For the fifth consecutive year, the Great Bend High School debate team has qualified for the Kansas State High School Activities Association 5A State Debate Championship. The Panthers earned their state berth by finishing runner-up at the four-speaker Regional Debate Tournament held Saturday, Dec. 20, in Salina.
A four-speaker tournament differs from traditional debate competitions, where students debate both sides of the resolution, explained GBHS debate coach Kim Heath. In the four-speaker format, each school fields a team of four debaters. Two of the debaters compete on the affirmative side and two debate only the negative side of the resolution. Individual records are then combined to determine the team’s overall standing.
“The four-speaker format really emphasizes depth, preparation, and teamwork,” Heath said. “Each debater has a very specific role, and everyone’s performance matters.” It is much more of a squad effort than any other type of debate competition.
The regional tournament was conducted in a round-robin format. Both Great Bend and Topeka Seaman finished the day with identical 6–2 records, but Topeka Seaman captured one additional ballot, securing the regional championship and edging Great Bend into the runner-up position.
Leading the Panthers on the affirmative side were freshmen Ethan Harrington and Jaaziel Hernandez, who went undefeated throughout the tournament. Sophomore Mark Sperlein and junior Hunter McClanahan represented GBHS on the negative side, defeating all opponents except the affirmative teams from Topeka Seaman and Shawnee Heights. Freshmen Holly Ann Luttrell and Nevaeh Nagel served as alternates, while senior Zachary Hart provided research support for the squad.
Heath praised the entire team’s preparation leading up to the event. “The fact that our younger debaters stepped up and earned spots on the regional lineup says a lot about the future of Panther debate,” she said. “At the same time, this was absolutely a team effort. Other debaters contributed research on current events, helped refine arguments, and provided practice rounds that were critical to our success.”
Heath also credited assistant coach Pamela Williams for the team’s continued momentum. “With Dan and I recovering from a car accident, Ms. Williams has stepped up in a tremendous way,” Heath said. “She kept the team motivated, organized, and focused on improving together. Her leadership made a real difference.”
Three 5A regional tournaments were held across Kansas last weekend, with the top three teams from each advancing to the State Tournament in January. The 5A and 6A State Debate Championships will be held Jan. 15-17 at the University of Kansas. Great Bend will compete against Topeka Seaman, Shawnee Heights, Goddard Eisenhower, Hutchinson, Newton, St. James Academy, Sumner Academy and Blue Valley Southwest.
In addition to the four-speaker team, three two-speaker teams will also represent GBHS at the state tournament. The teams of Rhys Froetschner and Diana Stoddard, Zach Hart and Parker Coleman, and Kendra Schneideman and Ella Nokes all qualified earlier in the season.
“The state tournament marks the end of a long and demanding season,” Heath said. “Beyond wins and losses, our students have gained a deep understanding of U.S. leadership, global politics, and how federal policy is shaped through this year’s Arctic topic.”
Coleman and Hart Named First Alternates for Policy Debate Nationals
Parker Coleman and Zachary Hart competed at the West Kansas National Speech and Debate Association District Tournament held Dec. 12-13 in Hays. The duo advanced to the final round before falling to Hutchinson, one of the district’s national qualifying teams. As a result, Coleman and Hart were named first alternates for the National Speech and Debate Association Policy Debate Tournament.
“This was a huge accomplishment,” Heath said. “Reaching the final round at districts shows how competitive Parker and Zach are and the work they have put in to improving.”
The national tournament will be held this summer in Richmond, Va. Additional opportunities to qualify for national competition will be available later in the spring, particularly in speech events.
Panther Debaters place second at Clay Center Invitational
Great Bend debaters also brought home second-place sweepstakes honors at the Clay Center Debate Invitational on Saturday, Dec. 6.
Freshman Ethan Harrington and sophomore Ella Nokes went undefeated, winning all four rounds to claim the Junior Varsity championship. Jaaziel Hernandez and Aubrey Lewis placed sixth in Junior Varsity, followed closely by Mark Sperlein and RJ Calvert in seventh. In the novice division, Holly Ann Luttrell and Nevaeh Nagel earned a third-place finish. Hunter McClanahan, Tyler Scheuerman, Parker Coleman, and Zachary Hart rounded out the sweepstakes team in the varsity division.
The debaters are currently enjoying a holiday break and will return to competition in January for Novice State on Jan. 9-10, followed by the KSHSAA State Debate Tournament on Jan. 15-17.
