Stephen F. Austin State University

The Stephen F. Austin State University Debate Team is the top International Public Debate Association open division squad in the nation and a team member is the top open division debater following the group's performance at the Pi Kappa Delta Tournament of the Great West held recently in Seattle, Wash.

SFA students Chris Duerringer, Dan Eldridge, Steve Goode and Pat Richey attended the competition, along with SFA debate coach Stephen Jeffcoat, who assisted with managing the event. The team won the competition, and Duerringer was named top debater. Eldridge and Goode were in the final group of eight and were recognized with a "Good" rating.

"With only three regular season tournaments left this season, the team will be defending its lead in March at tournaments at Grambling University, Louisiana State University-Shreveport and Mississippi College," Jeffcoat said.

The tournament was held on the campus of Pacific Lutheran University and was attended by more than 25 colleges and universities. Other southern teams attending were the University of Texas-Tyler and Louisiana State University-Shreveport.

Earlier in the season, the team won top awards at two Louisiana debate tournaments. Duerringer was named champion and Goode was named best speaker at the Louisiana Intercollegiate Forensics Association state tournament held recently in Alexandria.

"It was a stunning upset for Louisiana colleges and universities, because of the eight top places awarded in the tournament, five went to SFA debaters," said Jeffcoat, SFA director of forensics.

Eldridge and Richey won quarterfinalist awards, and Dan Keesee won a semifinalist award. In addition to the best speaker award, Goode was ranked the No. 2 debater.

At the “Hot and Spicy" debate tournament sponsored by McIlhenny Tabasco Co. at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Richey was named tournament champion.

SFA won multiple awards across all three divisions of the competition. Latoya Harridon was the No. 1 speaker in the novice division, and Dan Eldridge was the No. 1 speaker in the varsity division. Advancing to the out rounds, winning an award and customized bottle of Tabasco sauce were Latoya Harridon as an octofinalist and Stacey Marshall as a quarterfinalist in the Novice Division.

John Nichols and Dan Eldridge were octofinalists, and Sarah Kreuter and Dan Keesee were quarterfinalists in the varsity division. In the open division, Steve Goode was a quarterfinalist.