From Murray to the National Stage: SDU Triumphs at Pi Kappa Delta
From March 13th–16th, the Murray State Speech & Debate Union traveled to Athens, Ohio, to compete in the Pi Kappa Delta Comprehensive National Tournament, hosted by Ohio University. This year’s tournament was one of the largest in the organization’s history, featuring over 50 colleges and universities and nearly 2,000 individual event and debate entries from across the nation.
Murray State’s SDU showcased its depth, versatility, and competitive spirit across a wide range of events, including National Parliamentary Debate (NPDA), After-Dinner Speaking, Communication Analysis, Program Oral Interpretation, Informative Speaking, Extemporaneous Speaking, and Impromptu Speaking.
Tournament Highlights:
Samuel Miller & Samuel Harless are National Champions in Novice NPDA Debate, earning top honors in a highly competitive division.
Caleb McCurren & Zack Benz placed 5th in the nation in the Open NPDA division, competing against the most elite debaters in the country.
Zack Benz was ranked the 5th overall NPDA debate speaker and 3rd among Novice speakers, a remarkable dual recognition.
Caleb McCurren earned the title of 8th overall NPDA speaker and was also named the 4th best Novice speaker.
Samuel Harless was recognized as the 6th-ranked Novice NPDA speaker, rounding out a dominant showing by Murray State’s Novice squad.
In Individual Events, Caleb McCurren’s After-Dinner Speech advanced to the top 24 in the nation—a significant achievement in one of the tournament’s most competitive categories.
Team Awards:
2nd Place – National Debate Sweepstakes, recognizing Murray State as one of the top-performing debate programs in the tournament.
9th Place – Individual Events Sweepstakes, reflecting the team’s strong showing across diverse public speaking categories.
6th Place – Overall Team Sweepstakes, placing Murray State among the top six schools nationwide.
This record-breaking tournament brought together the best and brightest in collegiate forensics, and Murray State’s outstanding performance stood out among the crowd. The SDU is incredibly proud of its team members for their hard work, resilience, and excellence—and looks forward to carrying this momentum into future competitions.