ESU debaters win at KU

The nationally ranked Emporia State University debate team continued its winning season with a fifth place finish at the Donn Parson Heart of America Invitational held Febraury 12-14 on the University of Kansas campus.
Tiara Naputi, junior, communication and Jeremy Beach, freshman, secondary education lost a 2-1 decision to Case Western Reserve University ( Cleveland , OH ) in the octafinal round. Naputi and Beach were 5-2 in the preliminary rounds defeating teams from Baylor University (TX), Macalester College (MN), University of Missouri-Kansas City, the University of Wyoming , Case Western (OH). Naputi was 13th speaker in the varsity division.

"We beat the team from Case Western team in the preliminary rounds, and sometimes it is tough to beat the same team twice at the same tournament, they know your style and some of the arguments you tend to run. We switched up some things about our case, and it was very close. This activity is very competitive," said Ken DeLaughder, director of debate.

Also attending the tournament in varsity were Jordan DeWolf, sophomore, biology major and Dustin Rimmey, junior, secondary education major, who had a solid win against Wichita State University , and just missed the elimination rounds. T.J. Dubin, freshman, computer science major and Kelly Thompson, freshman, communications major, competed in the junior varsity division.

"Good wins against Baylor and UMKC give us an advantage going into national qualifying," said James Taylor,assistant director of debate. "We debated Dartmouth 's top team in the third round, which will help us out if we draw them at the National Debate Tournament. We really want to debate them again and show them that the Hornets are every bit as good as the Ivy League."

"That's the great thing about this activity," DeLaughder said. "In debate there is no division two. We debate everyone in the nation from Dartmouth to Wichita State , and continue to be ranked in the top 25 in the nation."

Emporia State will attend it's district qualifying tournament for the National Debate tournament on February 25-27 at the University of Texas at Dallas . The highly competitve District III consists of all competing schools from Kansas , Nebraska , Louisiana , Missouri , Oklahoma and Texas .

Last Updated July 2, 2007>