Annie Kors ’14, Shelby Heitner ’14, Cameron Cohen ’16 and Nick Steele ’16 competed in the Tournament of Champions in Lexington, Kentucky April 26-28.

Kors was the only debater to clear the preliminary rounds, and she advanced to double octafinals.

In order to qualify for the tournament of only 75-80 Lincoln-Douglas debaters, students must earn at least two bids over the course of the regular season. Julie Engel ’14 and Michael O’Krent ’14 also qualified for the TOC but were unable to attend. Cohen and Steele were two of only seven sophomores to qualify for this year’s tournament.

The debate team also competed at the National Debate Coaches Association Championships in Ogden, Utah April 12-14. Kors advanced to semifinals and won the top speaker award with a total of 177.7 points out of a possible 180 points. Steele dropped in double octafinals and Cohen dropped in quarterfinals, while also winning a fifth place speaker award.

“In the past few years I’ve gained a lot from debate — friends, knowledge, a sense of accomplishment — and I am very grateful to the program for these and other opportunities it’s given me,” Engel said. “Whether or not I continue with debate in college, I know the interests I’ve picked up while debating and the skills I’ve developed will stay with me for more than just the next four years.”