Three KU Debate teams place among top 20 at national British parliamentary tournament

LAWRENCE — Three University of Kansas teams finished among the top 20 teams at a national online British parliamentary tournament that took place Oct. 4-5 at the University of Alaska. 

There were 108 teams total at the tournament, representing 27 colleges and universities. 

After two days of preliminary rounds, the team of freshmen Michael Redlich and Mason Renner, both from Kansas City, Missouri, were the sixth-place team. Redlich was the third-place individual speaker, and Renner was fifth place out of 216 individuals competing at the tournament. This was their first college debate tournament, and they were the top novice team to qualify for the elimination rounds. They advanced to the quarterfinals of the open division at the tournament. They are the first KU team to finish in the top 10 at a major BP tournament.

The KU teams of Alba Wilson-Axpe, Greenwood Village, Colorado, with Sofia Bullard, Simi Valley, California, and Alex Brake, Olathe, with Stevie Silverman, Raytown, finished in 17th and 18th place after the preliminary debates. They qualified for the quarterfinals of the honors division. Wilson-Axpe and Bullard advanced through the quarterfinals and semifinals to reach the championship debate and captured second place in the honors division. Brake and Silverman advanced through the quarterfinals to the semifinals but did not qualify for the final.

“This was an outstanding performance by the teams at their first tournament of the year,” said Scott Harris, the David B. Pittaway Director of KU Debate said. “Assistant coaches Saiemeh Wahidi and Ash Denchfield have done an incredible job getting the teams ready for competition. The debaters worked very hard, and it was great to see their hard work rewarded.”

Universities and colleges participating were KU, the University of Alaska, Ball State University, California Polytechnic State University, Carroll College, Claremont College, Clemson University, the College of Idaho, Lewis and Clark College, the University of Loyola, Chicago, Loyola Marymount University, Morehouse College, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Red Rocks Community College, Regis University, Seattle University, Tennessee Tech University, Texas Tech University, the University of Denver, the University of North Georgia, the University of Mississippi, the U.S. Air Force Academy, the University of Vermont, Vanderbilt University, Virginia State University, Willamette University and the University of Wisconsin.

The British Parliamentary team will next compete at a tournament in Denver in two weeks.