The Michigan State University Debate Team kicked off its first competition of the 2015-16 season with a finish in the top 16 out of 122 teams registered to compete in the Georgia State National College Debate Tournament.
Honors College and international relations senior Tyler Thur and mathematics senior Margaret Strong defeated a team from Liberty University to make it into the octafinals round on Monday, but ultimately lost to a University of Kentucky team that finished second in the tournament.
Another MSU team finished in the top 32 – Honors College and computer science sophomore Connor Munsinger and international relations freshman Luc Walkington.
Thur, Munsinger and Strong also finished with a top 20 ranking among speakers at the tournament.
“Congratulations to Tyler and Marge for a strong finish in the first debate of the season, and to Connor and Luc for making it to the elimination rounds in their first college debate together,” said Head Coach Will Repko. “We have a long season ahead of us, but the team is excited to have some momentum coming out of this first tournament in Atlanta.”
Overall, six MSU teams competed in the Georgia State tournament, including: professional writing sophomore Breana Brill and her teammate, economics and political science sophomore Wayne Campbell; political science junior Darcell Brown and his teammate, Honors College physics freshman Evan Runburg; elementary education senior Shannon Nierman, and her teammate undecided James Madison College first-year Eric Staats; and no-preference freshman Marnise Henry and her teammate, comparative cultures and politics sophomore Briana Lewis.
Next week, the MSU Debate Team will compete in a tournament at the University of Kentucky. MSU is one of nine of the top teams in the country chosen to also compete in the Kentucky Round Robin, which is held prior to the start of the larger tournament.
The MSU Debate Team is part of the Honors College.