Published on October 26, 2021 by Sean Flynt  
Young Debaters
Back (L-R): Grace Scott, Hank Jackson, Ryan Galloway, Abi McKibben. Front (L-R): Grace Blackwell, Libby Hutchinson

Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s freshman and sophomore debaters earned several honors at the Â鶹ÊÓƵ of Mary Washington tournament Oct. 16-17.

The team of Grace Blackwell and Abi McKibben placed second at the tournament, defeating teams from the Â鶹ÊÓƵ of Houston, James Madison Â鶹ÊÓƵ and West Virginia Â鶹ÊÓƵ.  Blackwell was named 5th speaker and McKibben was named 7th speaker. 

The team of Libby Hutchinson and Hank Jackson advanced to the sweet 16 of the tournament, defeating teams from West Virginia Â鶹ÊÓƵ, the Â鶹ÊÓƵ of Rochester and Emory Â鶹ÊÓƵ. Jackson was named 13th speaker.

The team of Abby Montgomery and Grace Scott defeated teams from the Â鶹ÊÓƵ of Houston and West Virginia Â鶹ÊÓƵ.

Samford’s debate team has risen to 7th in the national rankings of the Cross-Examination Debate Association. “The tournament shows that we have a strong foundation for success,” said director of debate Ryan Galloway. “With our young teams doing so well, Samford debate should have a bright future ahead.”

Samford debaters will next compete at Wayne State Â鶹ÊÓƵ before closing out the fall season at Wake Forest Â鶹ÊÓƵ.

 
Located in the Homewood suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford enrolls 6,324 students from 44 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford is widely recognized as having one of the most beautiful campuses in America, featuring rolling hills, meticulously maintained grounds and Georgian-Colonial architecture. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and boasts one of the highest scores in the nation for its 97% Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.