Two students from Sumner Academy, Bennett Addink and Isaac Lainez, have made it to the sweet-sixteen round of the Urban Debate National Championship (UNDC) hosted by the National Association for Urban Debate, held on April 2nd, 2023 in Dallas, Texas.
Representing DEBATE-Kansas City, the duo placed 14th overall, beating out some of the strongest debate competition in the nation. Addink and Lainez have been honing their debate skills since middle school, and their success at the UNDC is a testament to their hard work and dedication.
In addition to the team’s success, both Addink and Lainez won speaker awards at the competition. Lainez earned 6th place speaker, while Addink took home the 3rd place speaker award.
“Congratulations to Bennett and Isaac on this outstanding achievement,” said Isaac Allen, DEBATE-Kansas City Executive Director. “Their success is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and the strength of the debate programs in the Kansas City area.”
The Sumner Academy team was not the only team representing DEBATE-Kansas City at the competition. The team of Max Pederos and Eli of Lincoln College Prep also participated, showcasing the depth of talent and dedication to debate in the Kansas City area.
“We are incredibly proud of all of our students who participated in the UNDC,” said Allen. “Their dedication and passion for debate is inspiring, and we look forward to seeing what they will achieve in the future as both teams are just junior and will be back next season.”
Overall, the success of the Sumner Academy team and their individual accolades demonstrate the strength of debate programs in the Kansas City area and the dedication of the students and coaches involved. Special shout out to coaches Jamelle Brown and Royal Sullivan of Sumner Academy and Charles Palmer of Lincoln College Prep.
Also special thanks to DKC Program Director Corey Fisher and Program Officer Martin Osborn for their excellent work with both teams. DKC has served over 12,000 students and hundreds of educators and coaches in Kansas City since its founding in 1998.
1
0
Average Rating