KU teams advance in National Debate Tournament

LAWRENCE — After three days of opening events, all three University of Kansas teams competing in the National Debate Tournament have qualified for the single elimination rounds. The tournament continues today, March 29. This is the second time KU has qualified three teams for the elimination rounds at the NDT, and all three teams will enter elimination rounds as high seeds.

KU debaters also won the first and second speaker awards at the tournament. Azja Butler, of Lansing, was named the first speaker, and Nate Martin, also of Lansing, was the second speaker. Both are graduates of Lansing High School. Graham Revare, of Shawnee, was named the 12^th-place speaker at the tournament.

Tournament progress

• The team of Butler and Ross Fitzpatrick, Leawood, are 8-0 (19 ballots) and advance to the elimination rounds as the top seed and only undefeated team at the tournament.  
• The team of Mickey McMahon, Leawood, and Michael Scott, Glenview, Illinois, are 7-1 (18 ballots) and advance to the elimination rounds as the fourth seed.
• The team of Martin and Revare are 6-2 (19 ballots) and will advance to the elimination rounds as either the fifth or sixth seed. 

Butler/Fitzpatrick are the fourth KU duo to be the top seed at the NDT, and their names will go on a banner in the squadroom. The previous top seeds for KU were in 1987, 1997 and 2009. Their path through the preliminary rounds was difficult as they defeated teams from Georgetown University, the University of California-Berkeley, the University of Michigan, Harvard University, Northwestern University (fifth-ranked first round), Dartmouth College (first-ranked first round), Emory University (third-ranked first round) and Wake Forest University. 

McMahon/Scott defeated teams from the University of Louisville, Southwestern College, George Mason University, Rochester University, the University of Kentucky, Wake Forest University and the University of Minnesota. Their only loss was a 2-1 split decision to Georgetown University. 

Martin/Revare defeated teams from the University of Iowa, Michigan State University, the University of California at Fullerton, New York University, Harvard University and the University of Southern California. Their losses were a 2-1 split decision to Wake Forest University and to the University of Michigan (second-ranked first round). 

Photos: Azja Butler, Nate Martin.