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Panther Debate wins sweepstakes at Lyons tourney
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COURTESY PHOTO Lyons first-place sweepstakes team – Back row: Hunter Nelson-Crawford, Kim Peterson, Kyra Lewis, Hunter McClanahan, Zachary Hart, Ethan Harrington, Rhys Froetschner, Quinton Heath. Middle Row: Holly Ann Lutrell, Nevaeh Nagel, Jaaziel Hernandez, Melissa Gutierrez and Kendra Scheideman, Diana Stoddard, Korrie Christian, Elliot Jimenez. Front Row: Novalea Brand, Aliza Belcher, Lexi Hernandez and Sebastian Quezada.
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COURTESY PHOTO Nickerson team – Back row: Callan Cavendar, Ethan Harrington, Zachary Hart, Tyler Scheurman and Holly Ann Lutrell. Front row: Korrie Christian, Jaaziel Hernandez, Grace Miller and Aubree Lewis.

The Great Bend High School Panther Debate Team brought home the first-place sweepstakes trophy at the Lyons Debate Tournament on Saturday, Oct. 25.

Seniors Quinton Heath and junior Kyra Lewis led the team with a third-place finish in the Open Division, posting a 3-1 record. Seniors Zach Hart and Diana Stoddard followed with a seventh-place finish in Open, earning two wins and two losses. Junior Kendra Scheideman and freshman Holly Ann Luttrell rounded out the Open division with one win and three losses.

The freshmen dominated the junior varsity and novice divisions. Ethan Harrington and Jaaziel Hernandez went undefeated to claim first place in JV. In the Novice Division, freshmen Lexi Hernandez and Sebastian Quezada also finished 4-0 to capture first place, while freshmen Aliza Belcher and Novalea Brand placed second with a 3-1 record. Senior Melissa Gutierrez and freshman Kimberly Peterson earned third with three wins and one loss. Freshmen Hunter Nelson-Crawford and Nevaeh Nagel placed fifth, also finishing 3-1. Sophomore Korrie Christian and freshman Elliot Jimenez rounded out the Novice division with a seventh-place finish.

Panther debate coach Kim Heath expressed pride in the team’s performance. “Our debaters demonstrated incredible skill, perseverance and teamwork across all divisions at Lyons,” Heath said. “It’s rewarding to see both our experienced and first-year competitors contributing to such a strong team finish.”

The Panthers continued their season on Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Nickerson Tournament. Sophomore Korrie Christian teamed with freshman Callan Cavender in Novice, placing fifth with a 3-2 record. Two of GBHS teams made the jump from the Novice division to the Junior Varsity division. Sophomores Grace Miller and Tyler Scheuerman earned two wins in JV, while freshmen Aubree Lewis and Holly Ann Luttrell also represented Great Bend in that division. In the Open Division, senior Zach Hart and freshman Ethan Harrington competed together, finishing with one win and four losses.

Coach Heath noted that this time of year presents unique challenges for her students.

“The debate team is filled with competitors who showcase their skills in many different areas,” she said. “We’ve reached the point of the season where debate, theater, music contests, and state competitions all overlap. These students are balancing academics, community service, and extra-curriculars with impressive time management and commitment.”

The team will take a break this weekend to support the Great Bend High School drama department’s fall play. Many debaters are involved as cast or crew members in Bob Robens’ parody of classic detective noir, “Kill Me, Deadly.” Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 8, and 2 and 7 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 9, in the GBHS auditorium. The public is encouraged to attend.

The Panther debaters will return to competition on November 15 at Salina Central.