Speech and Debate Union wins back-to-back national titles for the first time in program history

 

MURRAY, Ky. — The Murray State University Speech and Debate Union (SDU) has secured a national championship in debate for the second year in a row at the Pi Kappa Delta National Comprehensive Tournament. This is the first time in the SDU’s history that they have won back-to-back national debate titles, and both were won by the same student, Samuel Harless. 

This was the largest comprehensive national tournament in Pi Kappa Delta history with 59 schools in attendance and a total of 1,898 entries across about 600 competitors. 

Murray State won 11 awards, including:

• Champion Varsity Speaker and Champion Junior Varsity (JV) Speaker National Parliamentary Debate Association (NPDA) Debate: Samuel Harless, of Harrodsburg, Kentucky (of 52 competitors)

• Second place JV Speaker and Fourth Place Overall Speaker NPDA Debate: Caleb McCurren, of Paducah, Kentucky 

• Second Place Speaker Novice NPDA Debate: Essabella Voss, of Paducah, Kentucky

• Fourth Place JV Speaker NPDA Debate: Samuel Miller, of Island, Kentucky

• Second Place Speaker Novice IPDA Debate: Coleton Boyd, of Simpsonville, Kentucky (of 73 competitors)

 

Samuel Harless and Samuel Miller were one of only two JV teams to make the Elite 8 in NPDA debate, and they were the highest performing JV team at the tournament.

Freshman competitor Coleton Boyd placed in three individual performances. He made the Elite 8 (fifth place) in Novice IPDA Debate, ranked top 20 in the nation for extemporaneous speaking out of about 200 competitors and ranked 31st out of 197 competitors in impromptu speaking.

Additionally, Murray State will directly influence the future of speech and debate because Murray State SDU Director Dr. Ryan Goke was one of three members to be elected to the Pi Kappa Delta governing board, where he will serve for the next two years.

“I am beyond proud of the performance of our students this season,” Goke said. “They, more than any other group I have coached, have embodied a collaborative spirit that elevated their performance as individuals and as a team. I set a very high standard for them and they exceeded my expectations at every turn.”

International Public Debate Association Nationals is the team’s last tournament of the season and will take place April 9-13 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Anyone interested in seeing the national champions perform is invited to attend the annual Provost Premiere Showcase on April 23 at 7 p.m. in Wrather Auditorium on Murray State’s campus.