Contact: WWU Associate Professor of Communications Steven Woods, (360) 650-4879, or steven.woods@wwu.edu.

BELLINGHAM - Western Washington University's debate team ranked second place overall in the 2008-2009 national debate season sponsored by the National Parliamentary Debate Association (NPDA).

At the conclusion of the season on March 30, WWU's debate team was awarded second place based on the NPDA's National Season Sweepstakes Award.  The placement in the sweepstakes is determined by the number of points each school earns throughout the season. Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego took first place in the sweepstakes.

"It is rewarding to have had so many members of the team contribute to this achievement; the season-long sweepstakes award represents contributions from our most senior team members as well as those who just began the activity this year," said Associate Professor of Communications Steven Woods, debate team head coach and WWU director of Forensics. 

The debate team also enjoyed a strong finish in the season's final two tournaments.

At the National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence, an invitation-only event held March 20 to 22 at University of California - Berkeley, four of the 64 two-person teams invited were from WWU.  Senior Susan Elle and sophomore Stephen Moncrief placed 5th overall.

WWU's debate team took third place at the NPDA Championship Tournament held March 27 to 30 at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif.  More than 220 two-person teams from across the country participated in the event.  Mike Hinman, Zach Furste, Colin Patrick and Lucas Hall placed in the top 32 teams in the nation, while Alec Baker, Brittany Esbenshade, Susan Elle and Stephen Moncrief placed in the top 16 teams in the nation. Moncrief was rated 6th best individual speaker and Elle was rated the 16th best individual speaker at the tournament.

For more information about Western's debate team and events, contact Steven Woods at (360) 650-4879 or steven.woods@wwu.edu.  For more information on the NPDA, visit http://www.parlidebate.org/.

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