Submitted photo Arjun Tuli, a junior at Poland Seminary High School, secured a second-place national finish in Congressional Debate at the 54th annual University of Kentucky J.W. Patterson Tournament of Champions.

POLAND — Arjun Tuli, a junior at Poland Seminary High School, secured a second-place national finish in Congressional Debate at the 54th annual University of Kentucky J.W. Patterson Tournament of Champions.

Widely regarded as the “championship of the national circuit,” the TOC is the most rigorous speech and debate competition in the global high school community. Participation is restricted to students who earn “bids” by reaching the final rounds of the most elite qualifying tournaments across the world throughout the school year.

Starting on April 11, Tuli competed in a grueling three-day gauntlet against 174 of the top-ranked debaters in the nation.

After advancing through preliminary rounds on April 11 and a high-stakes semifinal round on April 12, Tuli was named one of the final 16 competitors.

In the finals, Tuli’s performance earned him the second-place trophy, marking a historic achievement for the Poland Seminary Speech and Debate program.

Tuli’s season of success is far from over. Following his silver-medal performance in Kentucky, he will now begin intensive preparations for the 2026 National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA) National Tournament June 14-19 in Richmond, Virginia.

Tuli, who qualified for the national stage earlier this year, will represent Poland Seminary in Congressional Debate, where he will look to build on his TOC momentum against the best speakers in the country.

The PSHS Speech and Debate program continues to foster excellence in communication and civic engagement, with Tuli’s national trophy serving as a crowning achievement for the 2025-26 season.

Founded in 1972, the J.W. Patterson Tournament of Champions is hosted annually by the University of Kentucky. It is the premier national championship for high school speech and debate, dedicated to fostering excellence through high-level competition and fair judging.