Northern Wisconsin District Qualifier

for the 2025 National Tournament

Congrats to our National Qualifiers: (results based on double qualification adjustments)

USX: Meha Dasgupta
IX: Merrit Mauer
OO: Derrick Sheehan and Maddie Weix
Info: Mabel Miller and Raena Granger
Duo: Fick & Walsh and Vanden Heuvel & Van Rossum
HI: Elizabeth Balliargeon and Owen Hands
DI: Sienna Stautz and Kira Sonnee
POI: Mackenzie Schmidt and Amalia Weix
House: Nina Battacharjee and Joel Cho
PF: Lankella & Riley
CX: Benthein & Lishner
LD: Charlie Hamm
BQ: TBD
WS: TBD

Forensics

The district ended last year at level 1. This was a change from prior years when we were at level 2. The primary impact of this is that level 1 districts earn a second nationals bid at 16 entries, whereas level 2 get their second at 4 entries. This makes it far more difficult for schools to bring less experienced competitors from across the state to a competition site to round out our entries. However, returning to an asynchronous format allows teams to more easily organize extra students and submit them, and make it easier to recruit the extra judges needed to cover the additional number of prelim sections required. We understand that this isn’t ideal compared to a live competition but this format will likely double the opportunities for students to compete at nationals.

April 7, 8:00 pm, upload deadline

April 9, 6:00 pm, prelim judging due, final audit info/results opens to coaches once all rounds are submitted.

April 10, Noon, end audit, post elims

April 11, 8 pm, finals judging due (assignments may be adjusted on request for WISDAA judges), audit info opens.

April 12, afternoon/evening, Post results after congress is concluded.

Congress

Our district size does not impact congress qualifiers. We will hold congress on April 12, with a planned start time in the morning, based upon our needed schedule based on number of entries.

If we have 6 schools and 10 total entries we can hold a Senate that sends 2 entries.

If we can get 16 entries (regardless of the number of schools) we can send 2 in the house.

To count as a participant, a student needs to give at least one speech or serve as a presiding officer.

Big Questions

If at least 10 students from 2 schools are interested, we will hold BQ tournament using after school times on April 22-24, using a 4 prelim, with all 1 loss or better entries breaking. This means that students with two losses prior to round 4 would not be nationals eligible. If the district does hold the BQ tournament, we would be eligible for BQ grant money.

World Schools Debate

By April 12, schools with students interested in forming/participating in World School debate should express their interest in competing. To be eligible students must have entered at least one event (Debate, Forensics, or Congress). We can send 1 or 2 teams of 3-5 students. Based on the number of interested students, if the number of interested students (from schools willing to meet the participation expectations, i.e. responsibility for entries at nationals and coaching/coordinating with the team’s designated coach) exceeds the size of possible teams, the district committee will use Option B to determine final team composition.