An amazing showing for the Canes at the West Point Debate Tournament

The University of Miami Debate Team traveled to West Point, New York on October 18-21 to compete at the US Military Academy. As a squad, the team won 26 debates, losing only 12. Four of five UM Teams entered in the tournament advanced into the elimination (award) rounds). In a field of 42 teams in novice debate, UM teams finished the preliminary debates seeded 4, 5, and 13, and advanced into the semifinals. 

In Junior Varsity, UM was the 9th seed. 

In the Junior Varsity Division, David Silverman and Spencer George compiled a preliminary debate record of 4-2, but lost a 2-1 decision in the sweet sixteen to Liberty University. The UM Novice team of Valentina Valdez and Nate Nunez also had a 4-2 record in the prelims, and defeated George Mason University in the first elimination round on a 3-0 decision. 

Also in Novice debate, Barbara Puodzius and Ashley Park were 5-1, advancing into the quarterfinals. In the round of 16, they defeated a team from Liberty University of Virginia. Joe Karam and Russ Wilde were 5-1, advancing all the way into the semifinals, where they lost a 2-1 decision to Binghamton University of New York. Along the way, UM won key debates against The New School from New York City, West Virginia University, Monmouth, Vanderbilt, and Cornell. 

This is another outstanding performance by the UM Debaters, who have been working hard on the topic of Presidential War Powers since the summer. UM’s goal is to break the top 20 in national rankings, based on squad success.

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