Free State wins seventh straight state forensics championship in Lawrence

Free State High School kept Kansas’ most dominant forensics run going at home, winning its seventh consecutive state championship on May 2 and doing it with the second-highest point total in program history, behind only the Firebirds’ 2021 mark. The Class 6A field brought students from 29 schools to 4700 Overland Drive in Lawrence, giving Douglas County a front-row seat to one of the state’s strongest academic programs.

Head coach Parker Hopkins said the latest title matched the record for consecutive state championships in speech, and if the pandemic year without a tournament is counted, Free State moved past that standard. The result also reflected the stability built around longtime assistant coach Michael Shelton, who joined the program in 2013 and has helped lead the Firebirds to nearly 20 state trophies. Hopkins said about half of this year’s squad was made up of first- or second-year members, a young group that still delivered under pressure.

That mix of experience and new talent showed up in the final standings. Seniors Breahna Randall, Lena Hasiuk and Landry Koester helped keep younger teammates focused in the closing stretch, while Randall won state titles in poetry and oration. Hasiuk finished second in United States extemporaneous speaking, Koester placed third in informative speaking and prose, and Carter Fite took third in international extemporaneous speaking. Aiden Gonzalez reached the top eight in Lincoln-Douglas debate, Madeline Turner finished fourth in program oral interpretation, and Laura Turner placed fifth in prose. Lawrence High School’s Miriam Zimmerman also competed in oration.

Free State’s continued success has made forensics a marquee part of Kansas high school speech and drama, and the program’s reach extends beyond trophies. Students spend seasons building public speaking, quick thinking and confidence under deadline, skills that translate directly to college interviews, scholarship applications and classroom presentations. For a school system that routinely measures success in test scores and athletics, the Firebirds have turned a different kind of competition into a durable source of Lawrence pride.

KSHSAA’s decision to name Free State the host school for the 2025-2026 Class 6A state championships only reinforced that standing. For one weekend, Lawrence became the center of the state forensics map, and Free State used the stage it hosted to extend a dynasty that now defines the program.