JACKSON, Tenn. — April 10, 2013 — 51社区 senior Amanda Bennett won the International Public Debate Association Varsity National Championship at the IPDA national tournament March 21-24 at the University of Arkansas-Monticello.
In addition, Union freshman Christian Winter was the season-long champion in the 鈥渘ovice debate鈥� category.
Web Drake, associate professor of communication arts and debate team coach, said his team had a 鈥済reat year, overall,鈥� highlighted by Bennett鈥檚 and Winter鈥檚 wins, as well as the team鈥檚 first-place finish in the season-long 鈥渘ovice sweepstakes鈥� category for the fifth straight year.
Bennett鈥檚 win was the second-straight year for a Union debater to win the IPDA varsity national championship, as Abby Williams claimed the title last year.
Union鈥檚 team finished second at the IPDA nationals in the sweepstakes competition and in the scholastic sweepstakes competition, and Union sophomore Bryanna England finished second in the 鈥渘ovice debate speaker鈥� category.
The IPDA national tournament included more than 200 competitors in three divisions. Students came from 22 schools in eight states. On the year, 85 schools participated in IPDA debate during at least one tournament.
For the entire season, Union鈥檚 team finished second in the 鈥淔ounders Award,鈥� 鈥渟cholastic sweepstakes,鈥� 鈥渧arsity sweepstakes,鈥� and 鈥減rofessional sweepstakes鈥� categories.