Michigan State University Debate had two teams in the top 16 of the American Debate Association National Tournament hosted at Indiana University last weekend.

David Koster, a political science and economics senior in the Honors College, and Stephen Lewis, a journalism freshman, reached the octafinals after defeating teams from New York University, Emory University, and a hybrid team composed of students from Emory University and the University of Michigan.

Joanna Gusis, a political theory and constitutional democracy sophomore in the Honors College, and Tony Miklovis, a social relations and policy and international relations junior in the Honors College, reached the octafinals after victories over teams from Emory University, the University of Kentucky, and Kansas University.

“Having two teams in the octafinals is a huge achievement,” said Will Repko, MSU Debate Head Coach. “All of the students and coaches have been working hard to prepare this year and it showed again this weekend.”

These teams from MSU also ended the regular season in the Sweet 16 at the Texas Open tournament – the largest tournament of the spring semester. Gusis and Miklovis previously reached the Sweet 16 at the Northwestern Season Opener, the University of Kentucky Tournament, the Harvard College Tournament, and the Franklin R. Shirley Tournament.

ADA Nationals is the first national championship tournament that MSU Debate competes in during the post-season. MSU Debate has qualified two teams to the National Debate Tournament and will compete there the first week in April.

“We’ve consistently been making appearances in the octafinals and all our octafinals rounds have been incredibly close. Now we’ll keep working to improve for the National Debate Tournament,” said Repko.

MSU was also represented at the ADA Nationals Tournament by Mitchell Scott, an economics senior, Zaria Jarman, a James Madison College freshman, Ephraim Bennett, a computer science junior, Blaine Montford, a political science freshman in the Honors College, Miaomiao Zi, interdisciplinary humanities and English concentration in creative writing sophomore, Arielle Gearring, a sophomore Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy student, Glen Scully, computer science sophomore, and Hina Shehzad, James Madison College Freshman

The MSU Debate Team is part of the Honors College.

This story originally appeared on the MSU Debate website.