The Louisiana Tech University Debate Team brought home four state titles and was third place overall out of more than 30 teams nationwide in its most recent virtual competition, the 2021 Southern Forensics Championship tournament the final weekend of January.

Emmitt Antwine and Ashley Hale each earned Louisiana State Championship titles, and Skylar Dean won a pair.

Also, Tech coach Megan Smith was named Louisiana Coach of the Year after a vote from all students from the state’s debate team programs.

In team debate, Antwine, a freshman math major, won first place speaker.

Hale is the state champ in the professional division and second place speaker.

Dean, a senior political science major, won both the speaker championship and the individual debate title in the junior varsity division.

Antwine and his debate partner, Alex Gibson of Bossier Parish Community College, were first place in preliminary rounds and semifinalists in elimination rounds.

Senior political science major Steve Garcia and senior biomedical engineering major Katie McKenzie were semifinalists in team debate. McKenzie was also third place speaker in the professional division of individual debate.

Tech graduate Kendrick Kruskie was a quarterfinalist in the professional division.