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Fort Scott debate team to make a run at nationals
By Rayma Silvers
The Fort Scott Tribune
There is no debate over whether or not a group of students from Fort Scott High School deserve to take a trip to Alabama this summer.
FSHS students Kim Stone, Brittney Doherty, Sterling Braun and Jacoby Zielinski, along with alternate Chris Clay, earned a state title in 4-speaker debate at the state competition on Jan. 23 and 24. According to FSHS debate coach Brian Weilert, this is the first time a team from Fort Scott has earned the state title in 4-speaker debate. This year's state champions, with the exception of Clay, also won at the state level last year, according to Weilert.
"I knew going in that we had the debaters to win a title," Weilert said. "These seniors have done everything asked of them. It isn't very often you go to state with four students who are all two-time NFL (National Forensics League) national qualifiers and returning state placers. The fact that they defeated not only one but two defending state champions to earn the title is an indicator of just how talented."
According to Weilert, in 4-speaker debate two students are responsible for arguing the affirmative side in support of the issue and the other two competitors argue against the issue on the negative side. Zielinski said the only times debaters compete in the 4-speaker format is at the state competition or tournaments preparing for state.
Braun said it is extremely important that debaters be equally prepared for all aspects of the competition because it is difficult to know what the judges will be looking for in any one particular round.
"You're always worried in debate. You can do things that will go unnoticed by the judge," Braun said. "A lot of judges aren't experienced. You have to be able to speak well and convince them."
Agreeing with Braun, Doherty said, "The teams didn't scare us. The judges did."
According to Weilert, while the 4-speaker team was securing a state championship, four other teams were competing in the two-speaker competition. According to two-speaker competitors Angel West and Daniel Lyon, unlike the four-speaker team members who only have to prepare for either the affirmative or the negative side, two-speaker team members must prepare for both sides of the issue.
"Two-speaker has to defend both sides," Lyon said.
Explaining further, Zielinski said, "four-speaker has more depth of evidence; whereas, two-speaker has to have more breadth."
Weilert said West and her partner Matt Carillo, Lyon and his partner Chase Rooks, Kim Henry and her partner Andrew Benage and Keifer Cruse and partner Baker Weilert all made it to the state competition in the two-speaker category. In order to make it to this level of competition, the debaters had to compile a winning record from invitational tournaments throughout the regular season, Weilert said. Although the two-speaker teams competed well, they did not compete well enough to move on to the national competition. However, two of the teams were close to winning the state competition, according to Weilert.
"The other two teams had stellar prelim rounds ending with 5-1 records and placing them into the bracket," Weilert said. Rooks and Lyon faced the defending state champions from Tonganoxie, a team they had upset the day before. This time they could not duplicate the prior day's performance as they fell on a 3-0 decision. Carrillo and West faired better in their octo round as they advanced on a 2-1 decision to move to quarter finals. Here they were matched against the defending champions who had just ousted Rooks and Lyon. They too fell on the 3-0 decision ending their run as fourth place state medalists."
The group of Fort Scott debaters explained sometimes winning a competition is just as much about luck as it is about skill. Since the two-speaker competition operates on the bracket system, sometimes debaters must face the best team early in the competition.
"There's a lot of good teams that broke," Lyon said. "There is a lot of luck involved."
Zielinski added, "A lot of good teams faced each other and knocked each other off."
"Sometimes its the luck of the draw," West explained.
Although both West and Lyon said they were disappointed that they were not able to secure the state title, both agreed they would be back next year debating the issues, hopefully with better luck.
"You're not always going to be the best," West said. "There is always going to be teams who are better than you."
Even though the two-speaker teams did not win the competition, Zielinski expressed pride in the way the teams performed.
"They are still young in debate," Zielinski said. "You're seeing sophomore and junior teams beating senior teams."
Weilert also said he was pleased with the two-speaker competitors.
"I was extremely proud of this bunch," Weilert said. "Everyone was in the hunt the entire tournament. For the four to brake out of the 63 team pack was impressive. The fact that they are all underclassmen is exciting for the future of our squad."
For the local debaters who are headed to nationals this summer, preparation for the next leg of the competition must be put on hold as they are currently competing in their forensics season.
"We will be researching," Stone said, "but mostly we will concentrate on forensics."
Because the issues the teams will have to debate are real-life issues, the team members must wait until closer to the competition date to do most of their preparations to ensure they have up-to-date material to use.
"We can't really do our research now," Zielinski said. "We have to wait until closer to the competition."
Braun said although competition at the national level is sure to be tough, he thinks the local team will do well.
"I think we would have a good shot at making it out of the prelim," Braun said.
The group of debaters attributed any success they have had as well as any they may secure at the national competition to Weilert.
"Whatever our success factor, it is directly related to how hard our coach works," Zielinski said. "He is the best coach in Kansas."