April 17-18, the Arkansas Communication & Theatre Arts Association (ACTAA) hosted the107th Arkansas Forensics and Debate State Championships at North Little Rock High School.
In addition to recognizing of Episcopal Collegiate School as the 2026 Academic State Champion, the state tournament included competition in twenty-seven separate events, where students qualified for state competition through advancing to select elimination rounds in previous sanctioned invitational tournaments hosted throughout the 2025-2026 season.
Fayetteville High School was named the 2026 Arkansas State Champion in Music and Words, while the following students earned individual state championship titles in speech & acting events:
- Ameya Nambiar of Bentonville West High School in Dramatic Interpretation
- Jeremy Jackson, Jr. of Cabot High School in Dramatic Song Lyric Interpretation
- Beatrix Drewyor & Reagan Hall of Bentonville West High School in Duo Interpretation
- Karly Elliot & Brinkley Hill of Cabot High School in Duet improvisational acting
- Avery Kvello of Fayetteville High School in Extemporaneous Speaking
- Kyndall Richey of Bentonville West High School in Humorous Interpretation
- Bryce Veasman of Cabot High School in Informative Speaking
- Adrianna Cain of Morrilton High School in Impromptu Speaking
- Layla Abdel-Karim of The Academies at Jonesboro High School in Original Oratory
- Layla Abdel-Karim of The Academies at Jonesboro High School in Poetry Interpretation
- Isabelle Elkins of Little Rock Central High School in Program of Oral Interpretation
- Layla Abdel-Karim of The Academies at Jonesboro High School in Prose Interpretation
- Luke White in Fayetteville High School in Solo Acting
- Logan Campos of Cabot High School in Solo Musical Acting
- Ameya Nambiar of Bentonville West High School in Storytelling
The following students earned individual state championship titles in debate events:
- Joshua Mendoza of Conway High School in Big Questions Debate
- Mary Erwin Bright of Episcopal Collegiate School in Novice Congressional Debate
- Mishka Mehra of Bentonville High School in Novice Lincoln-Douglas Debate
- James Wellborn & Alex Bolden of Little Rock Central High School in Novice Policy Debate
- Lylian Bryan of Russellville High School in Novice Public Debate
- Gunika Yadav & Saanvi Hariprasad of Bentonville West High school in Novice Public Forum Debate
- Matthew Collins of Episcopal Collegiate School in Varsity Congressional Debate
- Kaden Buckner of Cabot High School in Varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debate
- Jack Liu and Shangyu Wu of Little Rock Central High School in Varsity Policy Debate
- Alexander Gamble of Dardanelle High School in Varsity Public Debate
- Jaithra Polavarapu & Vivian Wang of Bentonville West High School in Varsity Public Forum Debate
The Arkansas Communication and Theatre Arts Association (ACTAA) is a non-profit professional organization serving educators. Its purpose is to promote communication, debate, forensics and theatre as an essential discipline, life skill, and art form. Additionally, ACTAA is the official sanctioning organization authorized by the Arkansas Activities Association (AAA) and National Federation of State High Schools Association (NFHS) to govern interscholastic speech and debate competition in Arkansas.
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Student finalists in Novice Congressional Debate await announcement of final placement at the 2026 Arkansas Forensics and Debate State Championships at North Little Rock High School, April 17-18.
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