By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
The celebration may be a lot more low key, but the Kansas Jayhawks aren't the only ones in the Sunflower State basking in the glow of a recent national championship.
Washburn Rural senior debaters Jiyoon Park and Zach Willingham recently made some history of their own, winning the National Debate Coaches Association national championship on April 11.
"We're the first fully public and Kansas school to win this one, which was good,'' said Park.
Washburn Rural senior tennis players Zach Willingham (left) and Jiyoon Park are returning All-Shawnee County tennis picks and are also coming off a national debate championship. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Washburn Rural seniors Jiyoon Park (left) and Zach Willingham recently won the National Debate Coaches Association national title. [Twitter/Washburn Rural debate]
Park and Willingham, who previously won a state championship, still have two other national debate tournaments coming up, but before that the Rural duo will turn its attention back to its other love, playing No. 2 doubles for Kevin Hedberg's Junior Blues' tennis team.
Although participating in both debate and tennis at the same time carries severe time pressure with it, Park said having multiple interests is a benefit.
"It's actually sort of a relief that Zach and I do tennis and have other activities because debate is super stressful,'' Park said. "At NDCA we were really stressed in semifinals and finals and they gave us 45 minutes to prepare before our debate and I think for around 30 minutes of each preparation we played cards instead of actually preparing because it was like really stressful.
"And sometimes, after a debate tournament or after a long day, we'll go play tennis or something instead. Having an extra activity is always really helpful.''
Willingham agreed that there's a lot of demands, particularly this time of year, but said that it's worth it because of the diffferent rewards in their two main activities.
"With tennis and debate, school graduation and (advance placement) tests, there's a lot going on right now,'' Willingham said. "But tennis is fun because when you score a point you know it immediately. In debate you finish a round and 30 minutes later you find out if you won or lost.''
Park and Willingham are in their second year as doubles partners and are returning All-Shawnee County selections after winning the city title in No. 2 doubles and qualifying for the Class 6A state tournament a year ago.
Willingham credits Park for taking him on as a doubles partner a year ago.
"Actually, last year Jiyoon was the fifth guy on the team and Hedberg asked him who he would pick if he could pick anybody he wanted to be his partner and Jiyoon graciously picked me to be his doubles partner,'' Willingham said.
A similar set of circumstances led to Park and Willingham becoming debate partners a year ago and the results in both sports/activities are proof that Park made a good choice.
"In both tennis and debate I was the odd man out,'' Park said. "My sophomore year in debate I debated with a senior and I ended up doing pretty well with him but when he graduated I was partner-less so I also had a choice (in debate) of who I thought was pretty good or who I wanted to debate with. Zach was pretty smart so I also choose him for debate.''
Willingham admitted that he and Park don't always get along perfectly in either of their dual pursuits, but said squabbles are relatively brief and far between.
"We've had some fights over debate stuff and tennis stuff, but it kinds of ebbs and flows,'' Willingham said.
Park said that with high school debate and tennis both winding down, he and Willingham are concentrating on enjoying their final weeks as partners.
Park and Willingham both plan to attend KU, but only Park plans to debate in college.
"I think for now we're just doing it more for the fun,'' Park said. "I don't think Zach would ever say this, but I think everything about tennis is better because it's less stress intensive. Even though I enjoy debating more, tennis I'm here to enjoy it and ride the rest of the season out and we'll just see what unfolds.''
Hedberg said that it's been a pleasure working with both Willingham and Park in the school and tennis program and that the entire Washburn Rural team is proud of their treammates' recent title.
"It's fun to have them,'' Hedberg said. "I have them in class, they're great kids in class, and they're great to have around. They have so much fun and I think they were a little bit stunned by the fact that we all recognized it as a great achievement.
"I think sometimes people in some of these things work in anonymity and nobody really knows how difficult it is or what a great achievement it is, but I was absolutely thrilled for them and the coaches. Mr. (Tim) Ellis and Mr. (Sean) Duff, the two guys that work with debate, do a great job and it's like anything else you want to be really good at, there's a lot of after hours and sacrifice that go into it.''
