The Middle School Speech Team's successful year culminated in its first trip ever to the National Junior High School Tournament in Ardmore, Oklahoma in June 2002. Fourteen Class V students flew from Boston to Dallas, then traveled to the hot, flat plains of Oklahoma to win second place in a tournament of 200 students and 20 schools. Even without entering the debate category, and limited to one category per student, (Milton contestants often do two or three) the Milton team performed wonderfully. Finalists were required to do 5 performances in one day.

Including three "national championship" first places,the results were as follows:

Sasha Kamenetska (Dramatic Interpretation) - 1st
Andrea Harris (Poetry) - 1st
Matt Larkin, Devin Heater (Humorous Duo) - 1st
Laila Ameri (Prose) - 2nd
Laura Gottesdiener (Humorous Interpretation) -3rd
Rebecca Sigel (Poetry) - 4th
Stephanie Richards (Prose) - 4th
Nathaniel Obler (Original Oratory) - 6th
Greg Chase ( Humorous Interpretation) - 6th
Aidan Hardy (Prose) - 6th
Mike Bechek, Ivy Martinez (Dramatic Duo) - Semi-finals
Henry Hays-Wehle (Dramatic Interpretation)

The team was coached by Debbie Simon and Class I and II student coaches, Jenny Heater, Julia Cain, Julianne Gale, Phil Pitt, Christina Luccio, Ingrid Festin, Jess Comras and Alex Miller.