JW Patterson Tournament of Champions (TOC)

Presented at the Lexington, Kentucky

A national high school annual debate award has been established, and was presented for the first time at the national Tournament of Champions, held at the University of Kentucky on May 6-8 of 2000. The purpose of this award is to recognize a high school policy debater who achieves competitive excellence in high school policy debate on the national circuit, and who demonstrates goodness of heart despite the pressures of competition at the highest level. The award includes a perpetual and an individual trophy, a $2,000 college scholarship, and a $2,000 contribution to the charity designated by the recipient.

Click here to read the speech by Ryan Mills from the TOC award ceremony on May 5, 2003

Tournament of Champions (TOC) Awards

2017 RECIPIENT

Celia Buckman
School: New Trier High School, Winnetka, Illinois

Designated Charity: United Nations “Girls Up” Program
2016 RECIPIENT

Emily Gordon
School: Rowland Hall, Upper School, Salt Lake City, Utah

Designated Charity: National Ability Center- Sponsor A Horse
2015 RECIPIENT

Kate Gehling
School: Wayzata High School, Plymouth, Minnesota

Designated Charity: Women’s Debate Institute
2014 RECIPIENT

Aron Berger
Notre Dame High School, Los Angeles

Designated Charity: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
2013 RECIPIENT

John Vitzileos
Whitney Young High School, Chicago, Illinois

Designated Charity: National Association for Urban Leagues
2012 RECIPIENT

Miriam Sergent-Leventhal

Edina High School, Edina, MN

Designated Charity: Friends For A Nonviolent World
2011 RECIPIENT

NADEEM FAROOQI
Damien High School, La Verne, CA

Designated Charity: Tijuana Outreach
2010 RECIPIENT

MISAEL GONZALES
Whitney M. Young High School, Chicago, Illinois

Designated Charity:Chicago Debate Comission
2009 RECIPIENT

KATRYNA CADLE
Bishop Guertin High School. Nashua, New Hampshire.

Designated Charity: National Alliance to End Homelessness
2008 RECIPIENT

JAMES HAMRAIE
Colleyville High School. Colleyville, Texas

Designated Charity: The Dallas Urban Debate Alliance
2007 RECIPIENT

ELI JACOBS
Centerville High School. Centerville, Ohio

Designated Charity: Centerville High School Spirit Chain
2006 RECIPIENT

WILL SEARS
Lexington High School. Lexington, Massachusetts

Designated Charity: UU Urban Ministry, Roxbury, MA
2005 RECIPIENT

ELIZABETH KIM
Glenbrook South High School. Glenview, Illinois

Designated Charity: Chicago Urban Debate League
2004 RECIPIENT

MICHAEL ROSECRANS
Glenbrook North High School. Northbrook, Illinois
2003 RECIPIENT

NOAH CHESTNUT
Tampa Preparatory School. Tampa, Florida

Designated Charity: Chicago Urban Debate League
2002 RECIPIENT

MANAV BHATNAGAR
Marquette University High School. Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Designated Charity: The Stroke and Aphasia Society of India
2001 RECIPIENT

MAGGIE BERTHIAUME
The Blake School. Minneapolis, Minnesota

Designated Charity: Bay Area Urban Debate Program
2000 RECIPIENT

HENRY LIU
Centerville High School. Centerville, Ohio

Designated Charity: Centerville High School Spirit Chain.
2019 RECIPIENT

Julian Habermann
School: Montgomery Bell Academy, Nashville, Tennessee