Woodlands Academy Congressional Debate team makes strong 2025 finish
The Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart Congressional Debate team made an impressive showing at its final meet of 2025. Nearly 400 debaters from two divisions representing 25 area high schools competed in the Dec. 6 Illinois Congressional Debate Association tournament, held at Dundee-Crown High School in Carpentersville.
Highlights included a first for Lake Forest’s all-girls college-preparatory high school, which is only in its second year of participation in ICDA events. Senior Emmy Seliga, team captain, tied with two students from Adlai Stevenson High School for 10th place in the prestigious Top 10 Quality Speakers category. The others achieving this distinction, based on the highest speaking averages among the field of 254 Varsity debaters, were from Fremd, Highland Park and Naperville Central high schools. Seliga also won third-place Speaker in her varsity chamber and earned two Top Speaker nominations.
Woodlands Academy continues to be recognized tournament-wide for its legislative writing prowess, winning Best Legislation in Foreign Affairs for its Resolution to Ban Escalation in the Arctic Region, authored by juniors Monet Chalermratananon and Rei En Chew. It is the legislative writing duo’s second consecutive top award this season.
Several other Woodlands Academy students received individual awards and recognition at the Dundee-Crown tournament.
Chew took second-place Speaker in her varsity chamber and earned three Top Speaker nominations. Chalermratananon and Katie Gorman, also a junior, earned one Top Speaker nomination apiece in their varsity chambers.
In the Junior Varsity Division, sophomore Alyssa Mann won second-place Speaker in her chamber and earned three Top Speaker nominations. Freshman Chloe Keck earned two Top Speaker nominations in her chamber.
Woodlands Academy’s ICDA team, led by head coach Vanessa Vergara and faculty moderator Matthew Nuccio, will compete next at the ICDA 5/Tournament of Champions, to be held at Hoffman Estates High School on Jan. 24.
The Illinois Congressional Debate Association provides leadership for the development, supervision and promotion of congressional debate competition statewide. Participating students simulate senators and representatives from Washington, D.C., and Springfield. In each round, debaters give speeches in support of or against a bill or resolution, question debaters on the opposing side, and vote on whether lawmakers should pass it.
Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart is a Catholic, independent, day-and-boarding, college-preparatory school for young women of all faiths in grades 9-12. Founded in Chicago in 1858 and located in Lake Forest since 1904, Woodlands is part of a worldwide network of Sacred Heart Schools that spans the United States and 40 other countries on six continents. To learn more, visit woodlandsacademy.org.