Denton, TX- The University of North Texas Speech and Debate Team recently won ten awards at the Pi Kappa Delta (PKD) National Competition during its Biennial Tournament & Convention that was hosted by the University of Central Florida.

"It was incredible to return to in-person competition with such a huge set of successes. The second-place national finish proves we have continued to keep our standards high during the pandemic", said Dr. Brian Lain, Director of Debate. "Having the opportunity to see our students achieve in face-to-face competition was very meaningful. The entire squad coming together and supporting each other's voices on the national stage was surreal", said Lain.

UNT debaters Aaron Delgado (Communication Studies), Taylor Dougherty (Communication Studies), Zachary Jones (Political Science), Gavvy Lott (Political Science/Communication Studies), Sebastian Posca (Political Science), Alaia Snell (Economics/Communication Studies), and Joseph Wofford, (Communication Studies) combined for ten awards at the annual event.

"The group did what they set out to accomplish, and we are proud of the hard work and dedication they put forward and are continuing to do", said Louie Petit Associate Director of Debate and Senior Lecturer.

Delgado earned awards in four events including After Dinner Speaking (ADS), Extemporaneous Speaking (EXT), Persuasive Speaking (PERS), and Impromptu Speaking (IMP), Lott claimed honors in Dramatic Interpretation (DI), Posca received an award in International Public Debate Association (IPDA) format, while Snell and Jones tied for third in Lincoln-Douglas (LD) Debate. Upperclassman, Wofford placed second in Lincoln-Douglas debate at PKD nationals, which sealed the team an Excellence Sweepstakes title.

"I am really proud of our performance at PKD", said Wofford. "Our success reflects the talent of the team and coaching staff, which will improve as we continue to compete this season."

Coming up, Delgado, Lott, and Snell qualified for the prestigious American Forensics Association National Speech Tournament and will compete at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln April 1-4. Followed by the Eagles participation in the National Forensics Association tournament, which will be debated by Holden Bukowsky (Philosophy), Delgado, Dougherty, Lott, Jones, Snell, and Wofford at the University of Illinois, April 14-17.

For more information on the UNT Debate Team, click here.