November 5, 2026
From October 24–25, Hampden-Sydney’s debate team competed in the virtual 2026 Missouri Valley University Viking Tournament, claiming first, second, and third place, and the Top Speaker Award.
In their second-ever competitive debate tournament, Tiger Debate faced off against competitors from many well-known institutions including the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Florida State University, Missouri Valley College, Texas State University, Texas Tech University, Illinois State University, and Illinois College.
Freshmen Shawn Gerstman ’30 and Soren McKay ’30 started strong, finishing the preliminary rounds with perfect 5–0 records. In the semifinal round, Soren won a close debate against the University of Missouri-Kansas City by a 3–0 decision. In the final round, Soren and Shawn took first and second place, respectively, finishing the tournament without losing a single ballot.
“Although this was only my second tournament, it is clear that our coaching team is especially skilled,” Soren says. “Especially going into my semifinal round, Dr. Dweik and Dr. Parnell prepared me very well.”
Attending his first debate tournament, Jack Kozlowski ’30 finished with a 3–2 record, earning him a spot in the semifinal round. As a result, Hampden-Sydney placed three students in the semifinal round, an impressive feat given the tournament’s difficulty.
Also competing for the first time, Luke Sah ’30, received the Top Speaker Award. This distinction recognizes the debater with the highest points awarded by judges across all five preliminary rounds while noting skilled speaking and argumentation. This is the second tournament in a row where Hampden-Sydney has won a top speaker award.
“This tournament was extremely difficult due to the endurance required to debate five rounds back-to-back with no breaks,” says Sarah Dweik, visiting assistant professor of rhetoric and associate debate coach. “Our debaters took this challenge up and finished successfully. Their commitment to the activity and working with myself and Assistant Professor of Rhetoric Matt Parnell as coaches only proves fruitful for the rest of the season."
In an impressive showing, the Tiger Debate team demonstrated remarkable preparation, earning top awards against established programs from across the country. With first-, second-, and third-place finishes, a top speaker award, and multiple undefeated performances, the Hampden-Sydney Tiger Debate team has quickly set a strong foundation for future competition.
“I am deeply impressed and inspired by our freshmen,” says Dr. Parnell. “They had little experience but embraced the challenge, spending time in my office and working on their arguments. Very rarely does a new program have immediate success. I am extremely excited for what this means for not only the rest of the season but also for Hampden-Sydney Tiger Debate as a whole.”
Other institutions in attendance included the University of Pittsburgh, Western Kentucky University, Kansas City Kansas Community College, and Truman State University.
Tiger Debate next competes at the RedBird LD Tournament, hosted online by Illinois State University, on November 7–8.