BAYTOWN, Texas – The LSUS Debate Team laid claim to the 2025 Scholastic National Championship at the International Public Debate Association’s national tournament this past week at Lee College.
The Scholastic team national title includes all undergraduate debate divisions.
It’s the fifth national tournament championship in LSUS Debate’s rich history.
“This is the best showing we’ve had in the last few years, especially at the national tournament,” said LSUS coach A.J. Edwards. “It’s my first of the sweepstakes tournament championships, and I couldn’t be more proud of the way our kids stepped up.
“Everybody came in motivated, and they were able to relax a little and letting the process and the work show for itself. We did a really good job of supporting each other at this tournament, which is something we always do, but there was something special about this tournament.”
The Scholastic award is one of six national titles – three tournament titles and three season-long titles – that LSUS earned this season.
C.J. Longino and Cameron Thoele captured the tournament team debate championship by beating a Bossier Parish Community College duo in the finals. Longino added a season-long speaker title, which is awarded for debate presentation and style.
Addison Jacobsen took home the tournament junior varsity individual championship and was named the second-place speaker.
Both Jacobsen and Longino/Thoele didn’t drop a round.
“That’s eight preliminary rounds and four elimination rounds, that doesn’t happen very often,” Edwards said of the undefeated record. “Part of our growth process has been learning how to win debate rounds, and that takes a certain level of experience which we’ve developed.
“That means knowing how to handle things when they happen and building self-confidence. The other part of that is working with each other within tournaments and helping each other prepare.”
The Pilots captured second in the overall tournament sweepstakes when all divisions are included and finished as the No. 4 team in the season-long Founders standings.
LSUS advanced 11 of its 16 debaters to the tournament elimination rounds, its best of the season.
Micah Robinson reached the quarterfinals and captured the season-long junior varsity national championship. Robinson highlighted a season-long junior varsity championship for LSUS.
Other junior varsity debaters include Heidi Tyler (double octofinalist) and Emily Dowd (double octofinalist and fifth-place speaker). In the season-long standings, Jacobsen finished fourth and Dowd sixth.
In the novice division, Khaled Algahim (triple octofinalist), Jasmine Forck (double octofinalist) and Kaleb Schmidley (double octofinalist) reached the elimination rounds.
At the varsity level, Thoele and Longino were double octofinalists.
In the professional ranks (graduate students), Tommy James and Leia Smith were octofinalists with Smith capturing eighth-place speaker.
LSUS placed a multitude of debaters near the top of their respective season-long standings.
In addition to LSUS’s junior varsity championship, the Pilots in the varsity, professional, and team debate divisions.
Longino placed second in varsity and was named the top speaker in that division. Thoele finished seventh overall.
In team debate, Thoele/Longino placed fourth, Jacobsen/Robinson seventh and Dowd/Jordan Guillot 10th in their respective divisions.
LSUS finished the season as the No. 2 team in the debate category.
