TAS Debate Makes History With Back-to-Back National Championships

Some championships mark the end of a season. Others become part of a school’s history. 

A historic moment for TAS Debate, the 2026 National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) National Tournament marked the program’s second consecutive Policy Debate national championship, a rare achievement reached by only a handful of schools in NSDA history. 

On a summer night in Richmond, Virginia, our newest 2026 alumni, Jordan Y. ’26 and Ethan H. ’26 stood at the center of the national stage, waiting for the final decision in Policy Debate. After defeating Eagan High School from Minnesota by an 11–4 decision, the announcement was made: Jordan and Ethan were national champions.  

Together, the two championships placed TAS in a rare place in the history of debate. The school joined a select group of programs that have achieved what is among the most difficult feats in competitive debate: reaching the highest stage and winning again the following year. The school became the fifth in NSDA history to win the Policy Debate national championship in back-to-back years, for both 2025 and 2026.  

The significance of the season extends to a bigger and broader stage. Across Policy Debate, Public Forum, and World Schools Debate, TAS students achieved results that placed the school among the strongest debate programs in the country, and, as an international school, among the strongest debate programs in the world.

These accomplishments did not just happen. At TAS, Jordan recalled how he and his debate teammates were supported by a team of coaches, teachers, and staff who help make high-level competition possible. Tournament schedules, travel, hotels, coaching, and countless other logistics happen behind the scenes, allowing students to focus on developing their skills and competing at their best. 

Ethan, our other 2026 champion, reflected that “The entire TAS community provided me with essential support and resources to turn debate into a defining part of my high school experience. Through debate I learned skills that helped me succeed in classes and beyond.” 

That support has been particularly important as TAS has expanded its presence in a speech and debate community that is usually dominated by U.S.-based schools. Representing an international school became a source of pride. Jordan came to value what made TAS different: its international perspective and the uniquely diverse experiences students brought to the debate floor. 

“I was very happy to be one of the debaters that don’t live in the U.S., have a different experience, and can tackle arguments in different ways,” he said. “I thought that part of that is also what made me successful.” 

It was these unique international perspectives and ways of approaching arguments that earned TAS recognition as a Debate School of Excellence, placing the school among the top 20 debate schools. 

The team also earned the Unger Cup for the second consecutive year. Awarded for success across multiple national championship tournaments in Policy Debate, the Unger Cup recognizes sustained achievement rather than a single tournament’s performance. TAS’s name will be added to the permanent Tiffany trophy housed at the NSDA’s national office, and a replica displayed outside the Upper School Library, right next to the exact trophy they won the year before in 2025. 

The collection of accomplishments tells a story about more than a successful weekend. It reflects a program where students at different grade levels are developing alongside one another, competing at the highest levels, and contributing to a culture that can continue long after any one season ends. 

“The community of our team made TAS Speech and Debate special; we challenged each other to be at our best and celebrated both our individual and collective successes. We were also there to support one another when we fell short of our goals - and always encouraged each other as we overcame moments of adversity,” said Ethan. It is that community and legacy that will be carried on for years to come.  

The real challenge of Speech and Debate is not simply learning how to argue. It is learning how to argue with conviction while still being willing to listen, question, and reconsider. Just as importantly, it is learning how to bring others into the conversation and engage them in a way that they are able to see a question from a different perspective. Students research complex issues, evaluate evidence, construct arguments, anticipate opposing perspectives, and learn to think on their feet. They experience the pressure of competition, but also the persistence required to return to a question, refine an idea, and try again. And then again.  

Those students will carry these habits with them long after their debate career is over.  

The head coach, Mr. Chase Williams, says that "More important than any trophy or accomplishment is the skills that our students developed along the way - and the community they built in the process.[...] I know that they bring with them skills that will serve them well in our rapidly changing world. The ability to think critically, communicate clearly, and research answers to the world's complex problems while showing empathy and compassion for others. That is the life-changing power of speech and debate.”  

The success of the TAS team this year shows what can happen when students are given the opportunity to pursue a discipline deeply, challenge themselves against strong competition, and learn from one another along the way. 

Perhaps most significantly, the students at the center of this season’s accomplishments are now leaving something behind. Something that endures. 

“I hope the legacy of our program is that we help students find their voice and the confidence to use that voice to advocate for the causes they are passionate about as they work to build a more inclusive and just world,” Chase says. The work the students have dedicated themselves to and the passion they have given will surely carry this TAS legacy forward as they go forward in the world, and for students who come after them. 

Jordan and the other members of the TAS team have completed their TAS debate careers having competed on some of the biggest stages in the world of debate. Their accomplishments will become part of the history of the program, but so will the preparation, knowledge, and work ethic they have shared with the students that will follow. 

The accomplishments of the 2025–26 TAS Speech and Debate season carried an added significance for the program’s coach, Chase Williams, who was celebrating his 20th year in speech and debate. His two decades in the activity, first as a student and then as a coach, coincided with one of the program’s most accomplished seasons. The entire team of coaches and parents that worked tirelessly behind the scenes are surely one of the reasons for this incredible success. It takes a village for success at this level to happen not once, but twice.  

When asked what set this season apart, allowing them to secure this historic back-to-back championships, Chase said “Competing at the highest levels of speech and debate certainly adds an intensity to a season - but our team continued to focus on the fundamentals - the communication, research, and advocacy skills that are the bedrock of our program.” 

That impact may ultimately be the most lasting measure of the season. A championship trophy can record who won. A legacy captures what those students helped build. 

TAS’s back-to-back national titles will now have a permanent place in NSDA history. The Unger Cup will carry the TAS name. More importantly, the achievement reflects the kind of opportunity TAS seeks to create for its students: a place to find their voices, develop confidence in their ideas, and discover what they can accomplish through persistence, curiosity, and purpose. 

The championship may have been decided in Richmond, but the legacy will continue in Taipei and around the world.