Junior twins Sam and Will Arnesen won the New York City Invitational debate tournament at Bronx Science High School this past weekend after 19 grueling rounds.

The two competed in Public Forum and brought home the trophy after four days of debating the topic: on balance, public subsidies for professional athletic organizations in the United States benefit their local communities. By the end, the pair had to win 10 rounds in a row in order to stay in the competition, Will Arnesen said.

“We certainly weren’t expecting to win,” he said. “There were 186 very talented teams from around the country.”

Winning this tournament gave the Arnesens a bid to the Tournament of Champions, a national tournament held at University of Kentucky at the end of April. The Arnesens were co-champions of the TOC last year, closing out with Fionn Adamian (‘14) and Ben Zimmermann (‘14).

“Ever since the Arnesens made history last year by being the youngest people ever to win the Tournament of Champions, every debater in the whole country knows their name,” junior David Whyman said.

The unusually large number of rounds in this tournament made it difficult, so winning it was a big success, Will Arnesen said.

“I think it was really satisfying given how long we’ve worked on the topic,” Sam Arnesen said. “I think it was great how well everyone else did as well.”

In other forms of debate, senior Sophia Caldera reached octafinals in Lincoln-Douglas debate and Whyman placed 11th in congressional debate. Both earned bids to the TOC.

Ironically, the Arnesens had forgotten to bring the traveling PF trophy that Adamian and Zimmermann had won last year with them to the Bronx. The victory saved them from trouble with tournament officials.

“Crisis averted,” Will Arnesen said.

Will Arnesen is an opinion writer for The Black & White.