KU News Release

KU debaters win West Georgia tournament and cash in

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas debate team of Brett Bricker, Wichita senior, and Nate Johnson, Manhattan senior, were undefeated in 11 debates and won first place at the West Georgia Debate Tournament held Jan. 17-19 at the University of West Georgia campus in Carrollton.

The tournament was sponsored by the Atlanta, Ga., law firm Adorno and Yoss, which awarded a $1,000 scholarship to the winning team. Bricker won an additional $1,000 award for being the top individual debater at the tournament and Johnson won a $700 award as the fourth-place individual debater.

“Brett and Nate were phenomenal in rolling through an excellent field of teams,” said KU debate coach Scott Harris.

Other universities competing at the tournament included Dartmouth College, Emory University, University of Florida, George Washington University, University of Georgia, University of Kentucky, Macalester College, University of Michigan, Missouri State University, Northwestern University, University of North Texas, University of Oklahoma, University of Richmond, Samford University, Towson University, Vanderbilt University and Wake Forest University.

Bricker, a mathematics major, is the son of Gary and Norma Bricker and a graduate of Wichita High School Southeast. Johnson, who is majoring in philosophy, political science and psychology, is the son of Ron and Betty Johnson and a graduate of Manhattan High School.

During the KU winter recess, Bricker and Johnson took third place out of 76 teams from all over the country with a 9-1 record at a Jan. 7-9 tournament at hosted by California State University at Fullerton. On Jan. 24-25, they will be competing at a Dartmouth tournament, an invitational event for the top teams in the country. Others invited to Dartmouth are teams from University of California-Berkeley, Dartmouth, Emory, Harvard, Northwestern and Wake Forest.

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