Roosevelt Debate Continues Among Top Programs in the Nation
Roosevelt senior Lily Nellans completed her high school career as one of the nation’s top debaters.
Lily Nellans was in Kansas last week and will soon be on her way to the forensic equivalent of Oz.
The record-setting Roosevelt High School debater made her third straight appearance in the finals at the NSDA National Speech and Debate Tournament in Overland Park, KS and finished fourth overall. During the course of the tournament she broke the 6,000 point mark to set a record that should stand for a while according to her coach at Roosevelt, Harry Strong. Her illustrious high school career was extended during the tournament with the announcement that Team USA Debate will participate in the Thailand International tournament after all. Nellans was named to the team earlier in the year but was told after the military coup there six weeks ago that the trip was off. Since then officials have determined that conditions may be safer now than before the recent upheaval. So, Lily leaves Friday for a tournament in Slovenia and then will end her high school career competing in Thailand in early August.
“During the awards ceremony in Overland Park, the members of Team USA were all presented to an audience of 5,000 or so in the auditorium. A chant of ‘USA, USA,’ broke out which had to be a big rush for Lily and the other members of the team,” according to Strong who himself was recognized during the event as the National Coach of the Year by the National Speech & Debate Association.
“While I’m a bit shocked by the award,” said Strong, “it does put into perspective everything that a special group of students has accomplished at Roosevelt,” during Strong’s tenure which began in 2005 and is ending as he moves on to head up the debate program at a private school in Tennessee next year.
Just consider the accolades won by the Roughriders’ Class of 2014 in speech and debate, led by Nellans, Murphy Burke and Luke Theuma, as the latest case in point:
- 3 IHSSA State Debate Championships
- Winning the Trifecta of State championships in 2014
- Winning the “School of Outstanding Distinction Award” at the National Forensics League 2013 National Championship
- Four final round appearances at nationals
- Winning the 2012 Catholic National Title in Extemporaneous Speaking
- One Two time All-American (Nellans)
The great debating will go on at Roosevelt in the wake of the latest batch of great debaters. Strong’s successor will be Lauren McCool who takes the helm after serving as assistant debate coach at Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines.
