Speech and Debate Union wins big at Southern Forensics League debate tournament

MURRAY, Ky. – The Murray State University Speech and Debate Union locked out the final round of novice International Public Debate Association (IPDA) debate recently at the Southern Forensics League, meaning the team took home both first and second place.

Dr. Ryan Goke, director of the Speech and Debate Union, said this is the first time that Murray State has had such a dominant performance since fall 2017 and only the second time in program history.

Co-champions Caleb McCurren, a junior from Paducah, Kentucky, and Zack Benz, a freshman from Eureka, Missouri, won 11 of the 12 judges’ ballots in their final two rounds, securing the top two spots at the tournament. Benz was undefeated in the preliminaries with a perfect 4-0 record. McCurren went 3-1. Both students won their quarterfinal rounds with a 3-0 decision, which resulted in Murray State closing out the final round. Out of the 20 total ballots, McCurren and Benz won 18 of them.

Benz also won champion speaker in novice IPDA debate. 

Other notable awards include:

• • Second place and top novice in communication analysis: Samuel Miller, a freshman from Island, Kentucky

  • Fourth place in programmed oral interpretation: Zack Benz

  • Fifth place in after dinner speaking: Caleb McCurren

  • Fifth place novice IPDA debate speaker: Caleb McCurren

“These awards are especially impressive because this is Samuel, Zack and Caleb’s first ever tournament,” said Goke.

The tournament was held at Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee. Schools represented at the tournament included Belmont University, University of Alabama, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Tennessee State University, Middle Tennessee State University and University of Florida.