UM Debate moves up to #8 nationally!

On the wave of another outstanding tournament performance at Vanderbilt this weekend, The University of Miami Debate Team has moved up to #8 Nationally in the National Debate Tournament Rankings (up from #11 in the previous ranking).  Schools looking up at UM include traditional powerhouses Northwestern, Harvard, Vanderbilt, Emory, and over 100 other schools.  We trail only Wake Forest in the Southeast region (they are 5^th).  UM is #11 (up from 12) in the Cross Examination Debate Association rankings.  Both rankings reward points based on ballots won across all divisions of debate.  UM is helped by the size of its team, with 26 UM students already representing the U in intercollegiate debate competition. 

 Three UM teams competed at Vanderbilt University on Nov. 1-3.   With wins over Florida State, Georgia State, The University of Indiana, Butler, West Georgia, Appalachian State, The University of Florida and the University of Georgia, all three UM teams advanced into the award rounds.  The UM team of Ana Ivanova and Xingkai Liu debated The University of West Georgia in the “Sweet Sixteen,” but ended their tournament with a loss.  Michael Fuentes and Renee Reneau defeated Georgia State in the round of 16 on a 3-0 decision, before falling to The University of Florida in quarterfinals.  Barbara Puodzius and Ashley Park earned a bye into the quarterfinals thanks to their 4-2 preliminary record and high seed.  In quarters, they sent West Georgia home on a 3-0 decision before falling to UF in semifinals.  UM debaters also placed in the speaker awards based on their individual scores, with Renee 12^th, Michael 13^th, Ashley 16^th, Anna 17^th, and Barbara 19^th.

The U will seek to maintain its national ranking at the Appalachian State Debate Tournament, held in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in conjunction with Wake Forest University on November 16-18.

On Saturday, October 26, the UM Debate Team competed in the Voice Matters Parliamentary Debate Tournament hosted by Miami Dade College, Kendall.  Although parliamentary debate does not count toward the national rankings, it is an excellent preparation for the evidence based policy debate in which we usually compete.  UM teams wound up ranked 2^nd through 5^th.  At that tournament, the UM teams of Adrianne and Anna Shah and Liam Allen-McGoran and Nate Dong were both 2-1.  Anna and Adrianne advanced into the semifinal round to debate FIU.  Also representing UM were COS 377 student debate teams Emily Beltt and Libby Jacobson, who were also 2-1, and David Capelli and Giovanni Bisignani, who were 3-0 and debated FIU in finals, losing a split 2-1 decision.  The teams were coached at the tournament by UM debaters Joe Karam and Ken Yu, and alumni Jennifer Melendez. 

The team is directed by David L. Steinberg and Patrick Waldinger, and coached by Assistant Randall Martinez.  Participation is open to all UM Undergraduate students.  

Posted in: Team announcement, tournament