Final Four Appearances by Tournament
The following record lists Wake Forest Debate teams that reached the semi-finals or finals of various tournaments. Any such list has the weakness of missing folks who were important to Wake Debate history, often excelling competitively, reaching the quarter-finals of major national tournaments. Lyle Scruggs, a professor at the University of Connecticut at the time of this writing, is mentioned as a representative of this distinguished group. Only listing teams reaching semi-finals or better keeps the list manageable but necessarily leaves out hundreds of superior efforts which are part of Wake’s debate legacy.
Listing Wake Forest winners is a dubious task at best. Record keeping varied dramatically from era to era and locating results was often dependent on the excellent and sometimes capricious coverage in the Old Gold and Black. The task is further complicated by not being able to define precisely when “tournaments” began, knowing what four team divisions represented for the individuals involved, and tournaments changing names and/or locations. I also expect there are mistakes in news coverage and coach’s recordings. Nonetheless, the list of past winners is indeed impressive, reflecting trends and growth of the program over the decades.
Final Four Appearances by Tournament
Agnes Scott College, 1950: 3rd, Bob Crouch & Lamar Caudle.
American Debate Association Nationals: 1988, 1st (JV), Harry Trachtenberg & Rob Spears; 1990, 3rd, Bill Ziegelmueller & Mark Grant; 1992, 1st Varsity, Gordon Hull & Mark Grant; 1993: 2nd, Varsity, Gordon Hull & Rick Fledderman, 3rd, Marcia Tiersky & Adrienne Brovero, Craig Green & Chris Cooper; 1994: 3rd, Craig Green & Chris Cooper; 1995: 2nd, Varsity, Daveed Gartenstein-Ross & Chris Cooper, 2nd, Novice, Drew Brown & John Sena; 1996, 1st, Varsity, Chris Cooper & Daveed Gartenstein-Ross; 2003, (Novice) 3rd, David Coons & Josh Traeger; 2007, 3rd, Adam Abelkop & Alex Lamballe, 1st, (JV) Hannah Rothman & Elyse MacNamara; 2013, 1st, Varsity Richard Min & Ken Bailey; 2014, 2nd Varsity Richard Min & Ken Bailey; Novice, 1st Connor Brown & Chloe Hillard; 2015, (JV) 1st (tie), close-out finals: Lucy Shen, Katie Super, Ned Gidley, & Connor Brown; 2023, (Var. Championship) 1st Ana Bittner & Ari Davidson.
Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament: 1954, 1st, (Charlottesville), Sam Johnson & Jim Greene, Kay Arant & Carwile LeRoy; 1955: 2nd, (Aff. Tie) 3rd, (Neg)?; Joe Hough & Carwile LeRoy (Aff), Margorie Thomas & Barbara Massey (Neg); 1957 (Winston-Salem): (Tie, Duke) 1st, (Aff) Dick Burleson & David Hughes, (JV, Aff), 1st, Earl Shaw & Ann Julian, (JV Neg, tie Duke) 1st, Joe Grubbs & Allen Carroll; 1959 (Maryland): 1st, (Neg) Don Schoonmaker & Susie Jones; 1960: 1st, Sherry Dailey & Susie Jones (Aff), Don Schoonmaker & Joe Grubbs (Neg), 2nd, Alfred Baker & Ed Gaskins (Aff), Glenn Blackburn & Charles Taylor (Neg); 1961: 2nd, Susie Jones & Ed Gaskins (Aff); 1962, 2nd, Al Baker & Ed Gaskins, 1st, (Novice) Martha Swain & Neal Tate (Neg), Charles Winberry & John Eddinger (Aff); 1963, 1st, Ed Gaskins & David Zacks (Aff), Martha Swain & Neal Tate (Neg), 1st, (JV), Anne Wood & Jose Cabezas (Neg), Joe Staggers & Jerry Partney (Aff); 1964: 1st, Jan Wood & Neal Tate (Aff), Peggy Wilson & David Zacks (Neg), 1st, (Novice), Irwin Coffield & Roger Willets (Neg), 2nd, Karen Strasser & Gene Brown; 1965: 1st, Ken Godwin & Jerry Partney (Aff), Peggy Wilson & Irwin Coffield (Neg); 1966: 3rd, Suzanne Bowles & John Tate (Aff), Phyllis McMurry & Linda Jones (Neg), 1st, (Novice), Carolyn Hauser & Bob Anderson, Wanda Radford & Thaddeus Kinga, 2015, 1st, Tyler Cameron & Lee Quinn; 2016, 1st, Jack Manchester and Adam Tomasi; 2017: 1st, Brent Mitchell & Adam Tomasi; 2019: 2nd, Adam Tomasi & Alex Marban; 2021, 1st, Brianna Aaron & Ruby Klein; 2022: 2nd, Dimarvin Puerto & Eyan Majeed; 2023: 1st, T.C. Perez & Jessica Cline.
District VI Championships: 1952, 3rd, Virgil Moorefield & Joe Mauney; 1953:, 1st, Joe Mauney & Virgil Moorefield; 1954; 3rd, Kay Arant & Carwile LeRoy; 1955: 1st, Carwile LeRoy & Joe Hough; 1956: Marjorie Thomas & Chris Blossom; 1959: 1st, Allen Carroll & Dick Burleson; 1970, 2nd, Laura Abernathy & John Cooper; (Missing 1971, Cooper & Vaughan, 1973 Kendrick & Alexander)1977: Ross Smith & John Graham; 1981: 3rd, Mike Knish & David Cheshier; 1986: 3rd, Gloria Cabada & Bob Bower; 1987: 1st, Mark Bailey & Gloria Cabada; 1990: 1st Mike Ridge & Brian Lain, Pensacola; 1991: 2nd, Gordon Hull & Rick Fledderman; 1992: (Non-qualifier division), 1st, Adrienne Brovero & Scott O Donnell, 2nd, Brian Flagler & Craig Green, 3rd, Stapp Beeton & Matt Rogers, 1st – Novice – Nate French & Keith Jones; 1993: 1st, Novice, Brandon Bentley & Trisha Norton; 1994: 1st, John Hughes & Jordana Sternberg; 1995: 1st (tie) – Adrienne Brovero & John Hughes, Brian Prestes & Bryan Yeazel, Michael Matos & Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, 1st, Consolation Division, Chris Cooper & David Beam (Emory), 1996: 1st, Daveed Gartenstein-Ross & Chris Cooper, 2nd, Michael Matos & Bryan Yeazel; 1998: 2nd, (tie) Emma Filstrup & Ken Rufo, Justin Green & Jarrod Atchison, 1999: 1st, Andy Geppert & Jarrod Atchison, 2nd, Emma Filstrup & Wes Lotz; 2001: 1st, Becca Eaton & Patrick Speice, 3rd, Kevin Kneupper & Sam Enzer; 2002, 1st, Mike Perry & Chris DeVault; 2005, 3rd, James Morrill & Elizabeth Gedmark; 2006: 2nd, Alex Lambelle & Seth Gannon; 2007: 2nd, Alex Lamballe & John Patten, 3rd, Will Sears & Liz Lundeen; 2008: 1st, Doowon Chung & Seungwon Chung, 3rd, Lauren Sabino & Carlos Maza, Novice, 2nd, Anna Williams & David Tokarz; 2009:(Qualifier) (Breakout tourn) 1st, Will Sears & Ryan Stevens, 1st, (tie); Lauren Sabino & Carlos Maza; Doowon Chung & Seungwon Chung; 2010, 3rd, Ken Bailey & Ian Miller: 2013, 3rd, Bennett Clifford & Vale Villa; 2014: 3rd, Mac Cronin & Andrew Lopez, 2nd, Keenan Harris & Corinne Sugino; 2015: 3rd, Jack Manchester & Thomas Stirrat, 2nd, Mack Cronin & Corinne Sugino; 2016: 2nd, Jack Manchester & David Munoz, 3rd, Mac Cronin & Andrew Lopez, (JV) 3rd, Ally Moir & River Wu, 1st, Conner Brown & Chole Hillard; 2022, 1st, Ana Bittner & Tajaih Robinson, 3rd Dimarvin Puerto & Silma Bathily.
Gonzaga University (WA): 2017: 2nd, Charles Athanasopolous & Rayvon Dean; 2022, 1st Ana Bittner & Ari Davidson, 3rd (met Wake in Semis) Tajaih Robinson & Iyana Trotman.
Harvard University: 1978: 2nd, John Graham & Ross Smith; 1985, 3rd, Mark Bailey & Gloria Cabada (Round Robin); 1989, 2nd, Judd Kimball & Alan Coverstone; 1990: 1st, Mike Ridge & Brian Lain; 1994: 3rd, Adrienne Brovero & John Hughes; 1996, 1st, Brian Prestes & Daveed Gartenstein-Ross; 1998: 2nd, Clay Rhodes & Justin Green, 3rd, Andy Ryan & Cyclone Covey; 2012, 3rd, Ian Miller & Joe LeDuc; 2015: 2nd, Charles Athanasopoulos & Corinne Sugino.
National Debate Tournament (NDT): 1955: 3rd, Joseph Hough & Carwile LeRoy; 1993, 3rd, Mark Grant & Rick Fledderman; 1994: 3rd, Marcia Tiersky & Adrienne Brovero; 1995: 3rd, John Hughes & Adrienne Brovero; 1997: 1st, Brian Prestes & Daveed Gartenstein-Ross; 2006: 2nd, Brad Hall & Jamie Carroll; 2008: 1st, Seth Gannon & Alex Lamballe; 2009: 2nd, Alex Lamballe & Seth Gannon; 2010: 3rd, Sam Crichton & Will Sears; 2017: 3rd, Charles Athanasopolous & Corinne Sugino; 2019, 3rd, Roberto Fernandez & Nae Edwards; 2020; NDT Canceled, Coronavirus, 2023: 1st, Tajaih Robinson & Iyana Trotman.
Naval Academy: 1971: 3rd, Janice Gruber & Richard Kendrick; 1973: 2nd, Elmore Alexander & Richard Kendrick; 1974: 2nd, Kevin Quinley & Bob Birchfield; 1990, 3rd, Bill Ziegelmueller & Mark Grant; 1992: 3rd, Jeff Sodko & Adrienne Brovero; 1993: 3rd, (JV), Craig Green & Michael Seezen; 1994: 3rd, Ken Rufo & Michael Seezen; 1997, 2nd, (Novice), Rob Shaw & Joe Gagnon; 1999: 3rd, Amy Powell & Mark Yopp; 2000: 3rd, Andrea Will & Bingham Powell; 2007: 1st (Tie) Adam Ablekop & Will Sears, Doowan Chung & Seungwon Chung; 2009: 3rd, Kurt Zemlicka & Andrew McCarty; 2011: 1st, Ken Bailey & Ian Miller; 2013: (Novice) Ally Moir and RiverWu; 2014: 3rd, Jack Manchester & Thomas Stirrat; 3rd, Mac Cronin & Andrew Lopez; 2019, 3rd, Adam Tomosi & Alex Marban; 2020, 2nd, Ruby Klein & Alex Marban; 2022, 3rd, Raunak Dua & Jazmyn Luckett; 2023, 1st (tie) Gene Bressler & Alex Mojica, Jazmyn Luckett and Asya Taylor.
University of Kentucky: 1962, 3rd, Frank Wood & Barry Dorsey; 1975, 3rd, Mary Thomson & Tod Woodbury; 1987: 3rd, Gloria Cabada & Alan Coverstone; 1989: 2nd, Pre-Season Novice, Rick Fledderman & Joseph Peery; 1990: 1st, JV, Robin Flaig & Gordon Hull, 3rd, Pre-Season Novice, Melissa Butler & Jordana Sternberg; 1993: 1st, JV, Michael Seezen & Stephanie Arnold, 1994, 1st, Varsity Adrienne Brovero & John Hughes; 1995: 1st, Pre-Season Novice, Kristin Langwell & Nicole Runyan; 1997; 3rd, (Pre-Season Novice), Liz Ellis & Michael Bonura; 1998: 2nd, Varsity, Andy Ryan & Cyclone Covey; 2002: 1st, Pre-Season Novice, Jamie Carroll & Elizabeth Gedmark; 2003: 3rd, Brad Hall & Jamie Carroll; 2005, 3rd, (Pre-Season Novice) Forrest Pearce & Seungwon Chung; 2006: 2nd, – Sam Crichton & Nick Watts, 2014: (JV) closeout; 2014: (JV), 1st Tie Ned Gidley and Lucy Chen, Megan Bayne (with Indiana); 2016: 3rd, Charles Athanasopolous & Corinne Sugino. 2018: 3rd, Nae Edwards and Roberto Fernandez, 1st (JV) Jennifer Benavides & Maria Cortez-Perez.
University of Texas: 1969: 2nd, Rusty Stout & Ann Wood; 2014: 2nd Joe LeDuc & Melvin Washington; 2016: 1st, Charles Athanasopoulos & Corinne Sugino; 2023, 3rd Tajaih Robinson & Iyana Trotman.