An outline of to heads talking to each other with the word Debate between them.

The Parsons High School Debate Team garnered fourth place overall at the Coffeyville Tournament Saturday.

Jayce Quirin and Madelyn Armitage went 4-1 and got third Sophia Hinman and Jazzy Palmer went 4-1 and got fifth.

This is only the second competition of the season for the students, so they are still working through things to hone their skills.

“It’s good to see them rising to the occasion,” PHS debate and forensics teacher Ed Workman said.

“We’ve got some real mentorship relationships starting to develop with the novices and the advanced debaters. It doesn’t always happen with a team, when they do it on their own and you don’t have to push it,” Workman said. “This group’s been much more to let it happen naturally. It’s been pretty cool to see.”

A team solidifying and working together for the success of all students only helps it to get stronger faster, which is important in the high school debate world.

“The season passes so fast,” Workman said. “We start in September, and everything wraps up at Christmas break It’s kind of a mad dash of getting competitions in, refining, practicing improving getting ready for the national qualifier and the regionals It comes at you fast.”

The team will be competing at Frontenac Saturday.