New Trier Debate Team Competes at University of Michigan

The debate team at New Trier High School competed at the University of Michigan as one of 67 teams from a variety of states last weekend. The Trevian freshmen competed in seven preliminary debates in hopes of earning spots in elimination rounds. Four New Trier teams finished with a record of 5-2 or better and earned the right to debate in the sweet sixteen of the tournament.

In the varsity division, New Trier competed in a field of 159 teams. Junior partners Celia Buckman and Connor Warshauer finished 6-1 and finished in the double octofinals. The senior team of AJ Byrne and William Kirby finished with a 5-2 record. They found success in the first elimination round, winning on a 3-0 decision over Broad Run High School from Virginia. This win gave AJ and William a full qualification to compete at the Tournament of Champions, a national championship tournament hosted by the University of Kentucky every April.

Freshmen Bennett Blake and Josie Ewing finished with a 6-1 record, enough to advance all the way to the final round. Blake and Ewing debated on the affirmative against a talented team from the University School in Nashville and were given the novice championship on a 2-1 decision. The pair also earned individual accolades for their speaking skills with Blake earning a 5th place speaker award and Ewing earning the 6th place speaker award in a field of 134 students.

The team of Roland Kim and Marcos Nordenstahl also finished with a 6-1 record and advanced to the semifinals. Claudia Levens and Jackson Miller won five of their seven rounds to earn a spot in elimination rounds and finished in the sweet sixteen. Miller was the 25th overall speaker at the tournament. Last, but not least, Morgan Harden and Lauren Wittenmeyer advanced into the top sixteen teams with a preliminary record of 5-2. Freshman Richard Jo was also awarded with the 24th overall speaker. This is the best that New Trier has ever fared at the University of Michigan tournament. While making up 10 percent of the total number of teams, the freshman pairs comprised a full 25 percent of the teams advancing to elimination rounds.

Photo: New Trier freshmen Josie Ewing and Bennett Blake took first place in the novice division at the University of Michigan debate tournament.