The Chesterton debate team finished its regular season winning the top sweepstakes prizes at their final two tournaments.

Earlier this month, the team traveled to Ben Davis high school. In policy debate, the teams of Zach Bogich and Simon Andrews (10th), Victoria Simms and Kalina Smith (5th), and Jon Vincent and Justin Reed (3rd) all received awards. As individuals Reed (6th), Simms (3rd), and Vincent (1st) all placed in the speaker’s category.

Chesterton dominated the novice division with Alex Genetski and Andrew Jugovich (2nd) and Katherine Bolek and Nadia Mario (1st). Getetski (4th), Mario (3rd), Bolek (2nd), and Jugovich (1st) swept the speaker’s awards.

Chesterton took the tournament championship in novice public forum when Andrea Drygas and Savannah Tipton finished undefeated.

At the varsity level, Morgan Jackson and Miranda Whah came in 7th. In the varsity division of Lincoln-Douglas, Eric Dreischerf (8th) and Michael Leoopold (6th) went 3 -1 . At the novice level Eric Zhong came in 3rd.

Lastly, in Varsity congress, McKenzie Richardson and Abby Burke both came in 7th place in their respective chambers while Mikaela Meyer placed 4th.

The next week the team took the top sweepstakes award at the Plymouth Invitational tournament. Once again Policy debate led the way to victory. Smith/Simms (5th), Bogich/Andrews (3rd), TJ Jaeger and Michael Anderson (2nd), and Vincent/Reed (1st) took top honors. In the novice division, Bolek/Mario (4th) and Genetski/Jugovich (3rd) placed.

In novice Lincoln-Douglas, Brad Moore was 7th and in the Varsity division, Dreischerf (8th) and Jack McCrum (4th) took home awards.

The novice Public Forum division was won once again by Andrea Drygas, this time through her partnership with Matt Eggers. JP Pritchard and Aubrey Christofersen were tournament runner’s up. In the varsity division, Hannah Vasquez and Taryn Trusty came in 4th.

In novice Congressional debate, Jake Willinger (4th) and Christopher Krause (3rd) both placed.

Coach Chris Lowery said it felt good to win the last tournaments of the season. “It gives us good momentum moving into the postseason tournaments.”

This weekend the team will travel to Penn High School for the Northeast Indiana District Tournament, which serves to qualify students for the National Tournament. After that the team begins their defense of last year’s state title.

Posted 1/26/2012