This story originally appeared on the Honors College website.
A team of JMC students from MSU Debate won the United States Naval Academy Crowe Warken Tournament this past weekend after three teams from MSU qualified for elimination debates.
Debaters from across the country debated both sides of the season-long resolution about decarbonization. The full wording of the topic is “Resolved: The United States Federal Government should adopt a clean energy policy for decarbonization in the United States, including a market-based instrument.”
Blaine Montford, a Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy sophomore in the Honors College, and Tony Miklovis, an International Relations and Social Relations and Policy senior in the Honors College, were undefeated in their eight preliminary debates, besting teams from Dartmouth College, Georgetown University, Emory University, the University of Kentucky, James Madison University, George Mason University, and Western Kentucky University.
“Blaine and Tony won every single preliminary debate at the tournament which is incredibly hard to do,” said Will Repko, MSU Debate Head Coach. “You have to be well prepared, debating your best, and stay focused to string together that many wins in a row.”
At the conclusion of the preliminary debates, the tournament seeded teams based on their win-loss record and individual speaker points awarded each debate.
Montford was the top overall speaker and Miklovis was second. Because they won all eight preliminary debates and were first and second speaker, they advanced to elimination rounds as the top seed.
“It’s been a long time since someone from MSU was named top speaker at a tournament so, to be both first and second speaker, is a testament to how on fire Tony and Blaine were,” said Repko.
In elimination debates, Montford and Miklovis defeated a team from the University of Kentucky in the octafinals (Sweet 16), a team from the University of Michigan in the quarterfinals (Elite 8), and a team from the University of Kentucky in the semifinals (Final Four) before besting a team from the University of Texas – Austin in the final round.
“After everything was said and done, Tony and Blaine won twelve straight debates and were the top two speakers at the tournament,” said Kevin McCaffrey, MSU Debate Assistant Coach. “It was a long weekend, but they have a lot of amazing results to show for it.”
This is the best tournament result for Montford and Miklovis this season. They were previously in the Sweet 16 at tournaments hosted by Wake Forest University and the University of Kentucky.
Ephraim Bennett, a computer science senior, and Hina Shehzad, an International Relations sophomore, another team from MSU Debate, reached the Sweet 16 at the tournament after defeating teams from the University of Michigan, Dartmouth College, the University of Kentucky, and Western Kentucky University in preliminary rounds.
This is MSU Debate’s second tournament win of the season after Bennett and Shehzad previously won the Wayne State University tournament.
“This has been such a fun year for the team,” said Joanna Gusis, a statistics and Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy junior in the Honors College. “Winning two tournaments in a single season is rare and it has been really exciting,”
Aadit Agrahara, a Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy senior, and Arielle Gearring, a Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy junior, qualified for elimination debates and ended the tournament as double-octafinalists.
MSU Debate was also represented at the Crowe Warken Tournament by Zaria Jarman, a Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy sophomore, and Glen Scully, a Computer Science junior.