The University of Wyoming debate team's parliamentary and policy-style debate squads concluded their regular season and prepped for the national championships with top speaker awards and highly competitive team performances.
Travis Cram (Cheyenne) was named top individual speaker at the District 9
National Debate Tournament (NDT) district qualifier hosted by Eastern
New Mexico University in Portales last weekend. His partner, Will Jenson
(Cheyenne), was named third individual speaker. The pair finished with
five wins and one loss to advance to the NDT, scheduled at California
State University-Fullerton in March.
Tony Johnson and Mike Bausch, both of Boise, Idaho, and Jamie Piechura
(Newcastle) and Kelly Nickel (Parker, Colo.) finished with 4-2 records
and in the top third of the qualifiers as well. Johnson and Bausch will
join Cram and Jensen as NDT qualifiers.
Jesse Ryan (Lander) won his fifth top speaker award of the year when he
was named top speaker among 60 competitors at the Mark O. Hatfield
debates at Willamette University in Salem, Ore., last weekend. His
partner, Tony Roberts (Sheridan), was named the tournament's sixth-best
speaker, and the pair advanced to elimination rounds at the tournament.
Lindsey DeVries (Glenrock) and Jeffrey Fife (Riverton) advanced to the
semifinals and placed third overall at the Hatfield event. Kathryn
Starkey (Jackson) and Nick Larmer (Gillette) also advanced to
elimination rounds.
UW debaters received eight top speaker awards this season. Ryan received
top overall speaker awards at the Mile High Swing, the Hatfield
Debates, the Claremont Colleges Invitational, the Puget Sound Round
Robin and the Puget Sound Invitational.
Other top overall speaker awards were given to Cram at the NDT District 9
Qualifier, Bausch at the Denver University Mile High Classic, and
Johnson at the Laramie Scrimmage.
