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Tournament of Champions (debate)
Encyclopedia
The Tournament of Champions is a high school
debate
tournament held annually at the University of Kentucky
on the first weekend of May. It is the most prestigious tournament on the "national circuit," representing some of the most competitively successful debaters from the nation's most prestigious individual debate tournaments. The tournament was founded by J.W. Patterson, former director of debate at the University of Kentucky
.
Since its inception in 1972, the Tournament of Champions has emerged as the premier championship for high school debaters who frequently compete nationally in policy debate
, Lincoln–Douglas debate, public forum debate
, and Student Congress
.
The Tournament of Champions functions as an independent tournament rather than an overarching organization governing high school debate, like the National Forensic League
or National Catholic Forensic League
. As such, the Tournament of Champions does not directly control the dozens of other national tournaments which occur weekly across the United States
. Rather, the Tournament of Champions (or T.O.C.) uses the results of other tournaments to provide the criteria for qualifying to its own event.
at Muskogee Central High School in Oklahoma prior to accepting a position in the Communications
Department at the University of Kentucky
provoked Patterson to consider creating a new national championship
. However, when considering the need for another national championship tournament, he came to the conclusion that the major national tournaments in the early 1970s had three major problems. Patterson explains, "First, debaters overwhelmingly were crying out for flow-sheet judges. Many of them were being trained at institutes to argue before flow judges but most of them said they received very few such judges, either at Catholic or NFL Nationals and almost never at invitational tournaments. Second, both teachers and debaters complained overwhelmingly about the politics involved in high school tournaments. Many said that up to 75% of the time they were either judged by incompetent people or people with a strong political bias.Third, I heard a major complaint from those going to Catholic and NFL Nationals that there was much too much lag time between their district tournaments and NFL". Thus, Patterson created the tournament with the hope that his competition would redress the major flaws with other national championships like those administered by the National Catholic Forensic League
and the National Forensic League
.
In its first competition, the 1972 Tournament of Champions was received by highly regarded policy debate
teams positively. Patterson explains, "The first TOC was received very well. We had teams from coast to coast. As far as I could tell, there were a few qualified teams who refused to come but most did attend. At that time, most people in the know seemed to think that the top two teams in the country were from Toledo, Ohio, and Milwaukee. These two teams met at the TOC as well as the NFL final the same year".
following the 1972 tournament. However, after the first eight tournaments, Patterson recognized that the "national circuit" influence of the tournament required that the event adapt. Consequently, Patterson began to formalize a system of "Tournament of Champions Advisory Committees." Patterson said, "After the first few years, I began to realize the importance of seeking high school coaches’ advice on the TOC. Although it was, and still is, a Kentucky invitational tournament, I obviously recognized the importance coaches and debaters place on the TOC. I, therefore, leaned heavily on coaches advice in helping me keep the TOC as a major culminating event". However, while the influence of the committee in making decisions regarding the administration of the TOC did begin in 1980, official formal committees were not established until 1990.
National Championship in 1980, but was not included in the T.O.C. until 1986. Despite Patterson's efforts to include the event as early as 1983, strong opposition from the Advisory Committee prevented Patterson from adding Lincoln-Douglas.
. However, unlike Lincoln-Douglas Debate
which boasted support by its proponents for inclusion into the Tournament of Champions, Public Forum Debate
faced strong opposition against joining T.O.C. competition from supporters and opponents of the event alike. On one hand, Public Forum structurally was created to rectify the "national circuit" idiosyncrasies like jargon
and the extreme workload necessary to compete effectively that plagued Lincoln-Douglas and, on a greater scale, policy debate
. Thus, as an event meant to be engaging for laypersons and experts on the event alike, the Tournament of Champions, an event celebrating the national circuit culture, seemed incompatible. Despite this argument, Public Forum was included in Tournament of Champions competition in 2004, but took place as a round robin unlike its peer events. In 2007, Public Forum debuted as a full fledged event with a full field and non-round robin pairings. To aid in eliminating the "national circuit" qualities of the competition in Public Forum, the Tournament of Champions utilized lay judges from the University of Kentucky
to adjudicate rounds at the 2008.
Debate was added to the T.O.C. after three years as an independent event
format.
Lincoln-Douglas Debate
debates the January–February National Forensic League topic. Public Forum Debate
debates the April National Forensic League topic. Policy Debate
teams debate that season's national high school topic.
and at other locations in Lexington, Kentucky
near the campus..jpg)
Currently, preliminary rounds of Lincoln-Douglas, Policy, Public Forum, and Congress are held directly at the University of Kentucky
. However, after competition on Saturday and Sunday, the tournament moves to a central location to conduct its annual "Breakfast of Champions" ceremony as well as the elimination rounds. Since the 2007 Tournament of Champions, the final day of competition has taken place in conference rooms at the Downtown Hilton in Lexington, Kentucky
.
, Policy debate
, Public Forum Debate
, or Student Congress
must earn two "bids" at designated qualifying tournaments. "Bids" may be attained by reaching the "bid round" at certain tournaments (for instance, a quarterfinal bid gives bids to the top eight competitors, a finals bid gives bid to the top two competitors), which are given different bid statuses based on the strength, size, and geographic diversity of the tournament. All competitors who have received two bids to the Tournament of Champions may apply using the regular application. Historically, every competitor with at least two bids has been accepted. However, the Tournament of Champions only guarantees that debaters receiving three or more bids will be accepted as it would be mathematically possible for the bid distribution to be so diverse that more debaters with two bids exist than spots available.
In the event that there are fewer than 70 fully qualified entries in an event, the Tournament of Champions then proceeds to admit "at-large applicants." A debater is entitled to consideration as an at-large applicant if he or she has acquired one bid during the season. Following the at-large application process, the T.O.C. Advisory Committee in given the responsibility of ranking the applications, which are then combined to fill the remaining slots for the T.O.C.
AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS
OCTAFINALS
QUARTERFINALS
SEMIFINALS
FINALS
Lincoln Douglas Debate Qualifying Tournaments
OCTAFINALS
QUARTERFINALS
SEMIFINALS
FINALS
Policy Debate Qualifying Tournaments'
(Current as of 2011)
OCTAFINALS
QUARTERFINALS
SEMIFINALS
FINALS
Since 1992, the top speaker in Lincoln Douglas Debate has received the Walter Alan Ulrich award. The perpetual trophy is named in the memory of a past director of debate at Northern Iowa University and member of the TOC Hall of Distinguished Service who helped shape the theory and practice of value debate.
who was killed in a car crash in 1998. The purpose of this award is to recognize a "policy debater who achieves competitive excellence in high school policy debate on the national circuit, and who demonstrates goodness of heart despite the pressures of competition at the highest level." The award is accompanied by a $1000 scholarship and $1000 to donate to the charity of the recipient's choice. Nominations can be submitted by any debater attending the TOC. They are then narrowed to a list of three or four debaters by a selection committee chosen by the Julia Burke foundation. The winner is chosen by a vote of all the attendees and coaches at the TOC.
Past Julia Burke winners
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
debate
Debate
Debate or debating is a method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than logical argument, which only examines consistency from axiom, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case or rhetoric which is a technique of persuasion...
tournament held annually at the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
on the first weekend of May. It is the most prestigious tournament on the "national circuit," representing some of the most competitively successful debaters from the nation's most prestigious individual debate tournaments. The tournament was founded by J.W. Patterson, former director of debate at the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
.
Since its inception in 1972, the Tournament of Champions has emerged as the premier championship for high school debaters who frequently compete nationally in policy debate
Policy debate
Policy debate is a form of speech competition in which teams of two advocate for and against a resolution that typically calls for policy change by the United States federal government or security discourse...
, Lincoln–Douglas debate, public forum debate
Public forum debate
Public forum debate, also known as crossfire debate, PFD , is a style of debate practiced in National Forensic League, Texas Forensics Association, and National Catholic Forensic League competitions....
, and Student Congress
Student Congress
Congressional Debate is a form of high school debate in the United States and Pakistan. The National Forensic League , National Catholic Forensic League , many national debate tournaments, State Forensic Associations, and the IEEE Pakistan Student Congress all offer Congressional Debate as an event...
.
The Tournament of Champions functions as an independent tournament rather than an overarching organization governing high school debate, like the National Forensic League
National Forensic League
The National Forensic League is a non-partisan, non-profit educational honor society established to encourage and motivate American high school students to participate in and become proficient in the forensic arts: debate, public speaking and interpretation. NFL is the America's oldest and largest...
or National Catholic Forensic League
National Catholic Forensic League
The National Catholic Forensic League is a speech and debate league that was formed in 1951. It is organized into regions which correspond to Roman Catholic dioceses. Member schools include both public and parochial high schools. The CFL recruits member schools in both the United States and Canada...
. As such, the Tournament of Champions does not directly control the dozens of other national tournaments which occur weekly across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Rather, the Tournament of Champions (or T.O.C.) uses the results of other tournaments to provide the criteria for qualifying to its own event.
Origins
The Tournament of Champions was developed by J.W. Patterson, who has since performed the duties of tournament host. Patterson explained the idea, "When I became Director of Debate at the University of Kentucky in 1971, I raised the possibility of hosting a high school debate tournament. Thus, I spent several months exploring this possibility. I asked several questions. First, was there a need for another high school tournament and, if so, what kind? What time of year should it be held and how big should it be?". Indeed, Patterson's experience in coaching high school policy debatePolicy debate
Policy debate is a form of speech competition in which teams of two advocate for and against a resolution that typically calls for policy change by the United States federal government or security discourse...
at Muskogee Central High School in Oklahoma prior to accepting a position in the Communications
Communication studies
Communication Studies is an academic field that deals with processes of communication, commonly defined as the sharing of symbols over distances in space and time. Hence, communication studies encompasses a wide range of topics and contexts ranging from face-to-face conversation to speeches to mass...
Department at the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
provoked Patterson to consider creating a new national championship
National championship
A national championship is the top achievement for any sport or contest in a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best team, individual in a particular nation and in a particular field...
. However, when considering the need for another national championship tournament, he came to the conclusion that the major national tournaments in the early 1970s had three major problems. Patterson explains, "First, debaters overwhelmingly were crying out for flow-sheet judges. Many of them were being trained at institutes to argue before flow judges but most of them said they received very few such judges, either at Catholic or NFL Nationals and almost never at invitational tournaments. Second, both teachers and debaters complained overwhelmingly about the politics involved in high school tournaments. Many said that up to 75% of the time they were either judged by incompetent people or people with a strong political bias.Third, I heard a major complaint from those going to Catholic and NFL Nationals that there was much too much lag time between their district tournaments and NFL". Thus, Patterson created the tournament with the hope that his competition would redress the major flaws with other national championships like those administered by the National Catholic Forensic League
National Catholic Forensic League
The National Catholic Forensic League is a speech and debate league that was formed in 1951. It is organized into regions which correspond to Roman Catholic dioceses. Member schools include both public and parochial high schools. The CFL recruits member schools in both the United States and Canada...
and the National Forensic League
National Forensic League
The National Forensic League is a non-partisan, non-profit educational honor society established to encourage and motivate American high school students to participate in and become proficient in the forensic arts: debate, public speaking and interpretation. NFL is the America's oldest and largest...
.
In its first competition, the 1972 Tournament of Champions was received by highly regarded policy debate
Policy debate
Policy debate is a form of speech competition in which teams of two advocate for and against a resolution that typically calls for policy change by the United States federal government or security discourse...
teams positively. Patterson explains, "The first TOC was received very well. We had teams from coast to coast. As far as I could tell, there were a few qualified teams who refused to come but most did attend. At that time, most people in the know seemed to think that the top two teams in the country were from Toledo, Ohio, and Milwaukee. These two teams met at the TOC as well as the NFL final the same year".
Advisory Committee
The Tournament of Champions continued to host the nation's best in policy debatePolicy debate
Policy debate is a form of speech competition in which teams of two advocate for and against a resolution that typically calls for policy change by the United States federal government or security discourse...
following the 1972 tournament. However, after the first eight tournaments, Patterson recognized that the "national circuit" influence of the tournament required that the event adapt. Consequently, Patterson began to formalize a system of "Tournament of Champions Advisory Committees." Patterson said, "After the first few years, I began to realize the importance of seeking high school coaches’ advice on the TOC. Although it was, and still is, a Kentucky invitational tournament, I obviously recognized the importance coaches and debaters place on the TOC. I, therefore, leaned heavily on coaches advice in helping me keep the TOC as a major culminating event". However, while the influence of the committee in making decisions regarding the administration of the TOC did begin in 1980, official formal committees were not established until 1990.
Addition of Lincoln-Douglas Debate
Another major development in the Tournament of Champions' structure was the addition of Lincoln Douglas Debate. "LD" first appeared at the National Forensic LeagueNational Forensic League
The National Forensic League is a non-partisan, non-profit educational honor society established to encourage and motivate American high school students to participate in and become proficient in the forensic arts: debate, public speaking and interpretation. NFL is the America's oldest and largest...
National Championship in 1980, but was not included in the T.O.C. until 1986. Despite Patterson's efforts to include the event as early as 1983, strong opposition from the Advisory Committee prevented Patterson from adding Lincoln-Douglas.
Addition of Public Forum Debate
The next event added to annual Tournament of Champions competition was Public Forum DebatePublic forum debate
Public forum debate, also known as crossfire debate, PFD , is a style of debate practiced in National Forensic League, Texas Forensics Association, and National Catholic Forensic League competitions....
. However, unlike Lincoln-Douglas Debate
Lincoln-Douglas debate
Lincoln–Douglas debate is sometimes also called values debate because it traditionally places a heavy emphasis on logic, ethical values, and philosophy...
which boasted support by its proponents for inclusion into the Tournament of Champions, Public Forum Debate
Public forum debate
Public forum debate, also known as crossfire debate, PFD , is a style of debate practiced in National Forensic League, Texas Forensics Association, and National Catholic Forensic League competitions....
faced strong opposition against joining T.O.C. competition from supporters and opponents of the event alike. On one hand, Public Forum structurally was created to rectify the "national circuit" idiosyncrasies like jargon
Jargon
Jargon is terminology which is especially defined in relationship to a specific activity, profession, group, or event. The philosophe Condillac observed in 1782 that "Every science requires a special language because every science has its own ideas." As a rationalist member of the Enlightenment he...
and the extreme workload necessary to compete effectively that plagued Lincoln-Douglas and, on a greater scale, policy debate
Policy debate
Policy debate is a form of speech competition in which teams of two advocate for and against a resolution that typically calls for policy change by the United States federal government or security discourse...
. Thus, as an event meant to be engaging for laypersons and experts on the event alike, the Tournament of Champions, an event celebrating the national circuit culture, seemed incompatible. Despite this argument, Public Forum was included in Tournament of Champions competition in 2004, but took place as a round robin unlike its peer events. In 2007, Public Forum debuted as a full fledged event with a full field and non-round robin pairings. To aid in eliminating the "national circuit" qualities of the competition in Public Forum, the Tournament of Champions utilized lay judges from the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
to adjudicate rounds at the 2008.
Addition of Congressional Debate
Beginning with the 2004-2005 school year, Student CongressStudent Congress
Congressional Debate is a form of high school debate in the United States and Pakistan. The National Forensic League , National Catholic Forensic League , many national debate tournaments, State Forensic Associations, and the IEEE Pakistan Student Congress all offer Congressional Debate as an event...
Debate was added to the T.O.C. after three years as an independent event
Elimination procedure
In Lincoln-Douglas debate and policy debate, the TOC employs seven preliminary rounds and clears to octafinals. All entries with a 5-2 record have the opportunity to advance into the outrounds; as such, when more than sixteen entries have at least a 5-2 record, the Tournament of Champions holds the appropriate number of run-off rounds to determine which of the lower-seeded debaters will advance. For the first three years of its existence, the Public Forum division of the TOC was conducted in a Round RobinRound-robin tournament
A round-robin tournament is a competition "in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn".-Terminology:...
format.
Lincoln-Douglas Debate
Lincoln-Douglas debate
Lincoln–Douglas debate is sometimes also called values debate because it traditionally places a heavy emphasis on logic, ethical values, and philosophy...
debates the January–February National Forensic League topic. Public Forum Debate
Public forum debate
Public forum debate, also known as crossfire debate, PFD , is a style of debate practiced in National Forensic League, Texas Forensics Association, and National Catholic Forensic League competitions....
debates the April National Forensic League topic. Policy Debate
Policy debate
Policy debate is a form of speech competition in which teams of two advocate for and against a resolution that typically calls for policy change by the United States federal government or security discourse...
teams debate that season's national high school topic.
Location
Since its inception, the Tournament of Champions has been held on the campus of the University of KentuckyUniversity of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
and at other locations in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
near the campus.
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
. However, after competition on Saturday and Sunday, the tournament moves to a central location to conduct its annual "Breakfast of Champions" ceremony as well as the elimination rounds. Since the 2007 Tournament of Champions, the final day of competition has taken place in conference rooms at the Downtown Hilton in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
.
Tournament of Champions Qualifying Tournaments
In order to qualify to the Tournament of Champions, competitors in Lincoln-Douglas DebateLincoln-Douglas debate
Lincoln–Douglas debate is sometimes also called values debate because it traditionally places a heavy emphasis on logic, ethical values, and philosophy...
, Policy debate
Policy debate
Policy debate is a form of speech competition in which teams of two advocate for and against a resolution that typically calls for policy change by the United States federal government or security discourse...
, Public Forum Debate
Public forum debate
Public forum debate, also known as crossfire debate, PFD , is a style of debate practiced in National Forensic League, Texas Forensics Association, and National Catholic Forensic League competitions....
, or Student Congress
Student Congress
Congressional Debate is a form of high school debate in the United States and Pakistan. The National Forensic League , National Catholic Forensic League , many national debate tournaments, State Forensic Associations, and the IEEE Pakistan Student Congress all offer Congressional Debate as an event...
must earn two "bids" at designated qualifying tournaments. "Bids" may be attained by reaching the "bid round" at certain tournaments (for instance, a quarterfinal bid gives bids to the top eight competitors, a finals bid gives bid to the top two competitors), which are given different bid statuses based on the strength, size, and geographic diversity of the tournament. All competitors who have received two bids to the Tournament of Champions may apply using the regular application. Historically, every competitor with at least two bids has been accepted. However, the Tournament of Champions only guarantees that debaters receiving three or more bids will be accepted as it would be mathematically possible for the bid distribution to be so diverse that more debaters with two bids exist than spots available.
In the event that there are fewer than 70 fully qualified entries in an event, the Tournament of Champions then proceeds to admit "at-large applicants." A debater is entitled to consideration as an at-large applicant if he or she has acquired one bid during the season. Following the at-large application process, the T.O.C. Advisory Committee in given the responsibility of ranking the applications, which are then combined to fill the remaining slots for the T.O.C.
2010-2011 Qualifying Tournaments
Public Forum Debate Qualifying TournamentsAUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS
- 2010 TOC Octofinalist
- 2010 NFL Nationals Octofinalist
- 2010 NCFL Nationals Octofinalist
OCTAFINALS
- Apple Valley (MN)
- Berkeley (CA)
- Dowling Catholic (IA)
- Emory (GA)
- Florida Blue Key (FL)
- Glenbrooks (IL)
- Harvard (MA)
- Myers Park (NC)
- Princeton (NJ)
- Stanford (CA)
- Yale (CT)
QUARTERFINALS
- Alta (UT)
- Arizona State (AZ)
- Bronx Science (NY)
- Columbia (NY)
- Desert Vista (AZ)
- Pine Crest (FL)
- George Mason (VA)
- Golden Desert (NV)
- James Logan (CA)
- Lexington (MA)
- Manchester-By-The-Sea (MA)
- University of Pennsylvania (PA)
- Villager (PA)
- Wake Forest (NC)
SEMIFINALS
- Harker (CA)
- Hudson (NY)
- La Costa Canyon (CA)
- Lincoln-East (NE)
- Nova Titan (FL)
- Ohio Valley (KY)
- St. Mark's School of Texas (TX)
- University School Sunvitational (FL)
- Valley (IA)
- Victory Briefs (Archer) (CA)
FINALS
- Blake (MN)
- Cheyenne East (WY)
- Freemont (NE)
- Grapevine (TX)
- Indianola (IA)
- Lincoln-Southwest (NE)
- Mountain Brook's (AL)
- Millard West (NE)
- Ridge (NJ)
- Scarsdale (NY)
- Springfield Parkview (MO)
- Topeka (KS)
- Whitman (WA)
Lincoln Douglas Debate Qualifying Tournaments
OCTAFINALS
- Apple Valley (MN)
- Berkeley (CA)
- Bronx Science (NY)
- Emory (GA)
- Glenbrooks (IL)
- Greenhill (TX)
- Harvard (MA)
- St. Mark's School of Texas(TX)
- Victory Briefs (Archer) (CA)
QUARTERFINALS
- Alta (UT)
- Blake (MN)
- Pine Crest (FL)
- Lexington (MA)
- Meadows (NV)
- Stanford (CA)
- Valley (IA)
- Yale (CT)
SEMIFINALS
- College Prep (CA)
- Columbia (NY)
- Dowling Catholic (IA)
- Golden Desert (NV)
- Grapevine (TX)
- Harker (CA)
- Hendrick Hudson (NY)
- Iowa Caucus (IA)
- Ohio Valley (KY)
- UT (TX)
- Wake Forest (NC)
FINALS
- Colleyville Heritage (TX)
- Desert Vista (AZ)
- Federal Way (WA)
- Florida Blue Key (FL)
- Harvard-Westlake (CA)
- Houston-Memorial (TX)
- Isidore Newman (LA)
- Monticello (NY)
- Newark (NJ)
- Omaha Westside (NE)
- Princeton (NJ)
- Saint James (AL)
- Scarsdale (NY)
- University of Southern California (CA)
- University of Puget Sound (WA)
- Vestavia Hills (AL)
- Whitman (WA)
- Winston Churchill (TX)
Policy Debate Qualifying Tournaments'
(Current as of 2011)
OCTAFINALS
- Berkeley (CA)
- Blake (MN)
- Emory UniversityEmory UniversityEmory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
(GA) - Glenbrooks (IL)
- Greenhill School (TX)
- Harvard UniversityHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
(MA) - Montgomery Bell AcademyMontgomery Bell AcademyMontgomery Bell Academy is a preparatory day school for boys in grades 7 through 12 in Nashville, Tennessee.The school ideal is "Gentleman, Scholar, Athlete." Montgomery Bell Academy is noted for a large number of National Merit and other scholarship winners...
(TN) - St. Mark's School of Texas(TX)
- University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
(MI)
QUARTERFINALS
- Alta (UT)
- Georgetown Day (DC)
- Golden Desert (NV)
- Grapevine (TX)
- Lexington (MA)
- New Trier (IL)
- Ohio Valley (KY)
- Stanford (CA)
- University of Southern California (CA)
- University of Texas at Austin (TX)
- Wake Forest University (NC)
SEMIFINALS
- Bronx Science (NY)
- Colleyville (TX)
- Dowling Catholic (IA)
- University of Georgia (GA)
- Gonzaga (WA)
- Houston-Memorial (TX)
- Iowa Caucus (IA)
- Kansas City Community College (KS)
- Lakeland (NY)
- Meadows (NV)
- Valley (IA)
FINALS
- Arizona (AZ)
- Auburn (WA)
- Florida Blue Key (FL)
- Fullerton (CA)
- La Costa Canyon (CA)
- Long Beach (CA)
- Omaha-Westside (NE)
- Pennsbury (PA)
- Samford University (AL)
- Vestavia Hills (AL)
- Tournament of Champions (KY)
- Whitman College (WA)
Past Policy Debate Championship champions and runners up
- 1972 Marquette University High SchoolMarquette University High SchoolMarquette University High School is a private, all-male, Jesuit, Roman Catholic school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and is a member of both the National Catholic Educational Association and the Jesuit...
- Jeff Clark & Mark Foley; Marquette University High SchoolMarquette University High SchoolMarquette University High School is a private, all-male, Jesuit, Roman Catholic school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and is a member of both the National Catholic Educational Association and the Jesuit...
- Mark Miner & David Dries - 1973 Hillsboro - Mary Thomson & Kather Zickert; Upper Arlington - Peter Koeniz & Doug Dougherty
- 1974 Walter Panas - Denise Gilbert & Larry Falkin; Wilkinsburg - John Tumazos & David Snowball
- 1975 Cardinal Spellman - Leo Gagion & John Bredehoft; Lakeland - Amy Davidoff & Virginia Raymond
- 1976 Cardinal Spellman - Leo Gagion & John Bredehoft; Soquel - Ron Aitken & Jeff Lorenzen
- 1977 Lake Forest (IL) - Karen Albrecht & Hugh Abrams; Robinson - Michael Laurence & Shelly Coleman
- 1978 Walter Panas - Donna Gilbert & Patrick O'Neill; Bronx High School of ScienceBronx High School of ScienceThe Bronx High School of Science is a specialized New York City public high school often considered the premier science magnet school in the United States. Founded in 1938, it is now located in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx...
(NY) - Eric Raps & Matthew Mandell - 1979 Bronx High School of ScienceBronx High School of ScienceThe Bronx High School of Science is a specialized New York City public high school often considered the premier science magnet school in the United States. Founded in 1938, it is now located in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx...
(NY) - Andrew Berman & Herschel Goldfield; Marquette University High SchoolMarquette University High SchoolMarquette University High School is a private, all-male, Jesuit, Roman Catholic school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and is a member of both the National Catholic Educational Association and the Jesuit...
- Jim Boehner & John Barrett - 1980 Glenbrook North (IL) - Jeff Wagner & Brad Malis; Bronx High School of ScienceBronx High School of ScienceThe Bronx High School of Science is a specialized New York City public high school often considered the premier science magnet school in the United States. Founded in 1938, it is now located in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx...
(NY) - Stuart Weich & Andrew Berman - 1981 Glenbrook South (IL) - Jeffrey Wortman & Mark Koulogeorge; Firestone - Alan Gerber & Steve Dist
- 1982 Oak Park & River Forest (IL) - Todd Martin & Eric Brackett; Glenbrook North (IL) - Peter Braverman & Ken Karas
- 1983 Oak Park & River Forest (IL) - Macklin Trimnell & C.V. Doherty ;Creighton Prep - Wally Mullin & Don Erftmier, Jr.
- 1984 Lake Braddock - Shaun Martin & Mike Green; New Trier (IL) - Laura Michaelis & Moria McDermott
- 1985 Lake Braddock - Joe Pettit & Mike Green; Marquette University High SchoolMarquette University High SchoolMarquette University High School is a private, all-male, Jesuit, Roman Catholic school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and is a member of both the National Catholic Educational Association and the Jesuit...
- Ed Lynch & Kevin Roe - 1986 Albany - Peter Gross & Andrew Schrank; Bishop GuertinBishop Guertin High SchoolBishop Guertin is a college preparatory private Roman Catholic high school in Nashua, New Hampshire. It was founded by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart in 1963. The school is located off Exit 4 of the F. E...
(NH) - Pete Klamka & Tim Pramas - 1987 Manchester - Sarah Gannett & Zach Leber; Stuyvesant (NY) - Hanna RosinHanna Rosin-Career:Hanna Rosin is a co-founder of DoubleX, a women's site connected to the online magazine Slate. She is also a writer for The Atlantic. She has written for the Washington Post, The New Yorker, GQ and New York after beginning her career as a staff writer for The New Republic. Rosin has also...
& David Coleman - 1988 Downers Grove SouthDowners Grove SouthDowners Grove South High School, or DGS, is a public four-year high school located at the corner of Dunham Road and 63rd Street in Downers Grove, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Community High School District 99, which also includes Downers Grove...
(IL) - Karrie Schwartz & Bill Fick; Bronx High School of ScienceBronx High School of ScienceThe Bronx High School of Science is a specialized New York City public high school often considered the premier science magnet school in the United States. Founded in 1938, it is now located in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx...
(NY) - Josh Brumberg & Noah Millman - 1989 St. Mark's School of Texas (TX) - Steven Sklaver & Jack Stroubie; Richmond Kennedy - Colin Kahl & Todd Cort
- 1990 Oak Park & River Forest (IL) - Eric Truett & Brian Ruder; Harvard School - Ara Lovitt & Ahilan Arulanantham
- 1991 Omaha Westside (NE) - Paul Skiermont & Jason Patil; Georgetown Day SchoolGeorgetown Day SchoolGeorgetown Day School is a pre-K-12 private preparatory school in Washington, D.C..-History:GDS was founded in 1945 as the first integrated school in the District of Columbia.-Academics:...
(DC) - Dan Nexon & Rebecca Tushnet - 1992 Edgemont (NY) - Jason Feldman & Derek Schaffer; Albuquerque Academy (NM) - Jeremy Pena & Mark Kutny
- 1993 Isidore Newman SchoolIsidore Newman SchoolIsidore Newman School is a private, nondenominational, co-educational college preparatory school located on an campus in the Uptown section of New Orleans, Louisiana.-History:...
(LA) - Ben Norwood & Taavi Reiss; Brookfield CentralBrookfield Central High SchoolBrookfield Central High School is a comprehensive public secondary school located in the city of Brookfield, Wisconsin. It is a sister school to Brookfield East High School, also located in Brookfield. The high school is administered by the Elmbrook School District, which operates nine schools in...
(WI) - David Frank & Joshua Heling - 1994 Lexington (MA) - Li-Cheng Wang & Steve Lehotsky; Edgemont (NY) - Sanket Bulsara & Chris Lennon
- 1995 Niles West (IL) - Armands Revelins & George Kouros; Lexington (MA) - Steve Lehotsky & Matt Nichols
- 1996 Glenbrook North (IL) - Larry Heftman & Adam Hurder; Katy-TaylorJames E. Taylor High SchoolJames E. Taylor High School, also known as Katy Taylor High School, is a public high school in Harris County, Texas, in the city of Katy. The school, which serves grades 9 through 12, is part of Katy Independent School District...
(TX)- Jeff McNabb & Kim Sikora - 1997 Caddo Magnet (LA) - Andy Ryan & Kamal Ghali; Greenhill (TX) - Josh Goldberg & Rashad HussainRashad HussainRashad Hussain , is an American attorney, and U.S. Special Envoy to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation , an intergovernmental group with 57 member states. Hussain, a Muslim of Indian heritage, has served in the White House Counsel's Office, and in his role as Envoy, has advised the...
- 1998 Glenbrook South (IL) - Adam Goldstein & Todd Fine; Greenhill (TX) - Caitlin Talmadge & Andrew Bradt
- 1999: Montgomery Bell AcademyMontgomery Bell AcademyMontgomery Bell Academy is a preparatory day school for boys in grades 7 through 12 in Nashville, Tennessee.The school ideal is "Gentleman, Scholar, Athlete." Montgomery Bell Academy is noted for a large number of National Merit and other scholarship winners...
(TN) - Raja Gaddipati/Robbie Quinn; Lexington (MA) - Josh Lynn & Yoni Cohen - 2000: Greenhill School (TX) - Asher Haig/Jordan Pietzsch; Centerville (OH) - Caleb Liang & Henry Liu
- 2001: Glenbrook North (IL) - Michael Klinger/Stacey Nathan; Woodward Academy (GA) - Avery Dale and Peter Miller
- 2002: Pace AcademyPace AcademyPace Academy is a K-12 college preparatory private school, located at 966 West Paces Ferry Road in the Buckhead area of Atlanta, Georgia. Pace has approximately 1040 students.-History:...
(GA) - Bob Allen/Brian Smith; St. Mark's School of Texas (TX) Josh Branson/Michael Martin - 2003: The College Preparatory SchoolThe College Preparatory SchoolThe school's strict academics and small size have translated into an admissions rate lower than many American colleges and universities. In turn many students from College Prep go on to study at America's top universities, and approximately one-third of each graduating class matriculates into Ivy...
(CA) - Michael Burshteyn/Eli Anders; Greenhill School (TX) - Maggie Ahn & Saad Hussain - 2004: Glenbrook North (IL) - Jake Ziering/Michael Rosecrans; College Preparatory School (CA) - Michael Burshteyn/Eli Anders
- 2005: The Westminster SchoolsThe Westminster SchoolsThe Westminster Schools is a private school in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1951 and tracing its origins to 1878, Westminster has the largest endowment of any non-boarding school in the United States...
(GA) - Anusha Deshpande/Stephen Weil; Chattahoochee (GA) - Garrett Abelkop/John Warden - 2006: Greenhill School (TX) - Mathew Andrews/Stephen Polley; Glenbrook South (IL) - Abe Corrigan/Mima Lazarevic
- 2007: Glenbrook North (IL) - Matt Fisher/Stephanie Spies; The Westminster SchoolsThe Westminster SchoolsThe Westminster Schools is a private school in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1951 and tracing its origins to 1878, Westminster has the largest endowment of any non-boarding school in the United States...
(GA) - Stephen Weil/Sanjena Anshu Sathian - 2008: Greenhill School (TX) - Nicholas Rogan and Olivia Rogan; Colleyville Heritage(TX) - James Hamraie and Evan Defillipis
- 2009: The Westminster SchoolsThe Westminster SchoolsThe Westminster Schools is a private school in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1951 and tracing its origins to 1878, Westminster has the largest endowment of any non-boarding school in the United States...
(GA) - Sanjena Anshu Sathian/Rajesh Jegadeesh; Bellarmine College Prep (CA) - Will Rafey/Sagar Vijay - 2010: The Westminster SchoolsThe Westminster SchoolsThe Westminster Schools is a private school in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1951 and tracing its origins to 1878, Westminster has the largest endowment of any non-boarding school in the United States...
(GA) - Ellis Allen/Daniel Taylor; St. Mark's School of TexasSt. Mark's School of TexasThe St. Mark's School of Texas is a nonsectarian preparatory day school for boys located in Preston Hollow, Dallas, Texas, USA. The School offers grades 1–12.-History:...
(TX) - Alex Miles/Rishee Batra - 2011: The Westminster SchoolsThe Westminster SchoolsThe Westminster Schools is a private school in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1951 and tracing its origins to 1878, Westminster has the largest endowment of any non-boarding school in the United States...
(GA) - Ellis Allen/Daniel Taylor; Lexington (MA) - Arjun Vellayappan/Tyler Engler
Past Policy Debate Top Speakers
- 1972: Marquette University High SchoolMarquette University High SchoolMarquette University High School is a private, all-male, Jesuit, Roman Catholic school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and is a member of both the National Catholic Educational Association and the Jesuit...
- Jeff Clark, Mark Foley - 1973: Hillsboro - Mary Thompson
- 1974: Woodson - Dave Ottoson
- 1975: Cardinal Spellman - John Bredehoft
- 1976: Soquel - Jeff Lorenzen
- 1977: Lakeland - Patrick Finegan
- 1978: Soquel - Sandra Seville-Jones
- 1979: Bronx High School of ScienceBronx High School of ScienceThe Bronx High School of Science is a specialized New York City public high school often considered the premier science magnet school in the United States. Founded in 1938, it is now located in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx...
- Herschel Goldfield - 1980: University of Detroit - Kevin O'Shea
- 1981: Maine East - Lenny Gail
- 1982: Bronx Science - Erik Jaffe
- 1983: Montgomery Bell AcademyMontgomery Bell AcademyMontgomery Bell Academy is a preparatory day school for boys in grades 7 through 12 in Nashville, Tennessee.The school ideal is "Gentleman, Scholar, Athlete." Montgomery Bell Academy is noted for a large number of National Merit and other scholarship winners...
- Lyn Robbins - 1984: Bronx High School of ScienceBronx High School of ScienceThe Bronx High School of Science is a specialized New York City public high school often considered the premier science magnet school in the United States. Founded in 1938, it is now located in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx...
- Stuart Rabin - 1985: Lake Braddock - Mike Green
- 1986: Lexington - Jonathan Bines
- 1987: Churchill - Michael Tomz
- 1988: Bronx High School of ScienceBronx High School of ScienceThe Bronx High School of Science is a specialized New York City public high school often considered the premier science magnet school in the United States. Founded in 1938, it is now located in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx...
- Noah Millman - 1989: Detroit Catholic Central - Omar Guevara
- 1990: The Kinkaid SchoolThe Kinkaid SchoolThe Kinkaid School is a K-12 non-sectarian school in Piney Point Village, Texas, United States.The Kinkaid School is the oldest independent coeducational school in the Houston, Texas area . The student body is divided into the Lower School , the Middle School and the Upper School...
- Jon Brody - 1991: Jefferson Science - Stephen Andrews
- 1992: Pace Academy - Sinan Aral
- 1993: Brookfield CentralBrookfield Central High SchoolBrookfield Central High School is a comprehensive public secondary school located in the city of Brookfield, Wisconsin. It is a sister school to Brookfield East High School, also located in Brookfield. The high school is administered by the Elmbrook School District, which operates nine schools in...
- Joshua Heling - 1994: Martin Luther King - Dan Fitzmier
- 1995: Lexington - Steve Lehotsky
- 1996: Greenhill - Dustin Marshall
- 1997: Grapevine - David Harkin
- 1998: East Grand Rapids - Geoff Lundeen
- 1999: Head Royce - Jake Foster
- 2000: Pace Academy - Ben Thorpe
- 2001: St. Thomas Academy - Scott Phillips
- 2002: Glenbrook North - Reuben Schy
- 2003: Colleyville Heritage - Justin Murray
- 2004: Colleyville Heritage - Jason Murray
- 2005: Montgomery Bell AcademyMontgomery Bell AcademyMontgomery Bell Academy is a preparatory day school for boys in grades 7 through 12 in Nashville, Tennessee.The school ideal is "Gentleman, Scholar, Athlete." Montgomery Bell Academy is noted for a large number of National Merit and other scholarship winners...
- Tripp Rebrovick - 2006: Glenbrook North - Matt Fisher
- 2007: The Westminster SchoolsThe Westminster SchoolsThe Westminster Schools is a private school in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1951 and tracing its origins to 1878, Westminster has the largest endowment of any non-boarding school in the United States...
- Stephen Weil - 2008: Stratford Academy - William Karlson
- 2009: New Trier High SchoolNew Trier High SchoolNew Trier High School is a public four-year high school , with its major campus located in Winnetka, Illinois, USA, and a second campus in Northfield, Illinois, with freshman classes and district administration...
- Ross Gordon - 2010: Carrollton School of the Sacred HeartCarrollton School of the Sacred HeartCarrollton School of the Sacred Heart is a Catholic college preparatory day school for girls founded in 1961 in the neighborhood of Coconut Grove in Miami, Florida...
- Anna Dimitrijevic - 2011: The Beacon SchoolThe Beacon SchoolThe Beacon School is a formerly alternative assessment, now "performance-based assessment" public high school on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, near Lincoln Center and Columbus Circle. The initial founding of Beacon in 1993 was intended as an alternative to the Regents Exam-based testing system...
- Damiyr Davis
Past LD Debate Championship champions and Runner Ups
- 1986: Hee-Sun Hong - The Bronx High School of ScienceBronx High School of ScienceThe Bronx High School of Science is a specialized New York City public high school often considered the premier science magnet school in the United States. Founded in 1938, it is now located in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx...
(NY) ; Greg Hewett - Jenks High School (OK) - 1987: Scott Tucker - Twin Lakes High School (FL) ; Craig Tinsky - Miami Palmetto High School (FL)
- 1988: Jonathan Koppell and Peter Colavito - The Bronx High School of ScienceBronx High School of ScienceThe Bronx High School of Science is a specialized New York City public high school often considered the premier science magnet school in the United States. Founded in 1938, it is now located in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx...
(NY) - Close-out - 1989: David Kennedy - Regis High School (NY)Regis High School (New York City)Regis High School is a private Jesuit university-preparatory school for academically gifted Roman Catholic young men located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Annual class enrollment is limited to approximately 135 male students from the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut tri-state area...
; Amy Forsee - Homewood High School - 1990: Chris Kellner - Tampa Jesuit High School (FL) ; Arthur Chu - Albuquerque Academy (NM)
- 1991: Jeff Marcus - Miami Palmetto High School (FL) ; Bill Harrington - Regis High School (NY)
- 1992: Michael Erickson - La Cueva High School (NM);Jason Baldwin - Vestavia Hills High SchoolVestavia Hills High SchoolVestavia Hills High School , founded in 1970, is a public high school in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham. Part of the Vestavia Hills School System, the high school is known for the success of its band, math, debate, "We the People" Team, Economics Challenge Team, American football,...
(AL) - 1993: Jason Baldwin - Vestavia Hills High SchoolVestavia Hills High SchoolVestavia Hills High School , founded in 1970, is a public high school in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham. Part of the Vestavia Hills School System, the high school is known for the success of its band, math, debate, "We the People" Team, Economics Challenge Team, American football,...
(AL) ; Carlos Gonzales - Christopher Columbus High School (FL) - 1994: Ann Miura - Palo Alto High School (CA) ; Claire Carman - Vestavia Hills High School (AL)
- 1995: Greg Goldfarb - Miami Palmetto High School (FL) ; Tyrenda Williams - Vestavia Hills High School (AL)
- 1996: Courtney Balentine - Valley High School (IA) ; David Singh - Apple Valley High School (MN)
- 1997: Hetal Doshi - Vestavia Hills High SchoolVestavia Hills High SchoolVestavia Hills High School , founded in 1970, is a public high school in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham. Part of the Vestavia Hills School System, the high school is known for the success of its band, math, debate, "We the People" Team, Economics Challenge Team, American football,...
(AL) ; Brian Fletcher - Valley High School (IA) - 1998: Ari Simon - Valley High School (IA); Anna Manasco - St. James School (AL)
- 1999: Tom Zimpleman - Valley High School (IA); Ben Davison - Vestavia Hills High School (AL)
- 2000: Seamus Donovan - Edmond North High School (OK); James Scott - Katy High School (TX)
- 2001: Tom Pryor - Hopkins High School (MN); Tommy Clancy - Westwood High School (TX)
- 2002: Jenn Larson - Millard West High School (NE); Kelsey Olson - Apple Valley High School (MN)
- 2003: Andrew Garvin - Mission San Jose High SchoolMission San Jose High SchoolMission San Jose High School , is a public, co-educational, four-year secondary school founded in 1964 and located in the Mission San Jose district of Fremont, California, United States...
(CA); Tom Evnen - Lincoln Southeast High School (NE) - 2004: John McNeil - Edina High SchoolEdina High SchoolEdina High School is a three-year public high school located in Edina, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. The school was founded in 1949 and is the main high school in the Edina School District....
(MN); Tim Hogan - Apple Valley High School (MN) - 2005: David Wolfish - Greenhill School (TX); Hirsh Jain - Mission San Jose (CA)
- 2006: Stephen Hess - Mountain View High SchoolMountain View High School (Mountain View, California)Mountain View High School , one of three Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District public high schools, is located in at 3535 Truman Avenue, Mountain View, California, 94040. Mountain View High School serves a diverse student body of over 1750 students from the cities of Mountain View, Los...
(CA); David Weeks, Highland Park High School (TX) - 2007: Patrick Diehl - Lynbrook High SchoolLynbrook High SchoolLynbrook High School is a co-educational, public, four-year secondary school located in the West San Jose neighborhood of San Jose, California, USA...
(CA); David McGough - Greenhill School (TX) - 2008: Chris Theis - Apple Valley High SchoolApple Valley High School (Minnesota)Apple Valley High School, commonly referred to as AVHS, is a public four-year high school in Apple Valley, Minnesota. It is a part of Independent School District 196 . It is also affiliated with the Minnesota State High School League...
(MN); Becca Traber Kinkaid HS (TX) - 2009: Chris Theis - Apple Valley High SchoolApple Valley High School (Minnesota)Apple Valley High School, commonly referred to as AVHS, is a public four-year high school in Apple Valley, Minnesota. It is a part of Independent School District 196 . It is also affiliated with the Minnesota State High School League...
(MN); Daniel Moerner, Mountain View / Los Altos (CA) - 2010: Catherine Tarsney - St. Louis Park High School (MN); Ross Brown, Valley High School (IA)
- 2011: Larry Liu and Jeffrey Liu - Indian Springs SchoolIndian Springs SchoolIndian Springs School is a private school that includes grades eight through twelve with both boarding and day students. It is at the base of Oak Mountain, in Indian Springs Village, Shelby County, Alabama, United States, near Pelham and just outside Birmingham.-History:Indian Springs School was...
(AL) - Close-out
Past Lincoln Douglas Debate Top Speakers
Since 1992, the top speaker in Lincoln Douglas Debate has received the Walter Alan Ulrich award. The perpetual trophy is named in the memory of a past director of debate at Northern Iowa University and member of the TOC Hall of Distinguished Service who helped shape the theory and practice of value debate.
- 1992: Josh Sheptow - South Plantation High SchoolSouth Plantation High SchoolSouth Plantation High School, also known locally as simply "South" , is a four-year, public high school located in Plantation, a large suburb of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in the United States....
(FL) - 1993: Jason Baldwin - Vestavia Hills High SchoolVestavia Hills High SchoolVestavia Hills High School , founded in 1970, is a public high school in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham. Part of the Vestavia Hills School System, the high school is known for the success of its band, math, debate, "We the People" Team, Economics Challenge Team, American football,...
(AL) - 1995: Jonathan Carr - Saint James School (AL)
- 1996: Jonathan Carr - Saint James School (AL)
- 1997: Hetal Doshi - Vestavia Hills High SchoolVestavia Hills High SchoolVestavia Hills High School , founded in 1970, is a public high school in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham. Part of the Vestavia Hills School System, the high school is known for the success of its band, math, debate, "We the People" Team, Economics Challenge Team, American football,...
(AL) - 1998: Alex Gomez - Miami Palmetto High School (FL)
- 1999: Tom Zimpleman - Valley High School (IA)
- 2000: Noah Grabowitz - Hendrick Hudson High School (NY)
- 2001: Tom Pryor - Hopkins High SchoolHopkins High SchoolHopkins High School is a public high school located in Minnetonka, Minnesota, a southwestern suburb of Minneapolis. It offers classes for grades 10, 11, and 12. Hopkins High School is part of the Hopkins School District 270 and draws students from the city of Hopkins, central and eastern parts of...
(MN) - 2002: Josh Anderson - Sehome High SchoolSehome High SchoolSehome High School is a public school in Bellingham, Washington, located approximately north of Seattle and south of Vancouver, B.C.. The school serves students mainly from the western and southwestern sections of the City of Bellingham and is a part of the Bellingham School...
(WA) - 2003: Satyan Gajwani - Miami Palmetto High School (FL)
- 2004: Eric Palmer - Howland High School (OH)
- 2005: David Wolfish - Greenhill School (TX)
- 2006: Jacob Levi - Berkeley Carroll (NY)
- 2007: Patrick Diehl - Lynbrook High School (CA)
- 2008: Daniel Moerner - Los Altos High School (Los Altos, California)Los Altos High School (Los Altos, California)Los Altos High School, established in 1954, is a public school located in the affluent Silicon Valley suburb of Los Altos, California. It has generally demonstrated a high level of academic achievement...
(CA) - 2009: Jake Nebel - Trinity Preparatory School (FL)
- 2010: Pat Donovan - Glenbrook North High School (IL)
- 2011: Dylan Scher - Berkeley Carroll School (NY)
Past Student Congress Debate Champions and Runner Ups
- 2002: Kristen Soltis - Cypress Creek (FL)
- 2003: Josh Swartsel - Lake Highland Prep (FL)
- 2004: Matt Turetzky - Nova High School (FL)
- 2005: Matt Cynamon - Nova High School (FL)
- 2006: Cameron Secord - Brookwood High School (GA); Jared Sonnenklar - Western High School (FL)
- 2007: Michael Educate - Lake Forest High School (IL); Herschel Patel - Myers Park High School (NC)
- 2008: Ben Berkman - Nova High School (FL); Kevin Eaton - Duncanville High School (TX)
- 2009: Joseph Perretta - Christopher Columbus High School (FL); Robert Colonel - Winter Springs HS (FL)
- 2010: Alex Smyk - Ridge High School (NJ); Anna Tsiotsias - Nova High School (FL)
- 2011: Rylan Schaeffer - Mountain View High School (CA)
Past PF Debate Championship champions and runners up
- 2004: Jay M. Robinson HS (NC) - Erin Lopez/Jordan Myers; Nova HS (FL) - Alexandra Wall/Natalia Rigol
- 2005: Albuquerque Academy (NM) - Hollie Putnam/Heather Campbell; Torrey Pines (CA) - Eric Carino/Ian Hampton
- 2006: Manchester-Essex (MA) - James Pates/Dan Cellucci; Manchester-Essex (MA) - Ross Cowman/Ryan Swanzey (Co-Champions)
- 2007: Lexington (MA) - Chrissy Kugel/Garth Goldwater (commonly referred to as "Team Scorpion"); Durham Academy (NC) - Patrick Toomey/Katherine Buse
- 2008: North Allegheny (PA) - Naz El-Khatib/Claire Kairys; The Collegiate SchoolThe Collegiate SchoolCollegiate School is an independent school for boys in New York City and is one of the oldest schools in the United States. It is located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and is a member of both the New York Interschool and the Ivy Preparatory School League.-History:Collegiate was founded in the...
(NY) - Charles Giardina/Jonathan Yip - 2009: Harker School (CA) - Kelsey Hilbrich/Kaavya Gowda; Walt Whitman High SchoolWalt Whitman High SchoolWalt Whitman High School is a public secondary institution serving roughly the western part of Bethesda--an unincorporated suburban area of Washington, DC, in Montgomery County, Maryland. The school is named in honor of the American poet. It is fed into by Thomas W. Pyle Middle School.-History:The...
(MD) - Alex Edelman/Aaron Schifrin - 2010: George Washington High School (CO) - Gabe Rusk/Brendan Patrick; Ridge High School (NJ) - Brian Moore/Tejus Pradeep
- 2011: The Harker School (CA) - Aakash Jagadeesh/Frederic Enea ; Lake Highland Preparatory SchoolLake Highland Preparatory SchoolLake Highland Preparatory School is a private school in Orlando, Florida that was founded in 1970. It is the largest private school in Orlando. Lake Highland Preparatory School is a Pre-K through 12, coeducational, private, day school situated on a campus on Lake Highland in the heart of Orlando...
(FL) - Grant Sinnot/Jake Bayer
Past Public Forum Debate Top Speakers
- 2010: Zaki Aizaz - Desert Vista High School (AZ)
- 2011: David Walchak - New Trier High School (IL)
Julia Burke award
The Julia Burke Award is presented each year, in memory of Julia Burke, a debater at The College Preparatory SchoolThe College Preparatory School
The school's strict academics and small size have translated into an admissions rate lower than many American colleges and universities. In turn many students from College Prep go on to study at America's top universities, and approximately one-third of each graduating class matriculates into Ivy...
who was killed in a car crash in 1998. The purpose of this award is to recognize a "policy debater who achieves competitive excellence in high school policy debate on the national circuit, and who demonstrates goodness of heart despite the pressures of competition at the highest level." The award is accompanied by a $1000 scholarship and $1000 to donate to the charity of the recipient's choice. Nominations can be submitted by any debater attending the TOC. They are then narrowed to a list of three or four debaters by a selection committee chosen by the Julia Burke foundation. The winner is chosen by a vote of all the attendees and coaches at the TOC.
Past Julia Burke winners
- 2000: Centerville - Henry Liu
- 2001: Blake - Maggie Berthiaume
- 2002: Marquette University High SchoolMarquette University High SchoolMarquette University High School is a private, all-male, Jesuit, Roman Catholic school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and is a member of both the National Catholic Educational Association and the Jesuit...
- Manav Bhatnagar - 2003: Tampa Prep - Noah Chestnut
- 2004: Glenbrook North - Michael Rosecrans
- 2005: Glenbrook South - Elizabeth Kim
- 2006: Lexington - Will Sears
- 2007: Centerville - Eli Jacobs
- 2008: Colleyville - James Hamraie
- 2009: Bishop Guertin - Katryna Cadle
- 2010: Whitney Young - Misael Gonzalez
- 2011: Damien - Nadeem Farooqi
Coaches Hall of Fame
The coaches inducted into the Tournament of Champions Coaches Hall of Fame are selected from those program directors who have given of their time and energies in helping to maintain the high competitive standards of the TOC and whose students have distinguished themselves in competition at the TOC. This award, awarded irregularly, does not necessarily mean "Coach of the Year."- 1983: Phyllis Barton - Princeton High SchoolPrinceton High School (Sharonville, Ohio)Princeton High School is a public, co-educational comprehensive high school located in Sharonville, Ohio, Hamilton County, in the state of Ohio.Princeton High School serves grades nine through twelve...
(OH) - 1984: Richard B. Sodikow - Bronx High School of ScienceBronx High School of ScienceThe Bronx High School of Science is a specialized New York City public high school often considered the premier science magnet school in the United States. Founded in 1938, it is now located in the Bedford Park section of the Bronx...
(NY) - 1985: Ted Belch - Glenbrook North High SchoolGlenbrook North High SchoolGlenbrook North High School, or GBN, is a public four-year high school located in Northbrook, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States...
(IL) - 1986: Billy Tate - Montgomery Bell AcademyMontgomery Bell AcademyMontgomery Bell Academy is a preparatory day school for boys in grades 7 through 12 in Nashville, Tennessee.The school ideal is "Gentleman, Scholar, Athlete." Montgomery Bell Academy is noted for a large number of National Merit and other scholarship winners...
(TN) - 1987: Vicki Drinnon - Lake Braddock Secondary School (VA)
- 1992: Jeffrey Wortman - Glenbrook North High SchoolGlenbrook North High SchoolGlenbrook North High School, or GBN, is a public four-year high school located in Northbrook, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States...
(IL) - 1993: Paul Newman - The Kinkaid School (TX)
- 1993: Alex Pritchard - Greenhill School (TX)
- 1993: Eric Di Michele - Regis High School (New York City)Regis High School (New York City)Regis High School is a private Jesuit university-preparatory school for academically gifted Roman Catholic young men located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Annual class enrollment is limited to approximately 135 male students from the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut tri-state area...
(NY) - 1994: Daryl Fisher - Isidore Newman SchoolIsidore Newman SchoolIsidore Newman School is a private, nondenominational, co-educational college preparatory school located on an campus in the Uptown section of New Orleans, Louisiana.-History:...
(LA) - 1997: Marilee Dukes - Vestavia Hills High School (AL)
- 1998: Tim Averill - Manchester High School (MA)
- 2001: Les Phillips - Lexington High School (MA)
- 2003: Matt Whipple - Glenbrook South High SchoolGlenbrook South High SchoolGlenbrook South High School, or GBS, is a public four-year high school located in Glenview, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Northfield Township High School District, which also includes Glenbrook North High School...
(IL) - 2004: David Baker - St. Mark's School, Dallas (TX)
- 2005: Pam Cady Wycoff - Apple Valley High School (MN)
- 2006: Dr. David Glass - Edgemont High School (NY)
- 2008: Aaron Timmons - Greenhill School (TX)
- 2009: Marie Dzuris - Centerville High SchoolCenterville High School (Centerville, Ohio)Centerville High School is a public school of secondary education for grades 9–12 located in Centerville, Ohio, situated ten miles south of Dayton...
(OH)
Tournament of Champions in popular culture
- The Tournament of Champions was both a prominent subject and setting for the 2007 HBO documentaryDocumentary filmDocumentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
ResolvedResolved (film)Resolved is a 2007 documentary concerning the world of high school policy debate. The film was written and directed by Greg Whiteley of New York Doll fame.. The film captured the "Audience Award" title at its debut on June 23, 2007 at the Los Angeles Film Festival. The film was produced by One...
. Director Greg Whiteley initially followed the Policy debatePolicy debatePolicy debate is a form of speech competition in which teams of two advocate for and against a resolution that typically calls for policy change by the United States federal government or security discourse...
team of Sam Iola and Matt Andrews of Highland Park High SchoolHighland Park High School (University Park, Texas)Highland Park High School is located in University Park, Texas.Highland Park is a part of the Highland Park Independent School District. It serves all of the city of University Park, most of the town of Highland Park, and portions of Dallas.-History:...
throughout their season until their loss in semifinals of the 2005 Tournament of Champions. After the defeat, Whiteley focuses the film's attention on the pursuit of qualifying to the tournament by the Long Beach Jordan team, which presents a kritikKritikIn policy debate , a kritik is generally a type of argument that challenges a certain mindset, assumption, or discursive element that exists within the advocacy of the opposing team, often from the perspective of...
in an attempt to be successful and reform debate practices. While the film shifts focus to the Long Beach Jordan pair, it still makes mention near the end of the film that Matt Andrews (then with Greenhill School) won the 2006 TOC without losing a ballot, taking first place with a ballot record of 22-0 (the second team to do so, Pace AcademyPace AcademyPace Academy is a K-12 college preparatory private school, located at 966 West Paces Ferry Road in the Buckhead area of Atlanta, Georgia. Pace has approximately 1040 students.-History:...
(Allen/Smith) being the first in 2002).
See also
- Lincoln Douglas Debate
- Policy DebatePolicy debatePolicy debate is a form of speech competition in which teams of two advocate for and against a resolution that typically calls for policy change by the United States federal government or security discourse...
- Public Forum DebatePublic forum debatePublic forum debate, also known as crossfire debate, PFD , is a style of debate practiced in National Forensic League, Texas Forensics Association, and National Catholic Forensic League competitions....
- Student CongressStudent CongressCongressional Debate is a form of high school debate in the United States and Pakistan. The National Forensic League , National Catholic Forensic League , many national debate tournaments, State Forensic Associations, and the IEEE Pakistan Student Congress all offer Congressional Debate as an event...