The Great Bend High School debate team brought home nine awards from the Dodge City Boot Hill Invitational on Saturday. In the novice speaking awards division, Sylvia Ofoma placed third, dropping only two speaker points from a perfect speaking record of five total speaker points. Marissa Hoisington placed first with six speaking points dropping only one speaker point from a perfect record. These students won two of the three awards in this division out of 34 students.

In the novice division team awards Ofoma and Erica Schwager placed fourth with a 4-1 win-loss record and 22 speaker points. Hoisington and Brittany Krieger placed second with a 4-1 win-loss record and 19 speaker points.

"In my second tournament, I was definitely more confident," said Hoisington, "and we can only continue to get better."

In the open division team records, second-year debater Alex Smith and first-year or novice debater Courtney Seever placed third with a 4-1 win-loss record and 19 speaker points against many third- and fourth-year varsity debaters.

"I had a lot of fun competing in my first open tournament and placing third overall," Seever said. "It was a great chance to hear more complicated cases and arguments."

Overall, the GBHS Debate Team placed first in sweepstakes. The open team of Sawyer Borror and Chase Pumford had a 3-2 win-loss record and placed ninth and the novice team of Logan Boyd and Morgan Moyd had a 2-3 win-loss record also which contributed greatly to the sweepstakes win. GBHS Debate Coach Barbara Watson said, "I am extremely pleased with my debate team this year. They started out incredibly strong and have kept up the momentum, enthusiasm, hard work and dedication to continue to be successful. With their attitude I am confident their success will continue throughout the season."