The University of  Central Missouri’s Talking Mules speech and debate team recently returned from a tournament in Hutchinson, Kan., with the first place Debate Swing Championship, according to a press release.
Team President Matt Gilmore said, “What a great result! Everyone contributed to our team’s success. We swept NPDA and did extremely well in Lincoln Douglas.”
Highlights from the weekend included Matt Gilmore and David Rogers,  first place; Derek Pritchett and Ethan Putman, second place; and the team of Kaila Todd and Jeff May, third place, in the Open NPDA Debate Division.
In the Novice NPDA Debate Division, Kaci Culp and Sam Crosby earned first place, and the team of Josh Dineen and Wes Herman finished in second place. Alyssa Clifton and Samantha Begley placed first and second speakers respectively in the Novice Division of Parliamentary Debate.
Gilmore placed first in Lincoln-Douglas debate, and Pritchett was a semi-finalist. May broke both days in Lincoln Douglas and was a semifinalist. Putman was named the top Lincoln Douglas speaker, and freshman Kaci Kulp placed fourth in Novice Impromptu Speaking in her first collegiate tournament. David Rogers placed fourth in extemporaneous speaking.
“I was extremely proud of our team,” said Jack Rogers, UCM director of forensics. “They worked hard. It was a very tough tournament for a season opener, but they proved they could handle the competition.”