Marquette Earns First TOC Bid Of Season At Wake Forest National Earlybird
Posted on September 19th, 2006 by Bill Batterman (Category: Policy Debate, Results)
The Hilltoppers earned their first bid to the National Tournament of Champions at the University of Kentucky this past weekend at the Wake Forest University National Earlybird Tournament. Seniors Gaurav Bhatnagar and Nolan Wanecke, the Webster Club’s top policy team, compiled a 6-0 record in the preliminary rounds and advanced to the double-octafinals as the tournament’s top seed. After defeating teams from East Grand Rapids High School (Grand Rapids, Michigan) and The College Preparatory School (Oakland, California) in their first two elimination rounds, Marquette lost a tough 2-1 decision in the quarterfinals to the eventual tournament champions from Stratford Academy (Macon, Georgia). Gaurav Bhatnagar was also recognized as the tournament’s second individual speaker after receiving the top honors as a junior in 2005.
Juniors Garrett Fields and Mark Kettler also represented the Webster Club at The National Earlybird, which hosted 115 policy debate teams from schools in 22 states. In the preliminary rounds, the Hilltoppers bested teams from Palmetto High School (Miami, Florida), Forest Hills Northern High School (Forest Hills, Michigan), Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart (Miami, Florida), La Salle College Preparatory School (Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania), Burlington High School (Burlington, Vermont), Okemos High School (Okemos, Michigan), The Cathedral Preparatory School (Erie, Pennsylvania), and Lake Highland Preparatory School (Orlando, Florida) and were defeated by teams from The Harker School (San Jose, California), South Eugene High School (Eugene, Oregon), and The College Preparatory School (Oakland, California).
After a much-deserved weekend off, the Hilltoppers will be back on the road from September 29th through October 1st for the Mid-America Cup at West Des Moines Valley High School in Des Moines, Iowa.
Photos from the Webster Club’s trip to Wake Forest University are available below the fold.
The Wake Forest squad: Garrett Fields, Gaurav Bhatnagar, Nolan Wanecke, and Mark Kettler.
The view from out our plane’s window at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
Somewhere between Chicago and Winston-Salem from 30,000 feet.
Nolan and Gaurav during our flight to Winston-Salem.
Our rental van had Sirius Satellite Radio.
Gaurav and Nolan listen as Brian Cole (Stratford Academy, Georgia) delivers the first affirmative rebuttal in the quarterfinals.
Ibid, but zoomed in.
Gaurav on the phone after the Awards Assembly at Wait Chapel.
Nolan enjoying the 75 degree weather after the Awards Assembly.
Garrett and Mark pose in Wake Forest’s Quad after the Awards Assembly.