MIchael Ellen Walden, PTHS senior, nationally ranked debater.

(Paducah, August 23, 2016) - Paducah Tilghman senior Michael Ellen Walden is ranked first in the United States on the National Speech and Debate Association's list of top pre-season competitors.

She leads the list of hundreds of national competitors in Duet Oral Interpretation. A three-year veteran of the Paducah Tilghman High School Speech and Debate team, Walden received her national designation by earning numerous wins in her performance category.

In addition to her performance accolade, Walden is a National Speech and Debate Association Academic All-American. She holds two national service citations and is a three-year member of Kentucky's NSDA All-State team. She currently ranks 16th overall in the state.

Walden was a founding member of the Paducah Middle School Speech Team. During her two years on the team, Walden was named state champion in Interpretation of Literature.