Lincoln Southwest High School

The Southwest Speech and Debate program has numerous national accolades. In 2006, Southwest was awarded the National Speech and Debate Association's National School of Excellence Award for their debate program, being one of only seven schools honored with the prestigious award nationwide.[6] In 2013, Southwest's speech program also received the National School of Excellence Award, solidifying Southwest's place as a nationally prestigious program within the forensics community.[7] The Silver Hawks Forensics program consistently qualifies competitors to the National Individual Events Tournament of Champions and National Speech and Debate Association's National Championship.[8]

The Southwest Girls swim and dive team has won four state championships, including a three-peat from 2016 to 2018.[9] The Silver Hawk first swimming and diving championship came in 2014; which was also the first swim and dive championship for a Lincoln school since 1999.[10] Additionally, in 2017 the girls' swimming and diving team took first at state and set five new individual state records.[11]

The Southwest Science Olympiad team has, since 2008, won ten out of eleven state championships, each annually qualifying them for the national tournament.[12]

The Southwest football team has established itself as a top football program within the state. After going winless in their first season, the Silver Hawks have made the state playoffs the last fourteen of the school's sixteen seasons.[13]

The Southwest golf teams have won five combined team state title for the school, including a four-year run where the Boys team won three championships.[14] In 2018, the Girls golf team won state championship in the first round of competition, finishing with a seventeen stroke lead.[15]

The Southwest Music program consists of three primary divisions; band, orchestra, and choir.[16] Nearly a quarter of Southwest's student body is involved in the Music Department.[17] These students, nicknamed 'E-Wingers' – after the hall where the Music Department is located – regularly earn superior ratings at state and local competitions.[18]

The Southwest softball team have won three state titles, including a back-to-back championship run in 2008 and 2009.[19] In 2018, the Silver Hawks made state history by being the first team to lose their first game in the double-elimination tournament to come back and win a state title.[20]

The Southwest tennis teams have won a combined three state championships.[21] During the 2017 Boys State Finals, Southwest swept the entire championship bracket, winning both singles and both doubles bracket.[22]

The Southwest Girls track and field teams have had a strong showing at the state meet over the last few years, winning three state titles. The Boy's team places second in the NSAA state meet last year by only half a point to Lincoln High School. They will be the best team in the state in the upcoming 2019 season led by coach Brett Schuster. [23]

Southwest's Silver Hawk Theatre has established a reputation as one of the nation's strongest high school theatre programs.[24] Silver Hawk Theatre is a member of the International Thespian Society and has twice received the nationally prestigious honor of performing at the International Thespian Festival; a feat which had not been done by a Nebraskan high school in the past 50 years.[25]