Hilltoppers Claim Mid-America Cup Championship and Fully Qualify for TOC
Posted on October 3rd, 2006 by Bill Batterman (Category: News, Policy Debate, Results)
Webster Club seniors Gaurav Bhatnagar and Nolan Wanecke captured The Mid-America Cup Championship this past weekend at West Des Moines Valley High School in Iowa and in so doing earned a berth to the 2007 Tournament of Champions at the University of Kentucky. After compiling a 5-1 record in the preliminary rounds and advancing to the octafinals as the tournament’s second seed, Gaurav and Nolan defeated teams from Wichita East High School (Wichita, Kansas), Highland Park Senior High (St. Paul, Minnesota), Shawnee Mission East High School (Prairie Village, Kansas), and St. Stephen’s Episcopal School (Austin, Texas) to claim the crown. Gaurav was also named the tournament’s top speaker while Nolan placed sixteenth.
Two other Hilltopper teams represented Marquette at The Mid-America Cup. Juniors Garrett Fields and Mark Kettler went 4-2 in the preliminary rounds and were seeded 21st, narrowly missing the elimination rounds based on speaker points. Sophomores Ben Benson and Noah Charles also made their Varsity-level debut and acquitted themselves nicely, compiling a 2-4 record with very solid points.
A semifinals-level qualifier to the Tournament of Champions, Valley hosted 74 policy debate teams from nine states. By claiming the championship, Gaurav and Nolan became the first team from Marquette University High School to qualify for the TOC since the 2001-2002 season in which Gaurav’s brother Manav and his partner Ankur Aggarwal represented the Webster Club in Lexington. They also became the first team to win the title at a tournament of this qualifying level since Manav and Ankur captured first place honors at East Grand Rapids’ Pioneer Classic and the prestigious Harvard University National Invitational during their senior campaign.
Marquette will be back on the road next weekend as the squad competes at the New Trier Season Opener in Winnetka, Illinois and the Brigadier General Rufus King Debate Invitational at Rufus King High School in Milwaukee. The full debate team will be making its debut as the Lincoln-Douglas and Public Forum squads open their season at Rufus King.
Photos from the Webster Club’s trip to Des Moines are available below the fold.
Ben Benson and Noah Charles (Marquette BC) and Gaurav Bhatnagar and Nolan Wanecke (Marquette BW) wait for the pairings to be released before round one.
Ben Benson, Garrett Fields, and Noah Charles before round one.
Gaurav and Nolan lounging before round one.
Mark Kettler before round one.
Garrett Fields preps in the Webster Club “War Room” on Saturday morning.
Mark prepares for his third round debate on Saturday morning.
Garrett Fields prepares for his third round debate on Saturday morning.
Gaurav waits for the fourth round pairings to be released.
Jonathan Libgober (Oak Park River Forest, Illinois) chats with Nolan and Ben during lunch on Saturday.
Mark and Noah during lunch on Saturday.
Mr. Batterman discusses his decision after round five.
Nolan Wanecke gets his flows in order as Gaurav Bhatnagar prepares to deliver the 2AC in finals against St. Stephen’s.
The Valley squad shows off its trophies in front of the MUHS van at a Wendy’s somewhere in Western Illinois: (left to right) Gaurav Bhatnagar, Mark Kettler, Nolan Wanecke, Ben Benson, Noah Charles, and Garrett Fields.