KU’s last team standing falls in National Debate Tournament’s equivalent of Elite Eight

In the end, as the University of Kansas men’s basketball team did Saturday night, the KU debate squad’s last team standing also fell in the National Debate Tournament’s equivalent of the NCAA’s Elite Eight.

The National Debate Tournament was hosted by KU, for the first time, over the weekend at the Edwards Campus in Overland Park. Debating began Friday morning and lasted through the championship round Monday night. KU Debate had three duos qualify for and compete in the tournament.

The KU team of Jacob Hegna and Henry Walter, both sophomores from Overland Park, made it the furthest. Hegna/Walter fell in the quarterfinals — akin to the Elite Eight round — Monday afternoon to a team from Wake Forest University.

The National Debate Tournament kicked off Friday, March 24, 2017, at the University of Kansas Edwards Campus in Overland Park. Pictured competing in the day's first round of debates is the KU team of Henry Walter (left) and Jacob Hegna, against the Indiana team of Bee Smale (left) and Harry Aaronson. The tournament is expected to run through late Monday night.

KU Debate, though, is already looking forward and plans to be back next season “with a vengeance,” according to a Tuesday morning tweet from the squad.

KU Debate director Scott Harris echoed that, saying he was “thrilled” with the performance of all three KU teams.

“It was the first time in history that KU has advanced three teams to the elimination rounds, and getting two teams to the Sweet 16 and one to the Elite Eight is a tremendous achievement,” Harris said, in an email. “I am very proud of all of the hard work of the KU staff and students who helped us host the tournament while performing at such a high level in the competition. We are eager to get back to work for next season.”

The KU duo of Quaram Robinson, a junior from Round Rock, Texas, and Kyndall Delph, a freshman from Little Rock, Ark., lost their Sweet 16 round Monday morning to a team from Harvard University — one member of which was the 2016 national champion, Harris said.

The third KU team competing in the National Debate Tournament was a pair of seniors: Chris Birzer, of Leawood, and Madison Cook, of Shawnee. They ended the competition after losing to Northwestern in the “doubles” round of the tournament on Sunday.

Two KU debaters were recognized individually as well at this year’s National Debate Tournament, according to KU. Robinson placed as the ninth overall top speaker, and Hegna placed 18th.

Last year, in the 2016 National Debate Tournament, the KU team of Robinson and Sion Bell took second place overall, falling to Harvard in the national championship round.