MSU debate team ends season with a strong finish Contact: Michael Eber, MSU Debate Team, (517) 432-9667; or Kristin Anderson, University Relations, (517) 353-8819, ander284@msu.edu
11/26/2003
EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan State University debate team finished its fall season at the Wake Forest Tournament in Winston-Salem, N.C. with two teams advancing to the octo-finals and bringing home three individual speaker awards.
Dave Strauss of East Lansing, an international relations senior, and Greta Stahl of Shelby Township, a history and international relations senior, had a record of 7-1 in the preliminary debates, placing them the fourth overall seed going into the elimination rounds of the Nov. 18 tournament. They defeated a team from Emory University and advanced into the octo-finals where they lost on a 2-1 decision to a team from the University of Louisville.
“It was definitely a tough moment for the team when we lost in the octo-finals because we felt poised to win the whole tournament,” said Mike Eber, MSU’s interim director of debate. “However, part of what makes our debate team great is the recognition that the season is a marathon, not a sprint. This is just one break in what will turn out to be another championship season.”
Strauss received the ninth-place individual-speaker award, and Stahl won the 19th place individual-speaker award.
Nathan Gibson of Sterling Heights, a political science sophomore, and Casey Harrigan of Holland, an international relations sophomore, were 26th seed going into the elimination rounds after a 6-2 record in the preliminary debates. They defeated one of the nation’s best teams from Dartmouth College on a unanimous 3-0 decision. From there, they advanced to the octo-finals where they lost to Emory University in a 2-1 decision.
Aaron Hardy, an interdisciplinary arts and humanities junior from Logan, Utah, and Shaun VanHorn of Shelby Township, a biology senior, were the 12th overall seed going into the elimination rounds but lost in the double octo-finals.
VanHorn received the 15th place individual-speaker award. He has been among the top 30 speakers at every tournament he has attended this fall.
Ryan Burke of Rochester Hills, an international relations sophomore, and Andrea Reed, a freshman from Highland Park, Texas, were 5-3 in the preliminary debates. They nearly qualified for the elimination rounds, but they did not have enough speaker points.
Given their success as new debaters, Will Repko, head coach of the debate team, said that they are “a team to watch out for in the coming years.”
The MSU debate team has had many accomplishments throughout the fall semester. They have had at least one team advance to the octo-finals or higher at every major tournament of the semester. They have won 14 individual speaker awards, including three top speaker awards. They reached the final round of the Georgia State University tournament and won second place at the Kentucky Round Robin.
MSU stands out this fall as one of the best intercollegiate debate teams in the country, Eber said, and is now focusing on spring semester, which begins in late December when the team will travel to two major national tournaments in California.
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