KU Debate competes at CEDA National Tournament

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas Debate team had a strong performance at the CEDA National Tournament, which took place March 19-23 at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey.

Because the CEDA is an open tournament, unlike the National Debate Tournament, it is an opportunity for more members of the squad to gain the experience of competing at a national event. Thirty-two universities sent teams to the tournament.

Seven KU teams competed in the tournament, and six of the teams qualified for the elimination rounds, with the seventh losing a break round in round eight to finish with a 4-4 record. KU had a team in the quarterfinals, three teams in the octafinals and six teams in the round of 32.

The team composed of sophomore Averi Harker, Olathe, and junior Luna Schultz, Houston,  went 7-1 in prelims and qualified for the elimination rounds as the No. 5 seed. They had a bye through the partial triples round, advanced over another KU team in the round of 32 and met another KU team in the final 16. They allowed the lower-seeded KU team to advance in their place.

The team of senior Jared Spiers, Pittsburg, and freshman Claire Ain, Overland Park, were 5-3 in the preliminary rounds and advanced to elimination rounds as the 21st seed. They had a bye through the partial triples round and defeated the University of California, Fullerton, in the doubles to advance to the final 16, where they advanced over the higher-seeded team of Harker and Schultz to compete in the quarterfinals. Spiers and Ain then lost a close debate to the University of Iowa, who went on to win the tournament.

The team of seniors Ethan Harris and Jacob Wilkus, both from Lawrence, went 6-2 in prelims and advanced to the elimination rounds as the No. 9 seed. They had a bye in the partial triples and defeated New York University in the round of 32 to advance to the octafinals before losing to the University of Iowa.

The team of sophomores Brooklynn Hato, Overland Park, and Nargis Suleman, Leawood, went 5-3 in prelims and advanced to elimination rounds as the 15th seed. They had a bye through the partial triples and lost to Binghamton University in the round of 32.

The team of freshmen Carson Brown, Lawrence, and Henry Walawender, Lenexa, went 5-3 in the prelim debates and advanced to elimination as the 25th seed. They defeated the University of Texas, Dallas, in the partial triples before losing to the University of Iowa in the round of 32.

The team of sophomore AJ Persinger, Lawrence, and freshman Carson Bath, Topeka, were 5-3 in prelims and advanced as the 28th seed. They defeated Trinity University in the partial triples but were paired against the KU team of Harker/Schultz in the round of 32, and the higher-seeded team advanced.

The team of juniors Estrella Hernandez, Kansas City, Missouri, and Isaac Martinez, Spearman, Texas, finished with a 4-4 record at the tournament.

Five KU students won individual speaker awards. Spiers was fifth, Schultz was ninth, Hato was 10th, Suleman was 12th, and Wilkus was 16th.

Other schools competing in the tournament included Arizona State University, Baylor University, Binghamton University, California State University Fullerton, California State University Long Beach, the University of Central Oklahoma, George Mason University, Harvard University, the University of Houston, the University of Iowa, James Madison University, Kansas State University, the University of Kentucky, Liberty University, the University of Louisville, the University of Minnesota, the New School of New York, New York University, North Texas University, the University of Northern Iowa, the University of Oklahoma, Rochester University, Southwestern University, Towson University, Trinity University, the University of Texas Dallas, the University of Texas San Antonio, Wake Forest University, the University of West Virginia, Wichita State University and the University of Wyoming.

“It was an excellent showing by the squad as a whole, and we were very pleased with the performance,” said Scott Harris David B. Pittaway Director of Debate. “We now turn our attention to the National Debate Tournament April 3-7 at Gonzaga University in Spokane.”