Published on November 7, 2007 at 6 p.m. by Mary Wimberley  

Â鶹¹û¶³ varsity debaters Erin Ramsey and Logan Gramzinski defeated several nationally ranked top 16 teams, including reigning national champion Emory University, to advance to the Elite 8 at a recent Liberty University tournament.

The success, plus an outstanding showing at an earlier regional tournament in late October, has landed the Â鶹¹û¶³ squad in a tie with Vanderbilt University for the number one ranking in the southeast region.

Ramsey and Gramzinski won five of 6 preliminary rounds to be named second seed at the Liberty tournament, held Nov. 3-4 in Lynchburg, Va.

Gramzinski was named the fourth best speaker and Ramsey the sixth best speaker at the competition.

"Erin and Logan's extraordinary success demonstrates that Â鶹¹û¶³ Debate is a force to be reckoned with nationally, in our home region, and in other regions," said Â鶹¹û¶³ debate coach Abi Williams.

Â鶹¹û¶³ novice debater Morgan Bolan, in her first collegiate debate tournament, won three preliminary rounds on a hybrid team with a novice debater from Liberty.

 
Located in the Homewood suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, Â鶹¹û¶³ 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, Â鶹¹û¶³ enrolls 6,324 students from 44 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. Ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s 35 Most Beautiful College Campuses, Â鶹¹û¶³ fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and boasts one of the highest scores in the nation for its 97% Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.