CSU-Pueblo Forensics Team Advances to Elimination Rounds

PUEBLO - The Forensics Team at Colorado State University-Pueblo returned from the National Parliamentary Debate Association (NPDA) National Championship at California State University-Long Beach after competing March 19-21. The team of Eliana Taylor, junior English major from Longmont, and Max Groznik, freshman political science and history major from Lake Oswego, Ore., finished the tournament with a 5-3 record, advancing to elimination rounds. They won debates against the University of Nevada at Reno, Western Washington University, the College of Idaho, the US Air Force Academy, and Lewis and Clark College.

Due to their high speaker points, the team earned a bye through the quad-octofinals round, advancing to triple-octofinals where they lost on a 2-1 decision to a team from Washburn University. Taylor and Groznik were the 35th seed of the tournament of more than 160 teams.

Freshmen Brianna Heifner, a biology major from Canon City, and David Salay, a computer information systems major from Pueblo West, marked their first NPDA appearance with a 2-6 record, scoring wins over Tulane University and the University of Puget Sound. Makayla Miller, a sophomore mass communications major from Castle Rock, also scored a 2-6 record with her partner Noah Reingold from the University of Missouri with wins over CSU-Long Beach and Tulane University.

Now that the competition season is over, the team will shift its energy to camps and other recruiting events. This summer, the team will host its annual college debate camp, the Rocky Mountain Cooperative, June 25-July 1, as well as its first high school debate camp.

Colorado State University - Pueblo is a regional, comprehensive university emphasizing professional, career-oriented, and applied programs. Displaying excellence in teaching, celebrating diversity, and engaging in service and outreach, CSU-Pueblo is distinguished by access, opportunity, and the overall quality of services provided to its students.