Middle School Speech Students Compete Across State

Page, Sunset and Woodland middle schools performed admirably at several speech and debate tournaments throughout the 2025-26 season.

Those students who placed high enough in their categories are eligible to represent WCS at the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) National Tournament in Virginia this June.

Page Middle’s speech and debate team is led by faculty adviser Kaleigh Landers; the Sunset Middle team’s faculty advisers are Jyoti Singh and Priya Prakash; and Woodland Middle’s team is led by faculty adviser Catherine Keith.

Congratulations to the students listed below.

Ravenwood High Invitational

Dramatic Interpretation

• First: Jiyana Jijesh, Woodland Middle
• Second: Sahasra Gortha, Woodland Middle
• Third: Samantha Hassell, Sunset Middle
• Fourth: Ellaria Amin, Sunset Middle
• Fifth: Urvikha Parvatareddy, Woodland Middle

Duo Interpretation

• First: Nirvana Naidu and Anika Verma, Sunset Middle
• Second: Ellaria Amin and Samantha Hassell, Sunset Middle
• Fourth: Yashaswini Ganjikunta and Tanishka Kalbandey, Woodland Middle
• Fifth: Amelia Martin and Caroline Lantz, Page Middle
• Sixth: Anagha Saxena and Aadhya Prodduturi, Page Middle

Duet Improvisation

• Second: Caroline Lantz and Amelia Martin, Page Middle
• Third: Anagha Saxena and Aadhya Prodduturi, Page Middle

Storytelling

• First: Dea Ashar, Sunset Middle
• Third: Shreya Seshan, Woodland Middle
• Fourth: Urvikha Parvatareddy, Woodland Middle
• Fifth: Advika Lakshmanan, Woodland Middle
• Sixth: Darius Varna, Sunset Middle
• Seventh: Pranita Jagatheeswaran, Woodland Middle

Original Oratory

• Second: Saesha Gupta, Page Middle
• Third: Dea Ashar, Sunset Middle
• Fourth: Ashrita Chinta, Sunset Middle
• Fifth: Jessie Raj, Sunset Middle
• Preliminary: Ateesha Dikshit, Celeste La and Nolan Scholl, Sunset Middle

Poetry Interpretation

• First: Madison Hollandsworth, Sunset Middle
• Second: Misha Sharma, Page Middle
• Third: Nirvana Naidu, Sunset Middle
• Fourth: Logan Shelato, Page Middle
• Fifth: Abinay Bheemireddy, Sunset Middle
• Sixth: Arnav Singhal, Page Middle
• Preliminary: Prayutsu Chhabada, Sunset Middle

Declamation

• First: Tanishka Kalbandey, Woodland Middle
• Second: Aditi Venmani, Sunset Middle
• Third: Ashrita Chinta, Sunset Middle
• Fourth: Aran Gunasekaran, Woodland Middle
• Fifth: Samhita Kanumuri, Sunset Middle
• Sixth: Jayden Chen, Sunset Middle

Prose Interpretation

• First: Aditi Venmani, Sunset Middle
• Second: Piper Medlin, Sunset Middle
• Third: Amelia Martin, Page Middle
• Fourth: Arnav Singhal, Page Middle
• Fifth: Scarlett Choi, Sunset Middle

Informative Speaking

• First: Suhana Dyamenahalli, Woodland Middle
• Second: Madison Hollandsworth, Sunset Middle
• Third: Siddharth Bharathwajan, Page Middle
• Fourth: Samhita Kanumuri, Sunset Middle
• Sixth: Arnav Gilda, Page Middle

Impromptu Speaking

• First: Caroline Lantz, Page Middle
• Second: Jessie Raj, Sunset Middle
• Third: Misha Sharma, Page Middle
• Fourth: Anika Verma, Sunset Middle
• Sixth: Reyansh Tiwari, Woodland Middle
• Preliminary: Celeste La, Sunset Middle

Humorous Interpretation

• Preliminary: Lucas Reeves, Sunset Middle

Television and Broadcasting

• First: Rhea Gunasekar, Page Middle
• Second: Sofia Irshad, Woodland Middle
• Fourth: Lakshit Patidar, Page Middle
• Fifth: Dhruv Pawar, Page Middle
• Sixth: Aarush Kadimisetty, Page Middle

After Dinner Speaking

• Third: Akshadha Savoji, Page Middle

Commando Invitational – Hendersonville High

Dramatic Interpretation

• First: Ellaria Amin, Sunset Middle

Poetry Interpretation

• First: Misha Sharma, Page Middle
• Second: Nirvana Naidu, Sunset Middle
• Third: Madison Hollandsworth, Sunset Middle
• Fourth: Medhasvi Macha, Page Middle
• Fifth: Aditi Venmani, Sunset Middle
• Sixth: Arnav Singhal, Page Middle
• Preliminary: Abinay Bheemireddy and Prayutsu Chhabada, Sunset Middle

Declamation

• First: Aditi Venmani, Sunset Middle
• Second: Addy Jay, Page Middle
• Third: Ashrita Chinta, Sunset Middle
• Fourth: Samhita Kanumuri, Sunset Middle
• Fifth: Aarush Kadimisetty, Page Middle
• Sixth: Sahasra Samala, Page Middle

Impromptu Speaking

• First: Jessie Raj, Sunset Middle
• Second: Caroline Lantz, Page Middle
• Third: Misha Sharma, Page Middle
• Sixth: Celeste La, Sunset Middle

Original Oratory

• First: Rhea Gunasekar, Page Middle
• Third: Ashrita Chinta, Sunset Middle
• Fourth: Aadhya Prodduturi, Page Middle
• Fifth: Jessie Raj, Sunset Middle
• Sixth: Priyanshi Nath, Page Middle
• Preliminary: Nolan Scholl, Ateesha Dikshit and Celeste La, Sunset Middle

Storytelling

• Second: Priyanshi Nath, Page Middle
• Third: Darius Varna, Sunset Middle

Prose Interpretation

• First: Aditi Venmani, Sunset Middle
• Second: Piper Medlin, Sunset Middle
• Third: Arnav Singhal, Page Middle
• Fourth: Scarlett Choi, Sunset Middle
• Fifth: Amelia Martin, Page Middle
• Sixth: Siddharth Bharathwajan, Page Middle

Informative Speaking

• First: Madison Hollandsworth, Sunset Middle
• Fourth: Samhita Kanumuri, Sunset Middle
• Sixth: Vinaykrish Srinivasan, Page Middle

Duo Interpretation

• Second: Nirvana Naidu and Anika Verma, Sunset Middle

Duet Improvisation

• First: Amelia Martin and Elisa Costabal, Page Middle
• Second: Caroline Lantz and Addy Jay, Page Middle

Humorous Interpretation

• First: Lucas Reeves, Sunset Middle

Television and Broadcasting

• First: Rhea Gunesakar, Page Middle
• Second: Lakshit Patidar, Page Middle
• Fifth: Aarush Kadimisetty, Page Middle
• Sixth: Medhasvi Macha, Page Middle

After Dinner Speaking

• Second: Akshadha Savoji, Page Middle

Spooky Starnes Speech Tournament – Portland High

Dramatic Interpretation

• First: Jiyana Jijesh, Woodland Middle
• Second: Ellaria Amin, Sunset Middle
• Third: Sahasra Gortha, Woodland Middle
• Fourth: Yashaswini Ganjikunta, Woodland Middle
• Sixth: Tanishka Kalbandey, Woodland Middle

Duo Acting

• First: Ellaria Amin and Samantha Hassell, Sunset Middle
• Second: Isla Jacobson and Elliot Jacobson, Woodland Middle
• Third: Nirvana Naidu and Anika Verma, Sunset Middle
• Fourth: Shreya Seshan and Advika Lakshmanan, Woodland Middle
• Fifth: Pranita Jagatheeswaran and Yogita Ganjikunta, Woodland Middle

Storytelling

• First: Dea Ashar, Sunset Middle
• Fourth: Darius Varna, Sunset Middle
• Seventh: Evan Liu, Sunset Middle

Original Oratory

• Second: Dea Ashar, Sunset Middle
• Third: Ateesha Dikshit, Sunset Middle

Poetry Interpretation

• Second: Nirvana Naidu, Sunset Middle
• Third: Madison Hollandsworth, Sunset Middle
• Fourth: Aditi Venmani, Sunset Middle
• Preliminary: Abinay Bheemireddy and Prayutsu Chhabada, Sunset Middle

Declamation

• First: Aditi Venmani, Sunset Middle
• Second: Aran Gunasekaran, Woodland Middle
• Third: Ashrita Chinta, Sunset Middle
• Fourth: Samhita Kanumuri, Sunset Middle

Informative Speaking

• Second: Suhana Dyamenahalli, Woodland Middle
• Fifth: Madison Hollandsworth, Sunset Middle

Prose Interpretation

• Second: Piper Medlin, Sunset Middle
• Fourth: Aditi Venmani, Sunset Middle

Television and Broadcasting

• First: Sofia Irshad, Woodland Middle
• Third: Samhita Kanumuri, Sunset Middle

Impromptu Speaking

• First: Anika Verma, Sunset Middle
• Second: Sofia Irshad, Woodland Middle
• Fourth: Jessie Raj, Sunset Middle
• Seventh: Advika Lakshmanan, Woodland Middle
• Eighth: Nolan Scholl, Sunset Middle
• Ninth: Celeste La, Sunset Middle

Humorous Interpretation

• First: Lucas Reeves, Sunset Middle
• Fourth: Urvikha Parvatareddy, Woodland Middle

Dr. Kathy Ligon Invitational – Cookeville High

Dramatic Interpretation

• First: Samantha Hassell, Sunset Middle
• Second: Ellaria Amin, Sunset Middle

Duo Interpretation

• First: Ellaria Amin and Samantha Hassell, Sunset Middle
• Second: Nirvana Naidu and Anika Verma, Sunset Middle
• Third: Sahasra Samala and Rhea Gunasekar, Page Middle

Poetry Interpretation

• First: Misha Sharma, Page Middle
• Second: Nirvana Naidu, Sunset Middle
• Third: Aditi Venmani, Sunset Middle
• Fourth: Logan Shelato, Page Middle
• Fifth: Arnav Singhal, Page Middle
• Sixth: Medhasvi Macha, Page Middle
• Preliminary: Abinay Bheemireddy and Prayutsu Chhabada, Sunset Middle

Declamation

• First: Ashrita Chinta, Sunset Middle
• Second: Aditi Venmani, Sunset Middle
• Third: Addy Jay, Page Middle
• Fourth: Jayden Chen, Sunset Middle
• Fifth: Aarush Kadimisetty, Page Middke
• Sixth: Arnav Singhal, Page Middle
• Seventh: Sahasra Samala, Page Middle

Original Oratory

• First: Rhea Gunesakar, Page Middle
• Second: Ashrita Chinta, Sunset Middle
• Fourth: Saesha Gupta, Page Middle
• Sixth: Aadhya Prodduturi, Page Middle
• Preliminary: Celeste La, Sunset Middle

Impromptu Speaking

• First: Jessie Raj, Sunset Middle
• Second: Caroline Lantz, Page Middle
• Fourth: Stella Schmock, Page Middle
• Fifth: Anika Verma, Sunset Middle
• Sixth: Misha Sharma, Page Middle
• Preliminary: Nolan Scholl, Sunset Middle

Humorous Interpretation

• First: Lucas Reeves, Sunset Middle

Storytelling

• Second: Darius Varna, Sunset Middle

Prose Interpretation

• First: Aditi Venmani, Sunset Middle
• Second: Amelia Martin, Page Middle

Television and Broadcasting

• First: Rhea Gunesakar, Page Middle
• Third: Stella Schmock, Page Middle
• Fourth: Aadhya Prodduturi, Page Middle
• Fifth: Priyanshi Nath, Page Middle
• Sixth: Daksheshkrishna Saktheeswaran, Page Middle

Duet Acting

• Third: Anagha Saxena and Aadhya Prodduturi, Page Middle

Krider Invitational – Henry County High

Declamation

• First: Aditi Venmani, Sunset Middle

Poetry Interpretation

• First: Aditi Venmani, Sunset Middle

Prose Interpretation

• Second: Aditi Venmani, Sunset Middle