UT Tyler Debaters Win National Tournament Championship

October 21, 2022

UT Tyler Debaters Win National Tournament Championship

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October 21, 2022

Media Contact: Beverley Golden
Senior Director of Media Relations
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The University of Texas at Tyler
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The University of Texas at Tyler debate team placed first at the 2022 Steve Hunt Classic, outperforming collegiate teams from across the nation.

Hunter Parrish and Josh Smith achieved a 4-1 record in preliminary rounds and won every elimination round to secure the championship. Also, Angie Carroll and Harlin Dean placed first in the junior varsity division of the tournament, which was hosted by Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon.

“The team is excited to have such a strong finish in a competition that included our elite rivals in Texas and strong liberal arts institutions in several other states,’’ said Joseph Provencher, UT Tyler director of forensics and head debate coach. “The future is bright for UT Tyler debate.’’

Parrish, a third-year debater, also was ranked the fifth overall speaker. Smith, a second-year debater, ranked fourth overall. Dean was ranked the No. 1 overall junior varsity speaker. Dean and Carroll are freshman debaters, and this was their first time to participate in a tournament.

UT Tyler participates in National Parliamentary Debate Association and National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence events. Debaters compete in partnerships of two and accrue points toward a national, season-long ranking. To learn more about UT Tyler’s award-winning debate team, visit uttyler.edu/debate.

With a mission to improve educational and healthcare outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT Tyler offers more than 80 undergraduate and graduate programs to 10,000 students. UT Tyler recently merged with The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler (now known as UT Tyler Health Science Center). Through its alignment with UT Tyler Health Science Center (HSC) and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.