The University of Arkansas Speech and Debate Society finished the last tournament of regular competition on Sunday at the University of Central Arkansas. This tournament doubled as the IPDA National Team Tournament; among the 40 teams competing, the U of A was represented by the teams of Sophie Barrentine and Luke Thurmon, Max Green and Jaci Sabatini, and Hadley Adkison and Austin Keefe.
Green and Sabatini were octofinalists (top 16 team in the country). Adkison and Keene were semifinalists, marking a top four finish in the country. 

In individual competition, the U of A was represented by Hadley Adkison, Sophie Barrentine, Megan Dial, Max Green, Jacob Hurbanek, Austin Keefe, Colten Nichols, Jaci Sabatini and Luke Thurmon. Among these nine students, four went on to the next level of competition. 

Nichols placed second in the competition in the novice division, notably while competing at his first competition on the team.

Green was an octofinalist in the junior varsity division of competition and was the 3rd place JV speaker at the tournament. 

Dial was a semifinalist in the junior varsity division. 

Barrentine was a semifinalist in the junior varsity division and was most notably the number one seed at the tournament, impressively going undefeated in preliminary competition (6-0). 

Finally, a big thanks goes out to the judges from this weekend: Jacqueline Maldonado Martinez, James Jovicich and Kierson Joel-Titus. 

Next, the team will compete once more at the IPDA National Debate Tournament and Convention during spring break, March 23-25th, in Boise, Idaho. Currently, the U of A Speech and Debate Society is ranked 5th in the country scholastically (excluding graduate students) and 6th in the founder's division (including graduate students). Luke Hubbard has rocketed to 4th place in the country for the junior varsity division, and the U of A's JV squad ranks 4th in the country. Final results will be revealed at the national tournament in nine days. 

If you are interested in joining the speech and debate society, please contact president Megan Dial at mmdial@uark.edu or the team's adviser, Hannah Morris, at hannahm@uark.edu