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Great Bend Panther Debate Team shines in recent tournaments
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McPherson: Back Row: Chrisangel Adame, Lea Nokes, Theo Hopkinson-Smith, Analeah Ochs, Chanler Riley, Zachary Hart, Madison Drewel, Dominik Zimmerman. Second Row: Kaitlyn Froetschner, Milena Carbajal, Jordan Ochs, Trista Riley, Kendra Scheideman, Hunter McClanahan, Caroline Vandenburg, Keaton Kruckenberg. Front Row: Rhys Froetschner, Quinton Heath.

The Great Bend High School Debate Team has had impressive performances in a series of tournaments over the past several weeks. These talented young debaters have showcased their determination and skill, securing top positions and gaining valuable experience along the way, said Coach Kim Heath.


McPherson Tournament 

The recent string of successes began at the McPherson Tournament on Sept. 23, where the Great Bend Panther Debate Team secured the 3rd place sweepstakes trophy.

In the Junior Varsity Division, the Sophomore duo of Rhys Froetschner and Quinton Heath dominated the competition, emerging as champions with four wins and only one loss. Their exceptional skills and teamwork earned them a well-deserved victory.

Caroline Vandenberg and Keaton Kruckenberg also delivered an impressive performance in the Junior Varsity Division, finishing with a commendable 4-1 record, which secured them a 5th place position.

In the Varsity Division, Chrisangel Adame and Lea Nokes fought hard, winning two rounds and facing three losses. Milena Carbajal and Zachary Hart had a similar performance, with two wins and three losses. Analeah Ochs, Chanler Riley, and Theo Hopkinson-Smith finished the day with one win and four losses.

The Novice Division showcased the talents of Dominik Zimmerman and Madison Drewel, who achieved an impressive 4-1 record and secured a 6th place finish. Also in Novice, Freshmen Kaitlyn Froetschner and Kendra Scheideman, along with Trista Riley and Jordan Ochs, faced tough competition and gained valuable experience, finishing with one win and four losses each.


Halstead Tournament 

The team continued to impress at the Halstead Tournament on Sept. 30. In the Varsity  Division, Juniors Darcy Feist and Reese King accumulated three wins and two losses. Freshman Kyra Lewis and Sophomore Ailey Williams competed in Open and won one of their five rounds.

The Novice Division was equally competitive with Freshmen Rey Portillo and Hunter McClanahan earning two wins and facing three losses. Another Freshman team made up of Dominik Zimmerman and Madison Drewel had three wins and two losses.


Kinsley Novice Night 

At the Kinsley Novice Night on Oct. 5, the team continued to shine. 

Freshmen Trason Stevens and Hunter McClanahan faced stiff competition with three losses. However, Kaitlyn Froetschner and Sheridan Johnson stole the spotlight with a flawless performance, winning all three rounds and finishing in 2nd place after a speaker point tiebreaker. Junior Brandon Morgan and Freshman Parker Coleman demonstrated their capabilities with two wins and one loss.


Wichita South East and Hays Tournaments 

The Great Bend Panther Debate team took a break from competition on Saturday, Oct. 7, to host a tournament for 12 area schools. But the team was immediately back on the road the next Saturday for not one, but two competitions.  

The Panther Varsity team traveled to compete at a sizable tournament at Wichita South East. The senior team of Milena Carbajal and Thomas Henrikson and the team of Lea Nokes and Ellie Damm both had a record of 2 wins and 2 losses for the day.  

Also on Oct. 14, a different group of Panthers debated at Hays. Hays recently reestablished their debate program and had not hosted a tournament for several years.  GBHS won the second-place sweepstakes trophy. Freshmen Brinley Creamer and Mila Shives placed 2nd in the Novice Division, winning four rounds and losing one. Freshmen Trista Riley and Jordan Ochs placed 9th with a 3-2 record. In the Open Division, Analeah Ochs and Chanler Riley won three of the five rounds and placed 4th.


Hoisington Tournament 

At the Hoisington Cardinal Nest Debate tournament on Oct. 21, the varsity debaters led the Panthers to a 2nd Place Sweepstakes finish. McPherson took the top spot with Great Bend only one win behind first place. In the Open division, Darcy Feist and Milena Carbajal placed 2nd, and Tommy Henrikson and Chrisangel Adame finished fourth. Both varsity teams had four wins and one loss. In Junior Varsity, freshmen Dominik Zimmerman and Kyra Lewis earned 2nd place with a 4-1 win/loss record, while Quinton Heath and Rhys Froetschner secured 5th place. Finally, in the novice division, Brandon Morgan and Kaitlyn Froetschner took 6th place. Also earning points for the Panthers were Reese King, Kendra Scheideman, Keaton Kruckenberg, Hunter McClanahan and Rey Portillo.

With these recent victories and consistently strong showings, the Great Bend Panthers Debate Team will compete with a small team at the DeSoto tournament next weekend and will be back in full force for the Boot Hill Invitational in Dodge City in November.