KU News Release

Debater March Madness sends KU to four national championship tournaments

LAWRENCE — University of Kansas debaters kicked off their version of March Madness by taking first place at two national tournaments. Teams from KU also will participate in two upcoming championship tournaments.

KU won first place at the Freshman/Sophomore Nationals held March 7-9 at Michigan State University in East Lansing. KU debaters also won first at the National Junior Division Debate Tournament held March 14-16 at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park. These two tournaments were open to students in their first or second year of intercollegiate debate competition regardless of academic level.

Brothers Patrick and Sean Kennedy, both Leawood sophomores, won the freshman/sophomore championship by defeating a team from Georgetown University in the finals, Wake Forest University in the semifinals and Michigan State in the quarterfinals. A second KU team, Mathew Peterson, Wichita junior, and Mark Wilkins, Topeka sophomore, took third place, losing to Georgetown in the semifinals.

The KU debate squad followed up that win with its second consecutive National Junior Division Debate Tournament championship. Two KU teams advanced to the finals to tie for first place at the tournament. Patrick Kennedy and Peterson went 12-0 over three days of competition culminating in a victory over Kansas State University in the semifinals. Wilkins and Andrew Jack, Lawrence and Manhattan junior, went 11-1, defeating the University of Minnesota in the other semifinal. The victory over Minnesota avenged their only loss from earlier in the tournament.

For the 42nd consecutive year, KU has qualified for the National Debate Tournament championships scheduled for March 26-31 at the University of Texas-Austin. The National Debate Tournament requires teams to qualify, similar to the NCAA basketball tournament.

KU will send two teams this year. Brett Bricker, Wichita senior, and Nate Johnson, Manhattan senior, were automatic qualifiers as one of the top 16 individual teams in the United States. Sean Kennedy and Dylan Quigley, Wichita junior, earned their qualification through a district tournament Feb. 27-March 1 at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. They defeated a team from Kansas State University to earn their berth at nationals.

Two KU teams will travel March 21-24 to Idaho State University in Pocatello for the national Cross-Examination Debate Association championship: the Jack-Wilkins team and the team of Patrick Kennedy and Erum Shah, Overland Park senior.

KU debaters are under the direction of Scott Harris, now in his 18th year as debate coach.

Debate team members are listed below by hometown, year in school, major, parents’ names and high school.

DOUGLAS COUNTY
From Lawrence 66049 and Manhattan
Andrew Jack, junior in chemical engineering, son of Steven Jack of Lawrence and Pamela Jack of Manhattan; Manhattan High School.

JOHNSON COUNTY
From Leawood 66206
Patrick Kennedy, sophomore in engineering, son of Chris and Joan Kennedy; Shawnee Mission East High School.

Sean Kennedy, sophomore in linguistics, son of Chris and Joan Kennedy; Shawnee Mission East High School.

From Overland Park 66224
Erum Shah, senior in political science, daughter of Pir and Saieda Shah; Blue Valley Northwest High School.

RILEY COUNTY
From Manhattan 66502
Nate Johnson, senior in philosophy, political science and psychology, son of Ron and Betty Johnson; Manhattan High School.

From Manhattan 66503 and Lawrence
Andrew Jack. See DOUGLAS COUNTY

SEDGWICK COUNTY
From Wichita 67206
Brett Bricker, senior in mathematics, son of Gary and Norma Bricker; Wichita High School Southeast.

From Wichita 67208 and 67218
Dylan Quigley, junior in philosophy, son of Tim Quigley (67218) and Trix Niemberger (67208); Wichita High School East.

From Wichita 67218
Mathew Petersen, junior in economics, son of Laura Peterson-Miller and Virgil Miller; Wichita High School East.

SHAWNEE COUNTY
From Topeka 66604 and 66610
Mark Wilkins, sophomore in political science, son of Brent Wilkins (66610) and Janis Hinkle (66604); Washburn Rural High School.

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The University of Kansas is a major comprehensive research and teaching university. University Relations is the central public relations office for KU's Lawrence campus.