Tag: Debate Team

Tom Pacheco ’14 uses his award-winning debate skills to help others.

University of Mary Washington Debate Team seniors Colin McElhinny and Thomas Pacheco talked their way to the top on March 16 when they won the American Debate Association National Championship at Liberty University. Pacheco received The Julia Burke Award for Character and Excellence in American Debate Association Policy Debate. “UMW Debate had a great weekend […]

University of Mary Washington seniors Colin McElhinny and Thomas Pacheco have received a first round at-large bid to the 2014 National Debate Tournament (NDT), to be held at Indiana University from March 28 through 31.McElhinny and Pacheco competed at nine tournaments this season, including at Harvard, Dartmouth and Wake Forest, placing in the top three […]

University of Mary Washington Debate Team seniors Colin McElhinny (’14, Erie, Pa.) and Thomas Pacheco (’14, Baltimore, Md.) recently placed third at the Herbert L. James Round Robin held at Dartmouth College, Jan. 25 to 26.Seven schools received invitations to the prestigious round robin, based on their performance at tournaments in the fall. The invitees […]

The University of Mary Washington Debate Team duo of juniors Colin McElhinny and Patrick MCleary rank fifth in the country going into the 2013 National Debate Tournament. The 67th annual National Debate Tournament, held through Monday, April 1 at Weber State University, brings together the top debate teams from across the country for five days of competition.

Colin McElhinny (left) and Patrick McCleary are ranked fifth going into the National Debate Tournament.

McElhinny and McCleary are in the top five alongside teams from Georgetown, Northwestern, Harvard and Wake Forest.

“Regardless of what happens over the next four days of competition, it is essential that we pause to acknowledge that their body of work this academic year has been deemed by their peers to be exemplary,” said Tim O’Donnell, professor of communication and director of debate at UMW.

Debate Coach Adrienne Brovero and Assistant Debate Coach Judd Kimball work closely with McElhinny, a political science and economics double major, and McCleary, a political science major.

During the opening ceremony of the tournament, O’Donnell received the Lucy M. Keele Award for his outstanding service to the debate community.

As the UMW director of debate, O’Donnell has coached the university’s nationally ranked intercollegiate policy debate team to win the American Debate Association National Championship in 2009 and four other times since 2001. He has received the association’s Robert Lambert Coach of the Year Award for Excellence and Service in Intercollegiate Debate. He was awarded the National Debate Tournament’s George Ziegelmueller Award in 2010.

To follow the team’s progress at the tournament, follow @UMWDebate on Twitter.