Students Kunal Chugh, Sameer Faruquee, Blake Hohmann and Bryan Keck competed in the public forum debate during the National Speech and Debate Tournament in June. The tournament was held in an online format due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chugh and Faruquee's team advanced from a pool of 262 teams and placed 75th overall in the country, debate coach Don Stanner wrote in an email to the Telegraph Herald. Hohmann and Keck's team placed 52nd overall.

"This result is outstanding as they've advanced beyond the thousands of students who competed and have been eliminated throughout this tournament process," Stanner wrote.

The two Hempstead teams were the highest placing of four Iowa teams in the public forum debate. The four teams also had to qualify for a spot in the national tournament, Stanner said.