The Sterling College Debate Team traveled to Muncie, Ind., to take another top-ten title with sophomore Gage Brookman forging new ground at the National Forensic Association Lincoln-Douglas Debate National Tournament. Brookman, of Hutchinson, finished third, marking the first time a Sterling College student has broken into the Elite Eight. The team took sixth place in Debate Sweepstakes, the school’s second highest finish to date.
“The team has really been a no-nonsense, drama-free group that really rally around one another. It was incredible to have such individual and team success. Gage really stepped it up after day one of the tournament, finishing days two and three undefeated to really give the SC team a needed boost,” said Ken Troyer, debate coach for Sterling College.
At the 2015 NFA National Tournament, Brookman tied for ninth individually in Lincoln-Douglas Debate with Sterling College’s Brandon Hoesli ‘15.
Contributing to Sterling’s sixth place team finish was senior Cody Campbell of Buckeye, Ariz.; freshman Amanda Del Toro of Manhattan; sophomore Bryce Harner of Hutchinson; and senior Darren Kootz-Eades of Great Bend.
Eighty schools qualified for the national tournament where Sterling College placed sixth. Some of the well-known debate teams that the College competed against include Western Kentucky University, Central Michigan University, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Texas State University, Ohio State University, Missouri State University, the University of the Pacific and many more. This is Sterling College’s seventh year in the top-25 nationally.