Mount St. Mary Academy’s Forensics Team in Little Rock earned a handful of first-place finishes — the most ever by the student organization — at the 2025 Arkansas Forensics and Debate Championship May 2-3 at Fayetteville High School.
The team was named the Arkansas State Champion in Words and Music for the second consecutive year. Additionally, senior Annabelle Owen and junior Sydney Kersey were named State Champions in Solo Acting and Impromptu Speaking, respectively, and seniors Maya Johnson and Isabella Nguyen were named State Champions in Duet Musical Acting. This is only the second time in recent history that Mount St. Mary Academy has won an individual state championship, the last being in 2022. The team won its first two group state championships last year.
Eleven of the Forensics Team’s 14 members competed in one or both of the championship’s two group events this year, and a total of eight members were eligible to compete in individual events based on their performance at qualifying events throughout the season. In addition to the achievements already recognized, the team celebrated other outstanding results in many of the 31 separate events at the statewide competition.
Organized by the Arkansas Communication & Theatre Arts Association, the state championship represents the culmination of the forensics and debate season.
