Wheeling student named semifinalist in Harvard debate tournament

Posted March 12, 2017 11:00 pm

Submitted by District 214

Wheeling High School's Congress Debate team competed at the national Harvard Congressional Debate Tournament in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where more than 500 students competed.

At the three-day tournament in February, 10 Wheeling students, led by Head Coach Mike Hurley and Assistant Coach Adriana Soto, worked together with other Illinois schools to represent the state. Wheeling has debated at this tournament two times in the last 10 years, and this marked their third time competing at Harvard.

Wheeling debaters Katie Chong and M.J. Hurley both advanced to the quarterfinal round. Chong, a senior and the team captain, later advanced to the semifinal round, the farthest a Wheeling debater has ever gone at the Harvard tournament.

Mike Hurley was ecstatic about the students' performance. "This is an extraordinary experience, a memory for a lifetime. We debated against the best in the country at the most prestigious university. It doesn't get any better than that."

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