The Lone Star College–North Harris Speech and Debate Team returned with multiple national honors after competing in two major collegiate championships, highlighting the program’s continued success on the national stage.
At the Phi Rho Pi National Championship, which occurred April 5–11, 2026, four students, Angela Bermudez, Vidhi Lad, Ashley Reyes, and Quincy Gentry, represented LSC–North Harris against more than 350 competitors from 53 community colleges nationwide.
Reyes earned a bronze medal in parliamentary debate, while Gentry secured a silver medal in Poetry Interpretation and a gold medal in Dramatic Interpretation. Their combined performances helped the college earn a Bronze Medal in Individual Events Sweepstakes in the Hindman Division.
Gentry continued his success at the National Forensic Association National Championships which occurred April 16-20, where he was the sole representative for LSC–North Harris. Competing against more than 500 students from 70 colleges and universities, Gentry advanced to the quarterfinals in Prose Interpretation and Dramatic Interpretation, placing him among the top 24 competitors in the nation in those events, and reached the semifinals in Poetry Interpretation, placing in the top 12 nationally.
His performance earned LSC–North Harris two additional sweepstakes honors: third place Committee College in Individual Events and second place in the President’s Sweepstakes, Division III. Gentry also placed the college 29th overall in open sweepstakes standings, outperforming teams from institutions including Arizona State University, University of Texas at Dallas, California State University, Fullerton, and University of California, Berkeley.
In addition to competitive achievements, the program marked a significant milestone at the Phi Rho Pi national business meeting, where a resolution was passed to rename the Small Entry Division to the Hindman/Hescht Division. The designation will appear on all future national awards.
“Forensics is not just competition, it is education in action,” the team’s coach Wade Hescht, Professor of Speech and Communication at LSC-North Harris said. “It teaches students to think critically, speak with purpose and engage the world. That kind of experience only happens when institutions choose to invest in it.”
The coach also expressed appreciation for the continued support of LSC–North Harris leadership, noting that the program’s success would not be possible without institutional backing.