riordan	Lincoln Cathedral	"Cathedral High Wins State Debate Honors", Sunday World-Herald, 15 May 1921, p. 10 (N)
1920	Bonnie Hess, Lynette Rennick, Leslie Rundell	Beatrice	"Beatrice Wins Debate", Wayne Herald, 20 May 1920, p. 11 (N) (according to the Sunday World-Herald on 9 May 1920, this was the first state tournament in which sides were randomized; WH states they found out sides one hour before the debate)
1919	Howard Vore	Omaha South	"School Notes", Nebraska Democrat, 22 May 1919, p. 4 (N)
1918	Mark O'Brien	Teachers College / Temple	"Temple High Wins First", Evening State Journal and Lincoln Daily News, 4 May 1918, p. 8 (N) (this was the first championship by a team from Lincoln)
1917	John Nelson*	Sargent	"Decision Was Protested", Lincoln Daily News, 12 May 1917, p. 10 (N) (*: Oral E. Harvey, Alliance, was the original winner. "A protest entered ... by director Morse of the southeastern district had not been decided at 2 o'clock ... It took the judges only a quarter of an hour to reach the decision ... In their report [later that day] the judges stated that the decision was given with a great deal of reluctance and some sorrow.")
1916	Marion B. Stahl	West Point	[Untitled], Norfolk Press, 18 May 1916, p. 5 (N)
1915	Leonard W. Kline	Blue Springs	"All Over Nebraska: Short News Items", Custer County Republican, 27 May 1915, p. 6 (N)
1914	Paul Stowell	University Place	"Stowell Takes State Debate Championship", Sunday World-Herald, 17 May 1914, p. 10 (N)
1913	Robert B. Waring	Geneva	"Waring Won State Debate", Nebraska Signal, 22 May 1913, p. 2 (N)
1912	Jesse L. Ertel	Geneva	"Jesse Ertel First", Nebraska Signal and the Geneva Gazette, 23 May 1912, p. 1 (N)
1911	Victor Coulter	Wymore	"Local", North Bend Eagle, 25 May 1911, p. 5 (N)
1910	Marie Douglass	Plattsmouth	"Plattsmouth Girl Wins State Debate", Evening World-Herald, 21 May 1910, p. 2 (N)
1909	Clayton S. Radcliffe	Sidney	"Annual High School Debate", The Hebron Champion, 21 May 1909, p. 1 (N)
1908	Arthur Anderson	Wahoo	"Arthur Anderson Wins", Wahoo Wasp, 21 May 1908, p. 2 (N)

Early data is often inaccurate, and World War II-era data is inconsistent. In 1943, for instance, there was no formal state debate tournament: It was, as one newspaper said, replaced by a smaller regional tournament because there were so few entries. This list contains best judgments in line with what existing sources say.

Lincoln-Douglas debate has existed in some form at the state tournament since at least 1987. It was divided into two classes in its early years, but has since become a true statewide event.

Year	Students	School
2020	Cancelled	Cancelled
2019	Chaitra Pirisingula	Millard North
2018	Alli Lueders	Millard West
2017	Priya Kukreja	Millard North
2016	Grant Brown	Millard North
2015	Colten White	Kearney
2014	Connor Brown	Millard North
2013	Sarah DiMagno	Lincoln High
2012	Payton Shudak	Millard West
2011	Jonathan Feingold	Lincoln East
2010	Paul Poulson	Lincoln Southwest
2009	Brent Young	Millard West
2008	Charles McClung	Lincoln Northeast
2007	Sujay Paknikar	Millard West
2006	Alex Good	Millard North
2005	Alex Good	Millard North
2004	Joseph Langella	Fremont
2003	Tom Evnen	Lincoln Southeast
2002	Jennifer Larsen	Millard West
2001	Trisha Bolin	Millard West
2000	Nick Turner	Millard West
1999	Suzanna Bohlke	Lincoln Southeast
1998	Ryan Feagan	Bellevue East
1997	Andy Sawatzki	Lincoln High
1996	Sabra Perkins	Omaha Mercy
1995	Jess Sweley	Kearney
1994	Weston Norton	Lincoln High
1993	Class A: Mike O'Boyle Class B: Joyce Hruska	Fremont Omaha Mercy
1992	Class A: Mike Bassik Class B: Jackie Brown, Leah Hollister (tie)	Millard North Omaha Mercy
1991	Class A: Jeff Brinkman Class B: Carrie Davis	Millard North Bridgeport
1990	Class A: Troy Meyerson Class B: Kevin Kelly, Javir Urrutia (tie)	Omaha Westside Omaha Roncalli
1989	Class A: Alyssa Williams Class B: Erin Noteboom, Kelly Staup (tie)	North Platte Omaha Mercy
1988	Class A: Eric Kringle Class B: Jeff Peffer, Lovell Wright (tie)	Lincoln Southeast Omaha Roncalli
1987	Class A: Jennifer Lynch Class B: Brett Berg	Lincoln High Omaha Roncalli

In no particular order, and certainly omitting some helpful folks, thanks go to the following for their help with this list: