The Great Bend High School Debate Team traveled to Wichita East high school and competed at the Sunflower Novice State Championship Tournament on Jan. 4-5. Two teams from the squad qualified to State and competed against 123 teams. GBHS teams competed in the 10th-12th grade division. The sophomore team of Jordan Otten and Kameko Schultz barely missed qualifying into the elimination rounds by a couple of quality points, but they tied with the other schools in the elimination brackets on win-loss records. “Being able to argue with people as a sport and almost qualifying to elimination rounds is a big honor and I will never forget my experience as a Novice,” Schultz stated. The sophomore team of Sarah Keller and Mallorie McNett also qualified to the Novice State Tournament and competed in the 10th-12th grade division. “I really enjoyed this tournament. It was a good experience,” Keller said. There is one more debate tournament this year, which is the Varsity State Debate Tournament. The two teams that qualified are excited to compete this weekend on Jan. 11-12 and make Great Bend proud. McNett said, “It was an honor to qualify and compete with all of these people. It was so much fun and interesting.” The squad will be emptying out their debate boxes and will begin writing their speeches or the because Forensics season that is just right around the corner.