Alumni In College Debate

Many alums of Woodward Debate have continued their competitive debate careers in college. Among those, several have qualified for the National Debate Tournament, college debate's equivalent of the NCAA Tournament. 

National Debate Tournament Qualifiers

Woodward alums who have qualified for the National Debate Tournament include (in reverse chronological order):

• • Tripp Haskins '17 (University of Georgia — 2018, 2019)

  • Liliana Burgess '16 (Emory University — 2019, 2020*)

  • Rahim Shakoor '12 (Northwestern University — 2013, 2014)

  • Jason Sigalos '12 (Emory University — 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016)

  • Matthew Pesce '10 (Emory University — 2012, 2013)

  • Evan Matthews '08 (University of Redlands — 2009)

  • Bobo Bose-Kolanu '07 (Harvard University — 2009, 2011)

  • Seth Gannon '05 (Wake Forest University — 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009)

  • Avery Dale '02 (Northwestern University — 2004, 2005, 2006)

  • Peter Miller '01 (Massachusetts Institute of Technology — 2002)

  • Eric Zampol '98 (Dartmouth College — 1999)

  • Cyclone Covey '97 (Wake Forest University — 2000)

  • Robbie Ashe '93 (Dartmouth College — 1997)

  • Andre Hylton '92 (Dartmouth College — 1995, 1996)

*Note: The 2020 National Debate Tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

NDT Elimination Round Appearances

Seth Gannon '05 is the only Woodward alum to win the National Debate Tournament. He did so in 2008 while debating for Wake Forest University. Gannon reached the finals again in 2009, becoming one of very few college students to ever reach the finals of the NDT more than once. 

Other alums that have reached the elimination rounds at the NDT include Andre Hylton '92 (quarterfinals in '95 and octafinals in '96), Cyclone Covey '97 (octafinals in '00), Eric Zampol '98 (double-octafinals in '99), Avery Dale '02 (double-octafinals in '04 and octafinals in '06), Bobo Bose-Kolanu '07 (quarterfinals in '09), Matthew Pesce '10 (double-octafinals in '12, octafinals in '13), Jason Sigalos '12 (octafinals in '13, double-octafinals in '14, octafinals in '15, octafinals in '16), and Tripp Haskins '17 (double-octafinals in '19).