Ann Arbor Times

The University of Michigan Debate program secured a victory at the 38th annual American Debate Association National Championship. The tournament, which took place from March 8-10 in Houston, saw participation from nearly 200 competitors representing 25 institutions.

In the final round of the competition, Eleanor Barrett, a freshman from Austin, Texas, and Jiyoon Park, a junior from Topeka, Kansas—both students from U-M’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts—emerged victorious against Northwestern University with a unanimous 3-0 decision. Prior to this win, they defeated teams from Emory University, the University of Kentucky, and Liberty University during the elimination rounds.

Two other teams from U-M also made notable progress in the tournament. Avinash Shah and Conner Shih reached the Sweet Sixteen stage while Rebecca Davidov and Ben Saudek advanced to the elimination round of 32.

The U-M Debate Team has a long history dating back to its inception in 1903 and is recognized as one of the oldest debate programs in the United States. The team will wrap up their 2024-25 season by participating in the 79th annual National Debate Tournament in Spokane, Washington, scheduled for April 3-7. They enter this tournament as defending champions.