UW Debate Team Finishes Season on Top

April 8, 2008

The University of Wyoming debate team ended the season on a "strong and historically significant note," says Director of Forensics Matt Stannard.

At the National Debate Tournament (NDT) in Fullerton, Calif., Travis Cram (Cheyenne) and Will Jensen (Cheyenne) finished in ninth place overall out of the nation's 78 best policy debate teams. This is the first time in two decades that a Wyoming team has advanced to elimination rounds at this tournament, Stannard says.

At the National Parliamentary Debate Association tournament (NPDA) in Colorado Springs, Jess Ryan (Lander), who previously was named top speaker at the National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence (NPTE), and Tony Roberts (Sheridan) reached the quarter-finals among 234 two-person teams.

Jeffrey Fife (Riverton) and Lindsey DeVries (Glenrock) advanced to the NPDA's second elimination round along with Nick Larmer (Gillette) and Kathryn Starkey (Jackson). Their performances led UW to place fifth overall among 81 schools.

"The NPDA, NDT, Cross-Examination Debate Association and NPTE national championships represent the elite of parliamentary and policy debate," Stannard says. "This year UW was the only school that had participants in elimination rounds at all four tournaments."

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