Union University freshman Ben Fulton received the Lindsay Miller Award as the top speaker at the Mississippi College Deep South Debates Dec. 5-6 in Clinton, Miss.

Union’s debate team finished second for the Team Sweepstakes Award at the tournament. Union took nine debaters to the contest, and eight of them qualified for the out-rounds of the competition, including its sole entrant in the varsity competition.

Fulton, a business major, finished with a 4-2 preliminary record in the varsity division and advanced to the out-rounds of the tournament.

Union’s novice debaters continued their high level of performance as well. Freshman Emily Welborn, social work major, was 6-0, second speaker, the tournament’s top seed and a semifinalist. Sophomore Betsy Davis, English/history double major, went 5-1, was first speaker, second seed and finished as an octofinalist (the final 16).

Freshman Jordan Hughey, chemistry major, went 5-1; Senior Jessikah Stahl, psychology major, went 4-2; and Senior Kate Conkling, French major, went 4-2. All three were quarterfinalists. Conkling was also the fifth- ranked speaker at the tournament.

Andrew Roberts and Kristin Tisdale, both freshmen from Hendersonville, Tenn., each finished 4-2 and were octo-finalists. Sophomore Jonathan Skagfield, philosophy and ethics major, was 3-3 and just missed the out-rounds, coming in as the 17th seed.

Web Drake, the team’s coach, and Freshman Aaron Brown, theatre major, went as the team’s judges.

The team will next be in competition at the Mardi Gras Classic at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La., on February 13-14, 2009.