2022-23 Season
The team finished strong at the IPDA National Championship Tournament hosted by Boise State University taking home several sweepstakes awards, including third place season long sweeps and third place national tournament sweeps.
Novice Division:
Brittin Perdue--2nd place debater and 4th place speaker
Guillermo Hoffmann Meyer--4th place debater and 5th place speaker
JV Division:
Lindsay Culpepper--3rd place debater and 5th place speaker
Claire Green--4th place debater
Maggie Phillips--7th place debater
Tanner Marlow--2nd place speaker
Pro Division:
Devin Hutchins--7th place debater and 2nd place speaker
Luke Chaney--3rd place debater
Varsity Division:
Mia Robertson--1st place debater and 1st place speaker
The Speech team took the biggest group to AFA National Tournament to date.
Matteo Mauro--qualified in After Dinner Speaking
Kyla Hunter and Vineeth Vanga--qualified in Extemporaneous Speaking
Nyla Jones--qualified in Poetry
Amari Cooper--qualified in POI
Alysia Moore--qualified in both Poetry and POI
2021-22 Season
Debate: 119 awards (20 for 1st place); ranked 2nd out of 92 schools
Speech: 15 awards (2 for 1st place); three national qualifications
Seven MSU debaters finished ranked in the top ten nationally in their respective events, including five season-long national championships.
Mia Robertson--third consecutive year as season-long national champion, claiming the Varsity division title; Varsity and Team Debate top speaker, marking the first time in history any debater in the nation has swept all four national championship awards for which they are potentially eligible
Lindsay Culpepper--season-long Novice National Champion title
Robertson and Tyler--Team National Champions
Matteo Mauro--qualified and participated in AFA National Tournament
2020-21 Season
Debate: 80 awards (11 for 1st place) Speech: 21 awards (6 for 1st place)
Debate was ranked 3rd out of 147 schools Speech had five national qualifications
Mia Robertson rose above 93 other debaters in the varsity division of the tournament to become National Champion. Robertson also won the IPDA season-long national championship, awarded to the debater with the best overall record for the year, outpacing more than 300 varsity debaters nationwide and making her one of only a few debaters ever to win both championships in a single year.
Tyler Melvin was the third ranked varsity debater in the nation for the season. Several other MSU debaters ranked in the top 10 in their respective divisions. MSU was named the nation’s third best debate program for the season—competing with more than 130 schools—and placed third overall at the IPDA National Tournament.
Cheryl Chambers was named SFC Coach of the Year.
2019-20 Season
2019-2020
Debate: 71 awards (5 for 1st place) Speech: 23 awards (6 for 1st place)
Debate was ranked 8th out of 128 schools Speech had three national qualifications
Mia Robertson was named overall season-long national champion in her the Junior Varsity division out of 305 qualified debaters from 84 schools. Additionally, she was named 5th place speaker. Tyler Melvin was awarded 5th place in Junior Varsity and 7th place speaker. The team was 2nd place Junior Varsity Squad. Josh McCoy and Alicia Brown were named 5th place in TIPDA. Overall, MSU ranked eighth in the country out of 128 schools, marking the speech and debate council’s highest final ranking in its five years of existence.
Mia Robertson qualified for the AFA National Tournament, the NFA National Tournament and the International Oratory Contest in Persuasive Speaking. She also advanced in the National Speech Virtual Experience.
Dawn Jackson qualified for the NFA National Tournament in Informative Speaking and Impromptu Speaking. She also advanced in the National Speech Virtual Experience.
Delaney Reed qualified for the AFA National Tournament and the NFA National Tournament in Poetry Interpretation.
Cheryl Chambers was named MSU’s Student Organization Advisor of the Year.
2018-19 Season
2018-2019
Debate: 91 awards (13 for 1st place) Speech: 32 awards (15 for 1st place)
Debate was ranked 7th out of 141 schools Speech had two national qualifications
MSU was named Midwest Debate Association's Outstanding Non-Midwestern Program
Out of 138 debate programs, MSU was 4th in Novice Squad, 6th in TIPDA Squad, 10th in Professional Squad, and overall 6th in the nation. Additionally, the team had multiple individual season long awards, listed below.
Tyler Melvin placed 3rd in Novice (out of 520 individuals) and was 10th place speaker. Luke Acuff placed 10th in Junior Varsity and was 2nd place speaker. In TIPDA, Acuff/Spanos placed 8th and Brown/McCoy 10th.
Maggie Bridges qualified for and competed at the 41st American Forensics Association National Individual Events Tournament in 4 events. Additionally, she qualified for and competed at National Forensics Association National Championship Tournament in 4 events. Quarter-finalist in After Dinner Speaking out of 154 contestants. Finally she qualified for and competed in the 143th Interstate Oratorical Contest.
2017-18 Season
Debate: 48 awards (13 for 1st place) Speech: 25 awards (1 for 1st place)
Debate was ranked 9th out of 125 schools
2016-17 Season
Debate: 42 awards (6 for 1st place)
Speech: 2 awards
2015-2016
Debate: 16 awards (2 for 1st place)
Speech: 4 awards