ModernBrain's Results (August to September 2026)
August–September 2026 | Speech, Debate & Mock Trial
Five first-place team sweepstakes awards. An undefeated championship at Yale. Two teams in an international mock trial final. And eighth graders defeating high school debaters.
ModernBrain students opened the 2026–2027 competition season with outstanding results across the country and internationally.
From elementary students finding their voices to experienced competitors earning major championship honors, we're proud of the hard work behind these accomplishments.
Speech: Five First-Place Sweepstakes Awards
At two National Online Forensics (NOF) September tournaments, ModernBrain earned five first-place team sweepstakes awards, including a clean sweep of the elementary, middle, and high school divisions at one tournament.
Students earned individual Gold, Silver, and Bronze honors across Impromptu Speaking, Interpretation, Original Oratory, Congressional Debate, and more.
Highlights included:
Shanaya Gupta: Gold in Middle School Interpretation and Declamation, plus multiple Silver awards.
Gia Luthra: Gold in High School Impromptu and Silver in SPAR.
Evelyn Park and Emma Pham: Gold awards in Middle School and Elementary Original Speech, respectively.
Sofia Patel: Gold in High School Persuasive Speaking.
Graison Wu: Gold in Middle School Impromptu.
At August's Scholars of Speech tournament, Ellie Wan earned two elementary Gold awards and one Silver, while Angelo Lin earned Gold in both Impromptu and SPAR.
These awards reflect the range of skills students develop through speech: organizing ideas, researching arguments, thinking on their feet, and connecting with audiences.
Debate: Middle Schoolers Defeat High School Competition
At the Princeton TFA tournament, ModernBrain eighth graders Daniel and Max went undefeated at 5–0 and took first place against high school debaters.
Our students also earned major honors at several competitive national-circuit tournaments:
Damien Invitational: Jay Aggarwal, Emma Lisowski, and Yoon Jae Bam earned second place in World Schools Debate. Kate Kim finished second in Novice Lincoln-Douglas.
NSDA Season Opener: Eliana Joo, Jiarui Jackie Li, and Shawn Su reached World Schools semifinals and earned Tournament of Champions bids.
Grapevine Classic: Fiona Ou reached Lincoln-Douglas semifinals, Roger Zhang and Justin Bian reached Policy Debate semifinals, and Sean Yin earned second place in Extemporaneous Speaking.
Whether competing individually or with teammates, these students demonstrated the research, reasoning, and confidence that make debate valuable far beyond tournaments.
Mock Trial: An Undefeated Yale Championship and an International Final
ModernBrain's mock trial students delivered two of the season's biggest highlights.
At Yale, our team finished 8–0 and won first place. Jason Kuo and Elizabeth Lu also earned Outstanding Attorney honors, with Elizabeth receiving the recognition twice.
At September's International Mock Trial tournament, featuring 34 teams from the United States and China, ModernBrain was equally successful.
Teams Luna and Eclipse advanced to face each other in the championship final, while Team Crescent finished third. All seven ModernBrain teams ranked among the top 15.
Students also earned numerous individual attorney and witness awards.
These achievements required far more than memorizing speeches. Mock trial demands teamwork, critical thinking, adaptability, and the ability to advocate persuasively under pressure.
Ready to Help Your Child Find Their Voice?
ModernBrain offers speech, debate, mock trial, and Model United Nations programs for elementary, middle, and high school students, both in person and online.
Whether your child is a complete beginner or an experienced competitor, we'd love to help them take the next step.
Explore Fall 2026 Classes and Registration
Schedule a Free Virtual Information Session | Meet Our Coaches | See Our Student Performances
Congratulations to every ModernBrain student who competed this August and September. We're excited to see what the rest of the season brings!
