Spearfish, S.D. — The Spearfish High School debate program continued its remarkable run of success this season, capturing the Class A State Debate Team Sweepstakes Championship for the 10th time in the past 11 years, reinforcing the Spartans’ reputation as one of the premier speech and debate programs in South Dakota.
The Spartans earned the team title through consistent performances across several individual and debate categories, with multiple students placing among the top competitors in the state tournament. The team’s depth and versatility allowed Spearfish to accumulate the points necessary to secure the overall sweepstakes championship.
Several Spartans delivered standout performances in individual speaking events. Haley Heubrock placed third in Original Oratory, while Logan Madler also earned a third-place finish in Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking. In International Extemporaneous Speaking, Ian Cho finished fourth, demonstrating the program’s strength in limited-preparation speaking events.
Spearfish also saw strong results in Informative Speaking, where Isabel Cross finished second, and Alex Van Osdol placed fourth.
The Spartans were equally competitive in debate events. In Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Hunter Werner advanced to the championship round and finished second overall, while teammate Zion McBride reached the semifinals.
In Public Forum Debate, Spearfish had two teams make deep tournament runs. Lydia Brown and Ian Cho finished second, while Isabel Cross and Alex Van Osdol advanced to the semifinals.
The strong results across multiple categories ultimately secured the Class A State Sweepstakes title, continuing a decade-long stretch of excellence for the Spearfish debate program.