Posted by Mary Wimberley on 2009-10-26

Samford University varsity debaters Dan Bagwell and Logan Gramzinski are ranked 15th in the nation by the National Debate Tournament following a strong showing at a recent Vanderbilt University tournament. The national field includes more than 350 varsity teams at schools throughout the U.S.

The Samford team finished second at the Vanderbilt tournament after losing to Liberty University’s top team by one judge’s ballot in the semi-final round. They had earlier defeated the top team from University of Kentucky in the quarter-final round.

Gramzinski and Bagwell were named first and second place speakers, respectively, out of the 172 individual debaters at the tournament, held Oct. 16-18.

The team is ranked 23rd in the nation in the coach’s poll.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.