Posted by Mary Wimberley on 2007-12-10

Samford University debaters Erin Ramsey and Logan Gramzinski defeated several top-ranked teams to win the recent John Carroll University tournament in Ohio. The three-day regional tournament ended Dec. 2.

The Samford pair defeated a nationally top-ranked Wayne State University team in the final round to claim the championship.

Ramsey and Gramzinski had defeated another Wayne State team in the semi-final round and a team from two-time national debate tournament champion Michigan State in the quarter finals. They won preliminary rounds against teams from seven-time national winner Northwestern University, last year's overall top-ranked Liberty University, Michigan State and Wayne State.

Ramsey, a junior political science major from Peachtree City, Ga., and Gramzinski, a sophomore pre-law major from Covington, Ga., were both ranked among the top 10 debaters out of the 46 individuals at the tournament.

The showing brought high praise from Samford director of debate and coach Ryan Galloway, who cited the team's ability to travel 10 hours and defeat teams not seen in previous competition.

"It shows their ability to prepare on the spot and adapt to different circumstances," said Galloway.

 
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.