These Overland Park debate students are the best in the country

Danish Khan and Stephen Lowe stood on the stage with their hands folded behind their backs. Their competition, a debate team from Illinois, stood nearby, hands folded in front.

When the announcer said the Illinois team took second place, Khan and Lowe glanced at each other and smiled. Their Blue Valley Southwest High School team had just won the National Speech and Debate Association policy debate tournament — the first time a Kansas team has won in the 87 years of the competition.

"All of our work that we put in throughout the entire year, everything was worth it, especially at that moment when we knew that we won," Khan said.

Their victory on June 22 marked the culmination of the five-day tournament in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and of their high school debate careers. Both Khan and Lowe graduated from Blue Valley Southwest this spring.

The tournament bills itself as the largest academic competition in the world, with more than 7,000 students, coaches, educators and parents.

Last year, Khan and Lowe made it to the semifinals.

This year's debate topic dealt with government funding and regulation of education.

In the finals, the team from suburban Chicago's Niles West High School argued for toughening certifications required of teachers.

The Blue Valley Southwest team argued back that changing regulations would turn potential teachers away and force more to quit.

Kansas has fielded at least six policy debate finalists since the 1930s, including Shawnee Mission West in 2007 and Topeka High in 1989, but none have won, said St. Thomas Aquinas High School debate coach Steven DuBois, who tracks the state's tournament results.

"For the vast majority of (Kansas) debate history, that's been the holy grail for us," he said. "That's the dream everyone's been chasing."

In the semifinals, the Southwest team defeated another team from Johnson County, Shawnee Mission Northwest.

Jared Zuckerman, who coached about 100 students in Southwest's debate program, took seven to the tournament.

"To be the first one is something that even today I haven’t quite processed, the impact that could have for our community, to know that they can do that now," said Zuckerman, who has since accepted a job in Chicago.

"This is considered the gold standard of debate," Zuckerman said. "It’s public and private, affluent and poor. It’s kind of America's championship, I think it is. Anybody can go. Every state has representation there."

Zuckerman's program had a good year. Over Memorial Day weekend, two of his students, Rachel Holzer and Sumaya Hussaini, won the National Catholic Forensic League's Grand National Tournament. They were also recognized in the top 10 policy debate speakers at the National Speech and Debate Association out of more than 350 speakers.

The University of Kansas, which won the National Debate Tournament in March for the sixth time, has relied on in-state talent for years.

"The state of Kansas has been, for a long period of time, an excellent developing ground for students in debate," KU debate coach Scott Harris said. "Debate in Kansas has a long tradition of stable success (and) excellent high school coaches."

But recently, he said, Kansas schools have pushed students to the top of more national competitions.

Lowe and Khan went to a seven-week debate camp at the University of Michigan and a three-week camp at KU. The team won last year at the National Catholic Forensic League tournament.

Khan is headed to the University of Southern California to study business administration. Lowe will go to Northwestern University with an economics major.

But they'll both still be debaters.

This story was originally published June 28, 2018 at 5:30 AM.