ModernBrain: #1 at the Middle School Tournament of Champions (2026)

ModernBrain students delivered one of our strongest tournament performances of the year at the Middle School Tournament of Champions, a national-level competition featuring 122 teams across speech and debate events.

The result was simple: ModernBrain showed up everywhere.

Our students made elimination rounds in every major category: Speech, Congress, Policy Debate, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Public Forum Debate, and Worlds Debate. Even more impressively, ModernBrain advanced at least one entry into the top eight in every category and earned 1st or 2nd place finishes in Speech, Congress, Policy, Lincoln-Douglas, and Worlds Debate.

For families looking for a speech and debate program that develops confident speakers, sharp thinkers, and nationally competitive students, this tournament showed exactly what ModernBrain training can do.

ModernBrain students succeeded across the full competitive landscape.

Tournament Highlights

In Congress, ModernBrain students stood out in a competitive field of 74 entries, led by Victoria Li, who placed 2nd, and Yanji Li, who placed 5th. Jay Aggarwal also finished 11th, with Nish Wadhwa and Royce Xie reaching semifinals.

In Impromptu Speaking, ModernBrain students had a spectacular showing in a field of 64 entries. Melody Mo won the entire event, while Shanaya Gupta placed 3rd and Diya Kumaran placed 6th. Eric Song and Siying Wei also reached semifinals. This is exactly the kind of event that rewards confidence, organization, personality, and quick thinking.

In Lincoln-Douglas Debate, one of the largest events at the tournament with 172 entries, Daniel Lu took 1st place. Grace Chen reached semifinals, while Rena Zhuang reached quarterfinals. Raksha Shanmugavelayutham and Gloria He reached octofinals, with Sean Yu and Cyrus So advancing to double-octofinals and Jason Rong reaching runoffs. ModernBrain students also earned speaker recognition, with Grace Chen placing 4th speaker, Daniel Lu placing 8th speaker, and Cyrus So placing 18th speaker.

In Original Oratory, Melody Mo continued her excellent tournament by placing 3rd out of 40 entries. Oratory rewards students who can combine writing, delivery, insight, and emotional connection. A top-three finish at TOC reflects a student with both technical skill and real presence.

In Policy Debate, ModernBrain had another championship performance. Charlie Pan and Evan Choe won the event out of 49 entries. Samuel Cheng and Roger Jiang reached quarterfinals, as did Katie Chen and Katherine Zhang. Roger Zhang and Justin Bian reached octofinals. Charlie Pan was also named 2nd speaker, and Evan Choe was named 4th speaker.

In Public Forum Debate, the largest event listed with 228 entries, Alexa Kim and Angie Lu reached quarterfinals, while Samar Sachdeva and Ethan Cho reached double-octofinals. Public Forum is one of the most popular and competitive debate formats in the country, and advancing deep in a field this large is a serious accomplishment.

In Worlds Debate, ModernBrain’s team of Adam Jin, Shawn Su, Yoon Jae Ban, and Madelyn Tan placed 2nd. Shawn Su also earned 5th speaker, and Abigail Chen earned 8th speaker. Worlds Debate requires students to blend argumentation, teamwork, global awareness, and persuasive speaking. This result shows the range and maturity of our middle school debaters.

Why This Matters for Students

The Middle School Tournament of Champions brings together serious competitors from across the country. Success here reflects more than talent. It reflects preparation, coaching, discipline, and a learning environment that helps students grow over time.

For middle school students, these skills can be transformative. A student who learns to speak well at age 11, 12, or 13 is not just preparing for the next tournament. They are building an advantage that can last for years.

We are incredibly proud of every student who competed, prepared, supported teammates, and represented ModernBrain at this tournament.

This was one of our best performances of the year, and it reflects the hard work of our students, families, and coaches.