GCCC Phi Rho Pi Named Division III Regional & State Team Champions
[Garden City, KS] February 17, 2026 -- Garden City Community College (GCCC) is proud to announce that its Phi Rho Pi Speech & Debate Team has been named the Division III Regional and State Team Champions, earning 1st Place Overall Team Sweepstakes at the Nebraska/Kansas Regional & State Tournament for College Speech & Debate.
Held this past weekend, the tournament was one of the most competitive events hosted in the region this year. Nine universities participated, with GCCC standing as the only community college represented. District III includes a regional network of institutions that sponsor intercollegiate speech and debate programs, creating a highly competitive circuit. In Kansas, four institutions advance to the state level, each bringing established programs and experienced competitors.
Despite competing against four-year institutions, the GCCC Broncbusters delivered a historic performance to secure the Division III Regional and State championship titles.
Individual Honors
- Phybee Maglangbayan – 6th Place, Poetry (Finalist)
- Veronica McCallum – 6th Place, Informative Speaking
- Brysan Sprowls – Novice Champion, Informative Speaking
- Jordan Humphreys & Phybee Maglangbayan – Spirit of KNIFA Award Recipients
Team members contributing to this championship achievement include Jordan Humphreys, Phybee Maglangbayan, Veronica McCallum, Brysan Sprowls, Katelynn Hintz, Allison Jayne-Hintz, Gabriel Buruca, Christy Donovan, Ava Galvan, Keely Petrus, and Isaac Dean.
“To be the only community college in the field and earn Division III Regional and State titles speaks to the academic rigor of our program and our institution’s commitment to excellence,” said Savannah Sanburg, Team Coach and Assistant Professor of Communication at GCCC. “Our students balanced demanding coursework while preparing to compete, and these awards reflect not only competitive success, but the integrity and professionalism they bring to every tournament.”
The GCCC Speech & Debate Team, Phi Rho Pi, empowers students by enhancing their public speaking, critical thinking, and argumentation skills through various competitive and collaborative events. This inclusive and dynamic student organization is open to all GCCC students, regardless of major or prior experience.
For more information or questions, contact Coach Savannah Sanburg at savannah.sanburg@gcccks.edu.
Left to right: Brysan Sprowls, Allison Jayne-Hintz, Gabriel Buruca, Phybee Maglandbayan, Keely Petrus, Christy Donovan, Katelynn Horne, Veronica McCallum, Ava Galvan, Isaac Dean, Mrs. Helen Weeks (Assistant Coach), Savannah Sanburg (Head Coach). Not pictured: Jordan Humphreys.
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