At the District 3 qualifying tournament to the National Debate Tournament, 24 teams from Mo/Ks/Ok/Tx (the top 2 from each school) competed for 10 bids to the National Debate tournament. Both Missouri State teams qualified, and both exceeded the district’s expectations.
The team of Jordan Foley & Wes Rumbaugh was seeded 2nd coming in, but finished 1st with a 7-1 record. This is the first time Missouri State University has won the District 3 tournament in several years. In individual awards, Foley was top speaker and Rumbaugh was 12th (tied for 10th before tiebreakers)
The team of Katie Frederick & Jace Gilmore was seeded 11th coming in, but finished 4th with a 6-2 record. Frederick was 4th speaker.
The team of Jess Bess & Joel Reed was seeded 12th, but district rules only allow the two highest seeded teams to compete. Bess & Reed have applied for a 2nd round bid to the National Debate Tournament. Only 6 schools nationwide can earn a bid for a 3rd team – if Bess & Reed are selected, this would be the first time in school history to qualify three teams to the NDT.

The debate team will compete in three more tournaments this season:
3 teams at the JV National Tournament in KC (March 10-12)
5 teams at CEDA Nationals in Norman, OK (March 23-26)
2-3 teams at the National Debate Tournament in Atlanta, GA (March 30-April 2)