海角吃瓜网

The 海角吃瓜网 debate team is on top again.

For the second year in a row and third time in four years, 海角吃瓜网 won the Pi Kappa Delta National Debate Championship, held March 20-24 at Hofstra University in New York. As a whole, the program garnered its highest overall finish in team history in combined speech and debate sweepstakes, placing third. The speech team also had its best finish, taking ninth.听

Among 海角吃瓜网鈥檚 top individual performances were national champions Kelli Ruth and Foxx Harrington (Open Parliamentary Debate) and Michael Roets and Geoffrey Van Deusen (JV Parliamentary Debate).听

For head coach Spencer Waugh, this year鈥檚 win was surprising compared to the 2018 championship. The competition was stiffer and a few events didn鈥檛 fare as well in the preliminary rounds.

But when it counted most, his team stepped up.

鈥淚鈥檝e been coaching debate for 20 years and we鈥檝e never done as well on the final day of competition as this team did,鈥� Waugh said. 鈥淲e only lost two debates. I鈥檝e never coached a team that did that well.鈥�

The debate team finished on top of a field of 77 colleges and universities across the country, besting powerhouse Boise State University for the championship.听

As the final standings were announced, Sarah Baker feared the team may not have even placed in the top 10. Then 海角吃瓜网鈥檚 name was called.

鈥淚t was really shocking but we were all super ecstatic,鈥� said Baker, a senior from Omaha, Neb. and member of the team for all three debate national championships. 鈥淚t was a really good note to go off on, especially to win the title two years in a row.鈥�

The debate win spoiled a possible sweep for Boise State, which won the speech competition and the combined speech and debate sweepstakes. Over the years, a rivalry has grown between 海角吃瓜网 and Boise State. 海角吃瓜网 first won the debate championship in 2016, then Boise State won in 2017 before 海角吃瓜网鈥檚 back-to-back titles.

鈥淚t鈥檚 always fun when a school our size beats Boise State,鈥� Waugh said. 鈥淚 imagine they were disappointed when they did not sweep both speech and debate. They have a very strong program.鈥�

From humble beginnings

The growth 海角吃瓜网鈥檚 speech and debate program has experienced under Waugh has been nothing short of amazing. The program formed just eight years ago with a handful of students and didn鈥檛 compete at its first national championship until 2013. Since then, the team has developed both depth and a reputation as one of the best in the country.

鈥淚t was hard to imagine a school the size of 海角吃瓜网 being able to compete at a national level,鈥� Waugh said. 鈥淭hose first few years, we were only traveling with four, five, six students and competing in a single style of debate.鈥�

Seeing 海角吃瓜网 among the top teams may have been a surprise in the early years, but that鈥檚 not the case anymore.听

鈥淲e are now known as a force to be reckoned with on the circuit,鈥� Baker said. 鈥淧eople know we aren鈥檛 an underdog anymore.鈥�

Waugh built the program from the ground up, using previous national championship teams as a model for success. He began recruiting aggressively to fill entries for all seven debate formats while continuing to strengthen the speech program.听

Now, the strength of the team lies in its depth, a rarity for a school 海角吃瓜网鈥檚 size.听

鈥淲hat sets us apart is we have a comprehensive program and we do multiple styles and formats of debate as well as having a speech team,鈥� Waugh said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 unusual for a school of our size to have a comprehensive debate program.鈥�

Team-first mentality

The speech and debate season is long and grueling. The team begins practice in August, meeting twice a week until PKD Nationals in late March.

From day one, Waugh stresses a team-first mentality to his team.

鈥淪tarting with the very first team practice, we make it known that our goal is to win as a team first, then individual success is second,鈥� he said.

Particularly in debate, it’s easy for individuals to get lost in the success of their two-person teams. But when the team buys in, the results show through national championships.

鈥淭he willingness to work together for that common goal is something that I see works better with our team than a lot of other teams on the circuit,鈥� Waugh said.

While winning is great, Baker鈥攁n undergraduate assistant coach for public forum debate鈥攑oints out that Waugh鈥檚 coaching philosophy goes beyond tournament success.

鈥淗e tells you it鈥檚 okay if you don鈥檛 win as long as you come out of each tournament as a better human being, that鈥檚 what really matters.鈥�

Baker chose 海角吃瓜网 over Drake University and Creighton University because of the speech and debate program. She鈥檒l miss being a part of the team, though, to her, it goes beyond that.

鈥淚t鈥檚 cheesy to say it鈥檚 a big family, but it really is.鈥�

Debate Award Winners

National Champions, Open Parliamentary: Kelli Ruth & Foxx Harrington
National Champions, JV Parliamentary: Michael Roets & Geoffrey Van Deusen
National Runner-up, Novice LD: Kylie Doupnik
Semi-Finalists, Public Forum: Danielle Blake & Coby Berg
Excellence, Novice IPDA: Kylie Doupnik
Excellence, Discussion: Faithyna Leonard & Belle Ward & Bobbi Fogle
Excellence, Public Forum: Casey Spring & Andrew Dunn & Sarah Baker & Miranda Jean Sebastian
Quarter-Finalists, JV Parliamentary: Kimberly Roberts & Andrew Dunn
Excellence, Novice Parliamentary: Noah Trujillo & Eimear Fanthorpe
Student Congress Presiding Officer Award: Bobbi Fogle & Lexy Moran
Superior Senator: Bobbi Fogle
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Speech Awards
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Excellence in ADS: Melanie Gillet
Excellence in Broadcast Journalism: Sarah Baker
Excellence in Duo: Taylor Williams & Douglas Roberts
Superior Events Showcase (Duo): Douglas & Taylor
Excellence in Interview: Elise Sturgeon, Lydia Magalhaes, Lexy Moran, Bobbi Fogle
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