Jordan Brawner, 17, of Bothell and Sarah Carter, 17, of Lynnwood won the final round of team policy debate at the Silversmith Tournament Jan. 23 in Bellevue.

Debating changing the U.S. Policy on the Environment, they won five of six preliminary rounds, then swept through the playoffs and won the final round for an overall record of nine of 10 rounds. They received the first-place trophy at the end of a three-day tournament in which 42 policy debate teams and a total of 149 teens competed in speech or debate.

Brawner and Carter are experienced members of Verve Debate Club of Kirkland, which is one of seven clubs participating in the Puget Sound area. These clubs are helping homeschool students become communicators of the future. Students learn and exercise analytical and oratorical skills, addressing life issues from a Biblical world view. The Puget Sound Speech and Debate Association participates in the National Christian Forensics and Communications Association (NCFCA), which offers two different debate events, Team Policy and Lincoln Douglas, and 10 other speech events.