Debate closes season

McKayla Clarksnodgrass, Photo Editor

The Manhattan High Debate team finished off their season at the Kansas State High School Activities Association State Debate Tournament on January 16th.

Junior Sam DeLong and sophomore Annabelle Jung went 5-4. The pair were octo-finalists. 

“I did better than my expectations, so that was nice,” DeLong said.

DeLong and Jung had been voted down by a few judges during their preliminary rounds due to technical issues.

Senior KJ Jones and sophomore Greyson Hickel went 4-3. The pair were double octo-finalists. 

“For being the last debate tournament of the season, it was pretty cool,” Jones said. “It was pretty weird especially considering how [COVID-19] has changed tournaments.”

DeLong will continue to take part in tournaments this forensics season.

“It doesn’t feel like the end for me,” DeLong said. “Just because I have [debate] next year and the also forensics season doesn’t feel that distinct from debate.”

Neither pairs believed they would make it as far as they did in the tournament. According to head coach Mac Phrommany, it has been over six years since Manhattan HIgh has had more than one team make it past preliminary rounds and eight years since a team has made it to the quarter finals.

This was the strongest debate season since Phrommany began coaching at MHS. 

“This was the one of the [strongest] — if not the strongest — years debate’s had in at least the last [four years],” Phrommany said.