Two KU Debate teams qualify for National Debate Tournament
LAWRENCE — Two University of Kansas debate teams were selected as automatic qualifiers for the 2023 National Debate Tournament, to take place March 30-April 4 in Chantilly, Virginia. The team of seniors Mickey McMahon, Leawood, and Michael Scott, Glenview, Illinois, and the team of Jimin Park, Topeka, and Jet Semrick, Prairie Village, were among the top 16 teams in the country, based on season-long performance, to be selected by the NDT National Committee to receive automatic qualification. This is the 56th consecutive year that KU Debate has qualified teams for the National Debate Tournament. It is the first time since 2017 that KU has had two teams selected as automatic qualifiers.
In 1973, the National Debate Tournament began recognizing the top 16 teams in the country as automatic first-round, at-large qualifiers for the tournament. The order of the committee rankings is kept secret until the tournament. KU has now had 44 teams receive first-round automatic qualifications. This is the fourth time that McMahon and Scott have qualified to compete at the NDT and the second time they have received an automatic top-16 qualification. Last year the pair reached the Final Four of the National Debate Tournament. This is the second time that Park and Semrick have qualified to compete at the NDT and their first time as an automatic qualifier. Last year the pair qualified for the single-elimination debates at the NDT.
Joining KU as automatic qualifiers are California State University at Long Beach, Dartmouth College (two teams), Emory University (two teams), Georgetown University, Harvard University, the University of Kentucky, the University of Michigan (two teams), Northwestern University, the University of Texas and Wake Forest University (two teams). The rest of the 78-team field for the tournament will be filled through regional qualifying tournaments and second-round at-large selections over the next few weeks. KU has finished in the top four at the NDT in six of the past seven seasons, including winning the national championship in 2018.
“Jet and I are thrilled with the honor of being selected as a first round qualifying team to the NDT,” Park said. “We are grateful for all of the hard work of the coaching staff and the entire squad that helped make it possible.”
“We have the best coaches in the country and we are thankful for all they do to help us succeed,” McMahon said.
The coaching staff is led by Brett Bricker, associate director of Kansas Debate, along with assistant coaches Azja Butler, Nathan Davis, Jyleesa Hampton, Derek Hilligoss, Ned Gidley, Max Reese, Jesse Smith and Alaina Walberg. Scott Harris is the David B. Pittaway Director of the debate program.
Top right photo: Mickey McMahon and Michael Scott.
Bottom right photo: Jimin Park and Jet Semrick.