Indiana Debate’s team performance at Wake Forest University is a testament to the program’s overall drive,  resilience, and commitment to progress.

In a field of over 340 competitors, the Hoosiers brought nine undergraduate students. Open team of Nick Gallina and Harry Aaronson lead the squad with their best showing of the season, defeating teams from top schools of Harvard, USC and Cornell. Their 6-2 preliminary record was a first for Indiana University at a major national tournament. They finished the tournament as the 23rd seed, dropping to a top 10 individual team from the University of Nevada Las Vegas. After a quality but disappointing 4-4 showing at Gonzaga over Halloween, the duo’s rebound at Wake has propelled the team upward in the national rankings to 40th at the end of the semester.

Sophomore-Senior pair of Cameron Dehmlow Dunne and Ben Tally have finished their last two tournaments in the middle of the field. Coach Brian DeLong believes their performance is setting the two up to become the 2nd of two Indiana teams to qualify for the end of the year National Debate Tournament.

For the third consecutive tournament in a row, new debate team members have flexed their academic acumen by qualifying for novice elimination debates. The team of Drew Bagan and Olivia Little went 4-2 in the preliminary rounds of the ADA Fall Championship earning a place in the elimination quarterfinals. The pair dropped the round on narrow 2-1 decision.

The Hoosier Debate team have already returned and initiated their preparation for their upcoming tournaments at the University of Minnesota (Dec 1-3) and University of California, Berkeley in January (2-9).