Students from Rice Speech and Debate competed this past weekend, March 25-27 in the National Parliamentary Debate Association 2022 National Championship tournament. After a difficult year of virtual competition, the team once again came out on top, winning its second national championship in as many years.
Senior Jacob Tate and Sophomore Maximus Renteria reached the final round and won by a 6-3 vote, giving them 1st Place in the tournament and making them the NPDA 2022 National Champions in Varsity Debate!
Additionally, Jacob Tate was awarded 4th Place Overall Debate Speaker and was selected for the 2022 NPDA All-American Team. The All-American award recognizes academic excellence, competitive success, and community service for outstanding seniors in the debate community.
Seniors Kia Witt and Alina Zhu also capped off a distinguished college debate career as Octafinalists in Varsity Debate, winning five preliminary debates and their double-octafinal debate as well. Known for their out-of-the-box thinking and uniquely insightful arguments, these seniors overcame tremendous challenges to debate half of their college careers virtually during the pandemic and represented Rice with incomparable excellence.
The team also brought home team awards listed below.
- Season Open (Varsity) Division: 4th Place
- Overall Season Sweepstakes: 5th Place
- Tournament Sweepstakes: 6th Place
This continues an elite record for Rice’s debaters. Rice won the sweepstakes (squad) national championship last year, and has placed debate teams in a national championship final round in 3 of the last 4 years.
Additional results from earlier in the Spring 2022 semester as well as remaining national events for Rice’s competitors in Speech will be announced soon!