Roster and Accomplishments From The 1970-1971 Season
The Webster Club’s 1970s dynasty began in style when the 1970-1971 team won both the National Catholic Forensic League and National Forensic League National Championships. Marquette became the first team ever to do so and in the process set new total point records at both tournaments.
In the past few years the Webster Club has established a tradition of excellence in speech. The success of this year’s team has been greater than that of any other team in the history of United States high school speech.
—Flambeau, 1971
Roster of Students & Coaches
The debaters and speakers of Marquette have scored many, and some nationally unprecedented, victories this year. And yet, they have developed something far greater than a successful team. That is community. A very real community. Perhaps its birth was inevitable with the considerable time spent together in practice and competition. But certainly the conscious efforts of their coaches to form this community were most effective. Mr. Copeland’s frosh safaris to movies and hockey games. Basketball games with Mr. Thames. The great awakening of Mr. Konat’s Webster Club Retreat. With all of their shared experiences the individuals of the team came to know and love each other, thus attaining the goal of life at Marquette. This was the true success of the Webster Club this year.
—Flambeau, 1971
Coaches
- Mr. James M. Copeland - Director
- Mr. Edward Konat, S.J.
- Mr. Kenneth Thames
Varsity Debaters and Speakers
- Michael Bohn
- Mikhael Bok
- Jeff Clark
- Neal Devitt
- David Dreis
- Bob End
- Mark Foley
- Bob Gunderlock
- Matt Liedle
- Patrick Mayer
- Mark Miner
- John Patek
- Mark Pilliod
- Dean Richards
- Peter Syvertsen
- Mark Weber
Freshman Debaters and Speakers
- Bruce Arnold
- Greg Betz
- Jim Dolan
- Richard Fons
- Jim Jansen
- Steven Liszewski
- Patrick Ralph Mayer
- Thomas McCarthy
- Tip New
- Thomas Riehle
- Mike Schulein
Team Accomplishments
Summer of ‘71: Webster Club Goes To California
From the 16th to the 19th of June, the Webster Club of Marquette High was represented by Peter Syvertsen, John Patek, Robert Gumerlock, Neal Devitt, Mark Foley and Jeff Clark, all state champions, at the National Forensic League’s National Tournament, in Palo Alto, California.
Individually, Jeff Clark amassed nine participation rounds in debate, extemporaneous, and impromptu speaking. Mark Foley and Neal Devitt placed fifth in debate, with Neal accumulating twelve rounds in extemporaneous and debate, and Mark, sixteen rounds with a seventh place finish in extemporaneous. Bob Gumerlock placed sixth in extemporaneous and combined with his efforts in debate, participated in twelve rounds of competition. Peter Syvertsen went a total of eleven rounds in the tournament, finishing third in original oratory, his second event. John Patek participated in a total of sixteen rounds of competition, placing seventh in oratory and twelfth in dramatic interpretation.
The combined efforts of the team resulted in a grand total of 77 rounds of competition, establishing a new record for the team sweepstakes, and breaking the old record by 24 rounds. The nearest competitor in the tournament was Tustin High School of Tustin, California with forty rounds of competition. The victory established Marquette as the only team to win both the National Catholic and the NFL Nationals in the same year, breaking the sweepstakes records of both tournaments in doing so.
—Flambeau, 1972
Sweepstakes Honors
- 1st Place - National Forensic League National Tournament
- 1st Place - National Catholic Forensic League Grand Nationals
- 1st Place - NCFL State Championship
Policy Debate Honors
- 1st Place - High Point Invitational (David Dreis & Mark Miner)
- 2nd Place - NCFL Grand Nationals (Jeff Clark & Neal Devitt)
Individual Events Honors
- 1st Place: Original Oratory - NCFL Nationals (John Patek)
- 1st Place: Extemporaneous Speaking - NCFL Nationals (Mark Foley)
- 3rd Place: Original Oratory - NFL Nationals (Peter Syvertsen)
- 6th Place: Boy’s Extemporaneous Speaking - NFL Nationals (Bob Gumerlock)
- 7th Place: Boy’s Extemporaneous Speaking - NFL Nationals (Mark Foley)
- 7th Place: Original Oratory - NFL Nationals (John Patek)
- 12th Place: Dramatic Interpretation - NFL Nationals (John Patek)
National Forensic League National Qualifiers
- Jeffrey Clark & Robert Gumerlock - Policy Debate
- Jeffrey Clark - Boy’s Extemporaneous Speaking
- Neal Devitt & Mark Foley - Policy Debate
- Neal Devitt - Boy’s Extemporaneous Speaking
- Mark Foley - Boy’s Extemporaneous Speaking
- Robert Gumerlock - Boy’s Extemporaneous Speaking
- John Patek - Dramatic Interpretation
- John Patek - Original Oratory
- Peter Syvertsen - Dramatic Interpretation
- Peter Syvertsen - Original Oratory
National Catholic Forensic League National Qualifiers
- Mikhael Boh
- Jeff Clark
- Neal Devitt
- Mark Foley
- Bob Gumberlock
- Matt Liedle
- Patrick Mayer
- John Patek
- Peter Syvertsen
- Mark Weber
National Tournament Locations
National Forensic League:
Stanford University, California
National Catholic Forensic League:
New Orleans, Louisiana
National Policy Debate Resolution
Resolved: That the federal government should establish, finance, and administer programs to control air and/or water pollution in the United States.
Photos
Click on the following photos to view a larger version. If you are able to provide a caption for any of the photos currently missing one or are able to correct a captioning error, please email Bill Batterman. Original, high-resolution scans of the photos are also available by contacting Bill.
National Forensic League National Championship Team: (left to right) Mark Foley, Jeff Clark, Neal Devitt, Peter Syvertsen, John Patek, Bob Gumerlock.
National Catholic Forensic League National Championship Team: (left to right) Coach Edward Konat, S.J., Mikhael Boh, Patrick Mayer, Bob Gumerlock, John Patek, Neal Devitt, Mark Weber, Mark Foley, Jeff Clark, Matt Liedle, Peter Syvertsen, Coach Kenneth Thames.
NCFL Nationals Finalists: John Patek (first place, Original Oratory), Neal Devitt and Jeff Clark (second place, Policy Debate), Mark Foley (first place, Extemporaneous Speaking).
NCFL State Championship Team: (standing) Michael Bohn, Mark Weber, Bob Gumerlock, John Patek, Peter Syvertsen, Jeff Clark, Coach Edward Konat, S.J., (kneeling) Patrick Mayer, Matt Liedle, Bob End, Mark Foley, Dean Richards.
Bob Gumerlock - Extemporaneous Speaking.
Matt Liedle - Declamation.
Mark Pilliod - Original Oratory.
Peter Syvertsen - Dramatic Interpretation.
Debate Team of Mark Miner and David Dreis: First Place at the High Point Invitational Tournament.
The Future Stars - Freshman Team: (standing) Thomas McCarthy, Jim Jansen, Greg Betz, Thomas Riehle, (otherwise) Steven Liszewski, Matt Liedle, Richard Fons, Bruce Arnold, Mike Schulein, Jim Dolan, Patrick Ralph Mayer, Tip New.
Mr. James Copeland, “The Cat,” will be back.
Mr. Kenneth Thames.
Mr. Edward Konat, S.J. and charges.
The Webster Club’s impressive collection of trophies.