Bishop Seabury Academy took third place this weekend in the Kansas state debate tournament for schools in Class 3A and smaller in Tonganoxie.

Meanwhile, both Lawrence High School and Free State High School sent teams to compete in the 6A state championships in Hutchinson.

The Bishop Seabury squad competed in the four-speaker division, where one pair of debaters argues the affirmative side of the resolution in each round and the other pair argues the negative side. Each pair debated eight rounds in a round robin tournament where the winners were determined by win-loss records and individual speaker points.

The Bishop Seabury squad finished with a combined 12-4 record. Martin Sicilian, senior, and Courtney Cooper, junior, made up the affirmative team. Addie Graham, sophomore, and Jacob Strayer, senior, made up the negative team. The squad also included two alternates who shared in the medal, freshmen Thomas Silvestri and Gabe Magee.

In the 6A tournament, Free State sent one squad in the four-speaker competition and four teams in the two-speaker competition.

Free State coach Jo Ball said all teams ended with even records: 8-8 in the four-speaker event and 3-3 in the two-speaker event.

“For a squad that took the maximum number of kids to state, we did well. Half of the debaters who went to state will be returning next year, so that bodes well for the 2013 season,” Ball said.

Lawrence High sent four teams in the two-speaker division. Of those, coach Jeff Plinsky said, the team of Hayley Luna and Ellie Dunlap, both sophomores, had the best performance, finishing the preliminary rounds with a 4-2 record, just barely missing qualification for the octafinal elimination rounds.

One of those losses came against the eventual state champion team from Blue Valley West.