Debaters Matthew Norwood and Jolen Martinez will compete with other 5A division teams in Austin, TX in the state policy debate competition on March 18 and 19.

Norwood and Martinez qualified after attending the UIL State qualifying tournament in Prosper on Jan. 20. The district included only Lovejoy, Prosper, and Wylie. Teams were sent given A, B, and C designation depending on their ranking in the school debate team. The teams went through three preliminary rounds, and four of the nine teams in the tournament broke to semifinals.

Lovejoy’s A Team, Matthew Norwood and Jolen Martinez, were the only Lovejoy team to break, going on to win first at the tournament. Second place went to Wylie A, leaving Prosper as the sole team shut out of UIL State.