Notable Achievements

This page contains information of notable achievements of the Parkway West HS Speech & Debate team, including those of the far past and of the recent.

State Tournament

Yearly, the Parkway West Forensics team qualifies team members to the Missouri State High School Activities Association state tournament. This is a list of recent notable finishes at the state tournament: 

2019 - Policy Debate - Gokul Venkatachalam & Jon Ma (4th Place)

2018 - Policy Debate - Gokul Venkatachalam & Haran Kumar (4th Place)

2017 - Poetry Reading - Jesse Calvert (3rd Place)

2016 - Public Forum Debate - Nick Chiu & Kent Robinson (4th Place)

2016 - Poetry Reading - Jesse Calvert (4th Place)

2016 - Domestic Extemp - Robbie Lasky (3rd Place)

2014 - Original Oratory - Noreen Webster - STATE CHAMP

2014 - Policy Debate - Keerthi Gondi & Laura Santangelo - STATE CHAMPS

2014 - International Extemporaneous Speaking - Keerthi Gondi (6th place)

2014 - Dramatic Interpretation - Yasmin Younis (8th place)

2013- Duet Acting- Rigel Robinson and Yasmin Younis (8th Place)

2013- Humorous Interpretation-Rigel Robinson (4th Place)

2012- Original Oratory- Annie Schuver - STATE CHAMP

2012- Policy Debate- Maggie Thomas and Megan Hornsby - STATE CHAMPS

2011 - Original Oratory - Talan Tyminski (4th place)

2010 - Storytelling - Julie Schnieder (4th place)

2009 - Radio Speaking - Stuart Portman (4th place)

2007 - Public Forum Debate - Bukola Jimoh & Will Lounsbury - STATE CHAMPS

2006 - Prose Reading - Alice Stanley - STATE CHAMP

2006- Lincoln-Douglas Debate - Osman Chaudry (2nd Place)

2004 - Duet Acting - Navin Choski & Ryan Doris (3rd Place)

1999 - Humorous Interpretation - Nick Choski - STATE CHAMP

1999 - Radio Speaking - Erin Guyer - STATE CHAMP

1999 - Reader's Theatre - STATE CHAMPS

1991 - Original Oratory - Lisa Williams - STATE CHAMP 

1991 - Reader's Theatre - STATE CHAMPS

1990 - Prose Reading - Julia Helfrich - STATE CHAMP

1984 - Duet Acting - Ann Otto & Jeff Pohl - STATE CHAMPS

1975 - Policy Debate STATE CHAMPS

1974 - Policy Debate STATE CHAMPS

 

National Tournament (NSDA) Rankings 

2014 - Humorous Interpretation - Rigel Robinson - Semifinalist, 8th Place 

2013 - Extemp Debate - Scott Lasky - Semifinalist, Top 13

2012 - Congressional Debate - Parag Dharmavarapu - Finalist

2010 - Congressional Debate - Rajiv Tarigopula - Finalist

2006 - Dramatic Interpretation - Alice Stanley - Finalist, 3rd Place

2006 - Public Forum - Alex Huntstein & Richard Lowry - 11th Place

 

Matthew Viglione Scholarship: 

This award goes to a Parkway West Speech & Debate team member who has exemplified the qualities of leadership and communication, creating friendly relationships and helping those around him or her. This award is in honor of a former Parkway West team member, Matthew Viglione.

2019 - Gokul Venkatachalam

2018 - Cheryl Ma

2017 - Jesse Calvert

2016 - Robbie Lasky

2015 - Amos Chen

2014 -Rigel Robinson

2013- Scott Lasky

2012- Elani Owen

2011- Junaid Yasin

2010- Rajiv Tarigopula

2009- Stuart Portman

2008- Sara Baker

2007- Horan Li

2006- Richard Lowry

2004- Adrianne May

2003- Stasek Levchinsky

2002- Ashley Oppenheim

2001- James Bosanquet

2000- Matthew Markowitz

1999- Erin Guyer

1998- Leigh-Anne Herz

1997- Jacob Stutzman

1996- Anvir Rahman

1995- Jesse Kharbana

 

Department Award

2019 - Gokul Venkatachalam

2018 - Haran Kumar

2017 - Jesse Calvert

2016 - Nick Chiu

2015 - Amos Chen

2014 - Rigel Robinson

2013- Annie Schuver

2012- Elani Owen

2011- Saad Amir

2010- Jake Lyonfields

2009- Stacey Luo

 

Team Awards

Best Varsity Debater

• 2019 - Gokul Venkatachalam
• 2018 - Haran Kumar
• 2017 - Cheryl Ma
• 2016 - Nick Chiu
• 2015 - Amos Chen
• 2014 - Keerthi Gondi
• 2013 - 

Best Varsity Events

• 2019 - Kristina Humphrey
• 2018 - Ryan O'Connor
• 2017 - Jesse Calvert
• 2016 - Robbie Lasky
• 2015 - Kent Robinson
• 2014 - Rigel Robinson
• 2013 - Rigel Robinson

Best Novice Debater

• 2019 - Sarah Sun 
• 2018 - Tyler Kinzy
• 2017 - Anjali Shah
• 2016 - Ryan O'Connor
• 2015 - Haran Kumar
• 2014 - Chiron Robinson

Best Novice Events

• 2019 - Ellie Martin 
• 2018 - Grace O'Connor & Zoey Womick
• 2017 - Jon Ma
• 2016 - Bharat Sreekrishnavilas
• 2015 - Yash Nayak
• 2014 - Tanya Esmiel

Unsung Hero

• 2019 - Amina Aser
• 2018 - Yusuf Hacking
• 2017 - Nick Bateman
• 2016 - Julia Li
• 2015 - Shubham Vyas
• 2014 - Noreen Webster
• 2013 - Woody Metcalf & Sarah Bennett 

 

Elected Officers

• 2019-2020: Ronik Bhaskar, Tyler Kinzy, Jon Ma, Ella Seigel
• 2018-2019: Luke Donovan, Kristina Humphrey, Jon Ma, Gokul Venkatachalam
• 2017-2018: Nick Bateman, Cheryl Ma, Ryan O'Connor, Gokul Venkatachalam
• 2016-2017: Jesse Calvert, Kent Robinson, Mary Steurer, Liza Tarakanova
• 2015-2016: Andrew Impastato, Julia Li, Nick Santangelo, Bryan Zhang
• 2014-2015: Sharoze Amir, Amos Chen, Andrew Impastato
• 2013- 2014: Keerthi Gondi, Rigel Robinson, Laura Santangelo, Yasmin Younis
• 2012-2013: Tim Hu, Greg Piccirillo, Annie Schuver, Joanne Yu
• 2011-2012: Parag Dharmavarapu, Winston Luo, Elani Owen, James Wang
• 2010-2011: Saad Amir, Winston Luo, Elani Owen
• 2009-2010: Jake Lyonfields, Rajiv Tarigopula
• 2008-2009: Adam Friedman, Stacey Luo, Stuart Portman, Patrick Zhang

Parkway West High School was officially inaugurated into the National Forensics League on June 30th, 1970. In 2014 they attended their 40th National Tournament!

At the 2006 National Forensics League National Speech Tournament, Parkway West recieved an award for distinction as a School of Excellence in Debate!

Since 2010, Parkway West High School's NFL Chapter was officially designated a member of the Two Hundred Club. This is an award for maintaining a large, successful program.

The Parkway West High School NFL chapter has recieved National Awards for Excellence in Speech three times: 1976-1982, 1983-1993, and 1993-2006.

In 2019, head coach Cara Borgsmiller was named the NSDA National Speech & Debate Coach of the Year.