Liberty University’s Debate Team claimed the National Sweepstakes Championship in both the American Debate Association (ADA), which it hosted March 14-16, and last weekend’s Cross Examination Debate Association (CEDA) at Indiana University. The final rankings will be released in April following this weekend’s National Debate Tournament (NDT) competition, also taking place at IU.
This marks the sixth consecutive year Liberty Debate has finished the season atop the CEDA rankings and the 11th consecutive year it has claimed the ADA championship. Liberty remains the only school to win all three sweepstakes championships in a single season, a feat it has accomplished seven of the past eight years and will seek to complete once again this weekend.
At two early-season tournaments hosted by Georgia State University on Sept. 20 and James Madison University on Oct. 11, Liberty’s team did not win a single Novice, Junior Varsity, or Varsity divisional title. Since then, the team has come full circle and is now a tournament win away from sweeping all three national sweepstakes championships.
The varsity teams of Meagan Edwards and Vida Chiri as well as Mary Bobbitt and Lindsey Murray will debate at the NDT tournament. Edwards and Chiri became Liberty’s third debate team since 1999 to win the Varsity division of a prestigious tournament hosted by the United States Military Academy on Oct. 20.
Michael Hall is Liberty’s Director of Debate, assisted by John Nagy and Nicholas Ryan. Heather Holter Hall, Cole Bender, and Benjamin Hagwood serve as the team’s assistant coaches.
American Debate Association (ADA) Final Rankings
1. Liberty University
2. George Mason University
3. James Madison University
4. Wake Forest University
5. Vanderbilt University
6. University of Miami (Fla.)
7. Wayne State University
8. Georgetown University
9. John Carroll
10. University of Georgia
Cross Examination Debate Association (CEDA) Final Rankings