Gonzaga Debate Team Takes Awards In Kansas

The Gonzaga University debate squad took first and second places in the Kansas City Classic, Feb. 4-6. In addition, three GU debaters placed in the top five individual speakers and won the tournament sweepstakes award.

The squad “closed out” the tournament, meaning they advanced two teams to the final round and captured first and second places. This marks the first time any squad has closed out the classic.

The team of political science majors, Chad Rigsby, a senior from Spokane and Will Brewer, a sophomore from Seattle, won a unanimous decision over Cornell University’s top team in the semifinals. Political science major Blake Dias, a senior from Spokane and English major Ian McLoughlin, a sophomore from Coeur d’Alene, each won their three decisions on unanimous votes. Dias and McLoughlin successfully defended a tournament crown they won a year ago.

Senior Ben Stuckart, a political science major from Spokane, teamed with junior Fred Petersen, a political science major from Blackfoot, Idaho, to reach the quarter-final round, losing a narrow split decision to the Cornell team.

Rigsby tied for best individual speaker (officially taking third place after tie-breakers were applied), Dias took fourth and Brewer finished fifth out of the 88 competitors.

Archie Chen, a pianist and a senior at Mead High School, took first prize at the recent Young Artists’ Concerto Competition for young Northwest instrumentalists at Gonzaga University. Chen will receive $300 and a $1,000 scholarship to attend Gonzaga.

Maia Chance, a violinist and home-schooled senior from Moscow, Idaho, was the second-prize winner. Chance will receive $150 and a $500 Gonzaga scholarship. As part of the awards, Chen and Chance will perform with the Gonzaga Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of music director Kevin Hekmatpanah, at 4 p.m., April 23, in GU’s Russell Theatre.

The three other finalists were Joselyn Hill, a piano student from Helena; Tom Battista, a trumpet student from Spokane; and Jennifer Bae, a violin student from Redmond, Wash.

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