McKendree Hosts Two Speech and Debate Tournaments This March, Alumni Return to Serve as Judges
(LEBANON, Ill., March 19, 2025) – The McKendree Speech and Debate team hosted and
competed in the National Parliamentary Debate Association’s Championship Tournament
and the National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence during the university’s spring
break.
Starting on March 7 and running through March 10, the National Parliamentary Debate Association’s (NPDA) Championship Tournament is the organization’s year-end event in its namesake format. McKendree alum Adeja Powell (’20) serves as president of the NPDA. The last time NPDA’s Championship Tournament was at McKendree, Powell and their partner, Mitch Deleel ‘21, were recognized as National Champions.
Six McKendree teams competed in the NPDA Championship Tournament. The teams of Aaron Brown and Emma McIlhargie and Elan Headlee and Erik Hovlid each finished with three wins and three losses. The team of first-years Victoria Adewole and Ari Carney finished with two wins and four losses. Finally, the teams of C. Houck and Garrett Crabtree, Jasmyne Jackson and Jordan Wathen, and Meera Mohammad and Jada Tolbert finished with one win and five losses. That combined record was good enough for ninth place in team sweepstakes, even though no team advanced to elimination rounds. McIlhargie was recognized as an NPDA All-American.
In addition to the 12 McKendree students on campus, Director of Speech and Debate Joe Blasdel, Head Coach of Debate Brent Nicholson, and Assistant Speech and Debate Coach Lance Allen were joined by alumni Cory Freivogel ’10, Caden Owens ’20, Deleel ’21, and Rebecca Postula ’21 serving as judges and coaches for the weekend. Nicholson was selected to serve as a judge for the championship round.
“Hosting both NPDA and NPTE at McKendree this year was an honor,” said Blasdel. “It was fantastic to have our alumni return to campus to coach and judge. I’m also pleased with the performance of our relatively young squad – almost all of whom will be returning next year.”
Immediately following the NPDA Championship Tournament, McKendree hosted the National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence (NPTE), in which the top 24 teams in parliamentary debate compete in a group stage format to advance to a top eight elimination stage. This was the 25th NPTE in history, and the first to use this new group stage design, which was designed in part by Nicholson in his role as a member of the board of the NPTE.
“The tournament is designed to showcase truly excellent debaters and to reward those students who have honed their craft,” Nicholson said. “It was an honor to get to host the NPTE in its 25th year, play such a big role in the redesign of the tournament, and to tabulate it.”
Blasdel and Nicholson coached the teams of Brown and McIlhargie, Adewole and Carney, and Mohammad and Tolbert at the NPTE. Alum Kyle Garrett ’22 joined the team to assist in preparation and judging for the tournament, rounding out the group. In their group stages, Brown and McIlhargie finished fourth of six, losing close debates to teams from University of California Berkeley and University of the Pacific, while splitting a 1-1 decision with the eventual semifinalist from Rice University. The teams of Adewole and Carney and Mohammad and Tolbert each finished sixth in their groups.
“For Aaron and Emma, this pod was a challenge; the two teams who advanced from that pod stayed in until the final four,” Nicholson said. “For Ari and Victoria and Meera and Jada, we’re immensely proud of the work they did to get here. Being part of this tournament means a lot. Very few first- or second-year debaters are even in a position to get to debate at this tournament, and those four worked hard all year to be recognized at the NPTE, so I was very pleased with their years. I’m looking forward to next year’s NPTE already.”
The Speech and Debate team will finish out its season with the National Speech Championship in Peoria from March 22 through 23 and the Asynchronous Speech Championship, a virtual competition, the following weekend.
-McK-
