Eight Ellinwood High School Debaters represented EHS at the 321A 2-Speaker State Debate Championships held at Tonganoxie High School on Jan. 11-12.  The eight students paired into four 2-Speaker teams, which marked the first time EHS qualified the maximum of four teams for the tournament.
Two of Ellinwood’s pairs advanced to the quarterfinal round of the tournament. Seniors Connor Birzer and Jenna Snell posted a 5 win-1 loss record in the preliminary rounds, making them the #1 seed entering quarterfinals. Sophomore Shiani Hughes and junior Rachel Schloctermeier also advanced to quarterfinals with a 4-2 record.  
Both teams were eliminated after quarterfinals but earned 4th place medals for their finish. This also marked the first time in school history that two pairs placed in the top 8 at the state tournament. The students are coached by Julie Ann Jacobs and Angela Petersen.  The team begins forensics season at Kingman on January 26.