Back row: Director Greta Stahl, Head Coach Will Repko, Gus Eyzaguirre, Eric Lanning, Carly Wunderlich, Student Assistant Jimi Durkee, Assistant Coach David Strauss

Front Row: Debbie Lai, Sam Shore, Garrett Abelkop, Ben Mehling, Athena Murray, Assistant Coach Gabe Murillo

The MSU Debate Team finished the season with a strong showing at the National Debate Tournament (NDT) with two teams in the elimination rounds and all three MSU teams winning at least half of their preliminary debates.

MSU was one of only six schools in the country to qualify three teams to attend this year’s NDT, hosted at California State University, Fullerton.  Given its strict qualification criteria, making it to the NDT is considered an honor in and of itself, and the MSU teams of seniors Debbie Lai (Troy, MI) and Athena Murray (Dorr, MI), junior Garrett Abelkop (Alpharetta, GA) and sophomore Carly Wunderlich (Brookfield, WI), and sophomore Gus Eyzaguirre (Salt Lake City, UT) and freshman Eric Lanning (The Woodlands, TX) were proud to represent MSU at this prestigious tournament.

All three teams faced many tough opponents in the preliminary rounds, including first-round qualifiers from Emory University, the University of Southern California, and the University of Kansas.  Nevertheless, all three MSU teams demonstrated their skills and preparation by winning at least half of their preliminary debates.

In addition, both the teams of Abelkop-Wunderlich and Eyzaguirre-Lanning qualified for elimination rounds by having won at least five of their eight preliminary debates.  Abelkop and Wunderlich faced a particularly tough opponent from Dartmouth College – ranked fourth in the country during the regular season – and were unfortunately eliminated from the tournament in the double-octofinals.

Eyzaguirre and Lanning overcame a tough opponent from the University of Texas (Austin) in the first elimination round in order to advance to the octofinals, where they faced a team from Wake Forest University that had entered the tournament ranked seventh in the country.  Although Eyzaguirre and Lanning debated well, Wake Forest emerged the victors.

The strong performances of all four elimination debaters is particularly noteworthy given that they are relatively young compared to much of the field, and that their final opponents – Wake Forest and Dartmouth – finished the tournament as the national champion and runner-up.

MSU would like to congratulate all these excellent debaters.  We look forward to the return of four of these debaters next fall, and would like to congratulate Debbie Lai and Athena Murray on four successful years at Michigan State, and to wish them well in their graduate studies next year!

Freshman Eric Lanning (The Woodlands, TX) and sophomore Gus Eyzaguirre (Salt Lake City, UT)

Junior Garrett Abelkop (Alpharetta, GA) and sophomore Carly Wunderlich (Brookfield, WI)

Seniors Debbie Lai (Troy, MI) and Athena Murray (Dorr, MI)

Eyzaguirre and Lanning listening to a post-round decision

Wunderlich and Abelkop prepping for a debate

Murray and Lai prepping for a debate

Team out to lunch in Fullerton, CA

Eyzaguirre and student assistant Jimi Durkee catch up on sleep on the trip to Fullerton