Milbank Debaters Win Two State Golds

It is an “unheard of feat to win both Lincoln-Douglas and Public Forum,” stated Kathy Tyler head coach for the MHS debate team. But the Bulldogs took the Gold in both divisions in Class A of the SDHSAA State Debate and IE Tournament held in Brookings from March 7-8. Max Schuelke and the duo of Qualon Grant and Cameron Graham each triumphed. Milbank also brought home third place as a team.

Schuelke secured the first-place plaque in Lincoln-Douglas by winning his final five rounds with a 3-2 ballot in a verbal clash with a debater from Sturgis Brown. In addition, Schuelke placed third in U.S. Extemp.

Milbank’s Public Forum team of Grant and Graham battled through an intense day and eight rounds to earn their first-place trophy. “They moved to the octofinals with a 3-2 record and won every round after that to make the stage,” Tyler commented. Grant and Graham claimed a 5-0 decision in the finals against Spearfish. Not to be outdone, sophomore Bri Hicks reached the semifinals in Lincoln-Douglas and placed third..

Milbank team members added enough points from each of  their events to propel the Bulldogs to third place in the Class A team rankings. Keira Steffen, Miriam Del Angel Chavez, Ruth Lois Gomez, Carlos Olivares Zuniga, Charlotte Street, and Addison Brown represented MHS in the competition against  the other schools of Spearfish, Sturgis Brown, Douglas, Beresford, Dakota Valley, Tea, Vermillion, Sioux Falls Christian, Lennox, and Tripp-Delmont.

“There aren’t enough words to express how proud I am of Milbank’s debaters,” Tyler praised. “Coaches give them the tools; they supply the work.”