Topeka High School Debate and Forensics

Here is the home for all information surrounding the Topeka High Debate and Forensics programs! Che Mr. He is currently coaching Debate. However that is incorrect.

The current Director of Debate and Forensics is Dustin Rimmey. Dustin is entering his 8th year of teaching and coaching at Topeka High School. He is the new Director of Debate and Forensics after working under and being mentored by Pam McComas. Rimmey also teaches AP US Government and AP Comparative Government. Rimmey is a member of the Flint Hills NSDA District Committee, the NFHS Policy Debate T

opic Selection Wording Committee and a 2014 James Madison Foundation Senior Fellow. Current members of the assistant coaching staff include:

Randy Baldwin is currently running the Credit Recovery program at Topeka High School. Baldwin just joined the Trojan Family transferring over from Highland Park. Matt Bevens, a former Trojan competitor, will be coaching both semesters. He looks like the son of Mr. Rimmey, and their resemblance is very creepy. While in high school Matt was very successful in both Policy Debate and Extemp, he qualified to nationals both his Junior and Senior years. Matt is currently attending the University of Kansas where he was a former member of their debate program. Derek Campbell is new to the Trojan family. Derek is a 2005 graduate from Washburn Rural where he was a force to be reckoned with during the forensics season. Derek is currently teaching English and will be helping coach Forensics in the spring. Sam Schumann is the Chair of the Social Studies department where he also teaches AP US and AP European History. Sam has been a member of the coaching staff at THS for 10 years and is the former head coach at Satanta. His nearly two-decades of coaching experience helps add some depth and experience to the coaching staff, and he will keep Rimmey in line! He will occasionally assist during the debate season and take on full coaching responsibilities during the forensics season. Eli Woody is returning to coach at Topeka High after a brief hiatus. Eli is a 2007 graduate of THS, where he competed during both seasons. He is currently student teaching at Robinson Middle School in their English department, and will be helping coach debate after school. The former Director of Debate and Forensics is Pam McComas. Pam coached at Topeka High School for the last 34 years where she has led the team to many state championships in both Debate and Forensics. At the national level, she has had 5 of Topeka High's 6 National Forensic League National Champions, and finalists in every event except LD, PFD, and Duo. She is also a member of the NFL Board of Directors. She knows that she is still high on Mr. Rimmey's speed dial, found "below his wife and above his mother." She will be called quite often to offer some words of wisdom to Mr. Rimmey in his first year as director. There are rumors that Pam McComas went to school with Moses. In her 10th year of coaching she coached him to DI finals, where he was promptly eliminated for using a prop. Here is a list of all of our 6A State speech champions from 1986-Present: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0aP26Fft5tYcEMzbGpYUGtuRjQ0azhOcHZEVmRPWVNKd3hB/edit?usp=sharing

05/14/2026

I LOVE FORENSICS STUDENTS DOING NON FORENSICS THINGS!!!
Check out Ben:
(shared with permission)

Please congratulate sophomore Benjamin Harris, who won the local level and the state level of the Trig Star competition sponsored by the National Society of Professional Surveyors. Trig Star is a written, one-hour timed test that requires students to apply the concepts of trigonometry to practical situations, similar to what a surveyor would see in the field. There are 4 problems for a total of 100 points, and winners are determined by the most correct answers in the fastest time. This afternoon, Ben received a plaque and a check for $1000 from the Kansas Society of Land Surveyors and another $175 from the Northeast Chapter. He will continue on to the national level of the competition in June with another $4000 in prize money up for grabs.

To put this into perspective:

Ben earned over $1000 for one hour of work! According to my historical research (asking Joleen Whitfill), Topeka High has had 3 students win the state level competition since 2001, but none since 2015. We have had two local winners since then: Irene Caracioni in 2018 and Paul Cabili (Tess’s son) in 2017. Paul had a perfect score that year but someone else had a faster time so he did not win at the state level.

05/12/2026

If you weren't there, you missed a great night of performers!
Check out the pics from our first annual "Night of Stars" showcase

30 new photos · Friday, Apr 24 📸 Tap to view!

05/02/2026

YOUR TROJANS ARE GOING TO SEMIFINALS!!!
While there are truly (I mean it) real high points from all of the entries we took, please join me in congratulating:

Simone Holloway for breaking in Impromptu speaking
and
Pepper Shultz breaking in the same event, with a nearly perfect preliminary score
and
Simone breaking in her amazing Original Oration, the "S" on your chest

04/30/2026

It's been an amazing week of practice for the Trojan squad!
Now we just need Saturday to get here

04/29/2026

The week of state prep has begun!

04/24/2026

I'm just sayin, this blueberry lemon cheesecake ain't gonna eat itself.
Hope to see you all tomorrow at our Night of Stars.
6-8 in room 103

04/23/2026

When you have a sophomore seminar you wear green on class colors day.

04/21/2026

National qualifiers, our night of stars, and more!

weekly update-4/20 Do not go gentle into that good night! -Dylan Thomas TABLE OF CONTENTS Stars of the week Announcements upcoming tournaments Results State Qualifier list ✨✨⭐✨✨ Stars of the week Actor of the week Speaker of the week Novice of the week Kate Schupp ...

04/18/2026

Hoy Hoy!!!
Dana-info
Simone-OO
And Kate-DI
Are all in finals right now, hoping to join Max at the national tournament in June.

04/15/2026

We would love to have you join us!
Our state events will all be on display...
AND THERE WILL BE PIE!!!!!!!!

Claim ownership or report listing

Want your school to be the top-listed School/college in Topeka?

Click here to claim your Sponsored Listing.

Location

Topeka

Telephone

+17852953226

Website

http://thsdebateandforensics.weebly.com/

Address

Topeka, KS
66612

Topeka High School Debate and Forensics

Share

Location

Category

Telephone

Website

Address