Samford University Debate had another strong outing this weekend, with junior Mary Grace Hammond and freshman Laurel Pack winning the junior varsity division of the Mid-Atlantic Region District Tournament, held Feb. 17-18. Pack was named the first speaker, and Mary Grace Hammond was the second speaker. This is the third tournament Hammond has won this semester. The team won the division, defeating teams from George Mason University, Liberty University and James Madison University.
Director of Debate Lee Quinn said, “The victory shows that our squad can succeed in tournaments throughout the United States. It illustrates the strength of the students’ research, preparation, and ability to adapt to judges.”
The team of senior Joey Tarnowski and junior TJ Riggs qualified for the National Debate Tournament, placing third in arguably the strongest region of the country, qualifying in a division containing Emory University, Wake Forest University, the University of Kentucky, West Georgia, the University of Georgia and Georgia State University.
“This is the fourth time that Joey Tarnowski has qualified for the National Debate Tournament, an extremely rare accomplishment in the modern activity,” Executive Director of Debate Ryan Galloway said. “This is also the third time that TJ has qualified, and he is a junior. We are very proud of their dedication and commitment to Samford Debate.”
Mary Grace Hammond was also named the Southeast Region Junior Varsity Debater of the Year, capping off a regular season of three tournament wins, a second place showing, and speaker awards at four different tournaments hosted throughout the United States during the year.
Director of Debate Lee Quinn lauded Hammond’s accomplishments, “Mary Grace worked extremely hard this year and remained dedicated to the tasks at hand all year. She is a tireless researcher, gives countless practice speeches and debates and is an exceptional teammate. She richly deserves this award.”
The squad next competes at the American Debate Association National Tournament in early March and will cap off their season at the National Debate Tournament hosted by Emory University in early April.
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.
