MSU Debate had two teams in the Sweet 16 at the Franklin R. Shirley Classic hosted by Wake Forest University this past weekend. The Wake Forest University Tournament is the largest tournament of the fall semester with over 180 teams entered across three divisions.
Teams competing at the tournament debated seven preliminary rounds on the season-long resolution about decarbonization before the top 32 teams were seeded into a single-elimination bracket. 
Tony Miklovis, an International Relations and Social Relations and Policy senior in the Honors College, and Blaine Montford, a Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy sophomore in the Honors College, defeated teams from Emory University, the University of California – Berkeley, Baylor University, the University of Kansas, and Wake Forest University in the preliminary debates.
In the double octafinals (Round of 32), Miklovis and Montford defeated a team from New York University before narrowly being bested in the Sweet 16 by a team from Northwestern University.
Joanna Gusis, a Statistics and Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy junior in the Honors College, and Stephen Lewis, a Social Relations and Policy sophomore, defeated teams from Georgetown University, Dartmouth College, Macalester College, and the University of Kansas in preliminary debates.
Gusis and Lewis defeated a team from the University of Southern California in the double octafinals before being knocked out the tournament by a team from the University of Michigan.
“The team had a great showing at the Wake [Forest University] tournament,” said Will Repko, MSU Debate Head Coach. “Having two teams in the Sweet 16 is exciting but, almost more importantly, the students were debating well and defeating good teams along the way.”
The Wake tournament is the third time this season Gusis and Lewis have been in the Sweet 16 at a major intercollegiate open tournament and, earlier this season, Miklovis and Montford reached the Sweet 16 at the University of Kentucky Tournament.
“We’ve been in other Sweet 16 rounds this season but this is the largest tournament of the fall semester so all of the best teams are competing. You have to be prepared and on your game to succeed,” said Repko.
MSU was also represented at the tournament by Arielle Gearring, a Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy junior, Zaria Jarman, a Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy sophomore, Ephraim Bennett, a Computer Science senior, Glen Scully, a Computer Science junior, Omar Ansari, a Computer Science freshman in the Honors College, and Aadit Agrahara, a Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy senior.
The MSU Debate team is part of the Honors College.