McKendree Debaters Are No. 1 in the Nation!
Congratulations to Adeja Powell, Mitch Deleel, First in NPTE
(LEBANON, Ill., October 28, 2019) — McKendree University debaters Mitch Deleel and
Adeja Powell are currently the No. 1 team in the nation, according to rankings published
by the National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence (NPTE). Their move up the rankings
comes after winning tournaments on consecutive weekends – at home and at the University
of California at Berkeley. They are qualified to compete at the 2020 NPTE – which
McKendree will host in March.
“Adeja and Mitch have had an incredible start to the season,” said Joe Blasdel, McKendree
debate coach. “They are incredibly talented but, more importantly, they have worked
very hard to improve upon last year’s considerable success.”
Twelve colleges and universities, including the University of Oregon, Concordia University,
and Point Loma Nazarene attended the University of California at Berkeley’s Golden
Gate Invitational on Oct. 26-27. Deleel and Powell posted a prelim record of 4-1.
After defeating San Francisco State in octofinals, they beat teams from University
of California at Berkeley in quarterfinals and semifinals (including a 2018 national
champion). They triumphed over Lewis and Clark in finals to win the tournament. Powell
took second place speaker, while Deleel took seventh place.
Thirteen colleges and universities, including Notre Dame University, Morehouse College,
and Rice University, attended McKendree’s Bearcat Classic and Hunsaker Invitational
on Oct. 18-20. Representing McKendree were seniors Haylee Christ and Adeja Powell;
juniors Mitch Deleel, Caden Owens and Rebecca Postula; sophomores Scott Anderson,
Kyle Garrett, Kyle Smith and Isabella Strimling; and first-years Jamari Jackson, Maddie
Kopp and Noah Marlar.
At the Bearcat Classic, Deleel and Powell posted a 5-0 record. They finished as semifinalists,
after defeating teams from Rice in octofinals and quarterfinals. Owens and Postula
finished with a 4-1 record in prelims to finish as octofinalists.
At the Hunsaker Invitational, Deleel and Powell posted a 3-2 record. In elims, they
proceeded to defeat Whitman College (double octofinals), the University of Texas (octofinals),
Rice (quarterfinals) and Minnesota (semifinals and finals) to win the tournament.
Garrett and Smith also went 3-2 and finished as octofinalists, after defeating the
University of Illinois in double octofinals. Owens and Postula went 3-2 as well to
finish as double octofinalists. Jackson and Marlar took second place in the junior
division, after defeated Southern Indiana in semifinals. Powell took second speaker,
while Garrett and Deleel took 11th and 17th, respectively.
Kate Maag, Taylor Roth, Isa Scaturro and Aliyah (Lea) Smith competed at Illinois State
University’s (ISU) 74 Swing (Oct. 5-6) and the University of Central Missouri’s Missouri
Mule (Oct. 19-20). Maag took fourth place in impromptu speaking at ISU, while Scaturro
took third and fifth in informative speaking at ISU and Central Missouri, respectively.
Smith was sixth in programmed oral interpretation at ISU and second in drama at Central
Missouri. All of those events are now qualified for the National Forensic Association
Championship Tournament.
McKendree will next compete at its home speech and Lincoln-Douglas tournament on Nov.
8-9.
McKendree debaters, front row, Caden Owens, Adeja Powell, Mitch Deleel, Rebecca Postula; back row, Scott Anderson, Kyle Garrett at Kyle Smith competed at the University’s Bearcat Classic and Hunsaker Invitational.
Speech team members Kate Maag, Lea Smith and Isa Scaturro at Illinois State University in October.
