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(SPOKANE, Wash.) — Gonzaga University’s top debate team of seniors Nick Bormann and Grace Saez defeated Whitman’s top team in the final-round to capture the Northwest Championship Tournament, hosted by Whitman College, which ended Monday.

The victories earned Bormann, Spokane, and Saez, Las Vegas, an automatic bid to the National Debate Tournament set for March 25-April 1 at California State University at Fullerton. Gonzaga also advanced five teams to the elimination round of the tournament held March 1-3 in Walla Walla — more than any other school.

“After losing to Whitman in the semifinals or finals for the past few years, it felt great to get it done,” said GU debate Coach Glen Frappier. Whitman’s top team earned the second and final bid to the NDT, but Frappier believes another Gonzaga team may earn an at-large berth to the national tourney.

“We expect that our second team of Abe Corrigan and James Joseph will earn an at-large bid to the NDT,” Frappier said. “No school can qualify more than three teams to the NDT, and even then only six schools are allowed a third team. Our third team of Leah Moczulski and Brent Hamilton is likely the seventh ‘third’ team in the nation and won’t be eligible to receive an invitation.”

In addition to the team of Bormann and Saez, three of the four other Gonzaga teams that advanced to the elimination bracket to be defeated in the quarterfinals were: sophomores Abe Corrigan, Glenview, Ill., and James Joseph, San Diego; freshman Leah Moczulski, Houston, and junior Brent Hamilton, Portland, Ore.; and the team of junior Melissa Hanna, Los Angeles, and freshman Jim Sydnor, Birmingham, Ala. The GU team of freshmen Karina Momary, Los Angeles, and Garry Padrta, Spokane, also advanced to the elimination bracket but lost in the octa-finals.

Gonzaga’s debate team is currently ranked No. 14 in the nation, but Frappier expects the Zags will move up in the rankings based on last weekend’s performance.

“I expect we’ll break the Top Ten based on our performance this weekend,” Frappier said. Following are the current Top 15 debate teams in the NDT standings:

1. Emory University
2. University of Kansas
3. Harvard University
4. Wake Forest University
5. Northwestern University
6. Binghamton University
7. Michigan State University
8. Dartmouth College
9. U. California at Berkeley
10. Missouri State University
11. University of Texas
12. Wichita State University
13. U. of Southern California
14. Gonzaga University
15. University of Wyoming