April 24, 2001

WKU Finishes Fifth In National Forensics Tournament, Wins Founders Award For Tradition Of Success In Event

Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University's William E. Bivin Forensic Society finished fifth overall in the 31st National Forensics Association national tournament that concluded Monday on Western's campus.

Western also received the Seth C. Hawkins Founders Cumulative Sweepstakes Awards, given to the school that has accumulated the most sweepstakes points throughout the years at the NFA tournament.

"Receiving the Founders Award is a real honor," said Judy Woodring, WKU forensics director. "The award is presented to a program that has a sustained level of excellence for a number of years."

Last year Western finished fifth overall in the NFA after a seventh-place finish in 1999. Western's speech and debate teams also have won three consecutive international titles and numerous state, national and invitational tournament awards.

"Our students are incredibly talented," Woodring said. "I think we've proven that over and over. I'm just really proud of this group."

This year's team had only one senior so the experience gained by younger students should pay off in the future for Western's tradition-rich program, she said.

"My goal in the next three years is to win the NFA title," Woodring said.

Shadana Dickerson, an Adairville junior, had Western's best finish in individual events with a second-place finish in prose interpretation. She also made the quarterfinals in poetry interpretation.

Amy Jones, a Morehead senior, was fourth in informative speaking, fifth in impromptu speaking, a quarterfinalist in after-dinner speaking, a quarterfinalist in persuasive speaking and 12th in individual sweepstakes.

Bradley University won the overall title followed by Illinois State University, University of Miami (Ohio), University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire and WKU.

The NFA tournament is the nation's largest forensics event. Of the 237 member schools, about 80 sent teams to Bowling Green for the five-day tournament on Western's campus.

Other individual results for Western in the April 19-23 event were:

Keith Blaser, a sophomore from Evansville, Ind., semifinals in prose interpretation, semifinals in duo interpretation with Drew Allen and quarterfinals in poetry interpretation.

Drew Allen, a freshman from Brentwood, Tenn., semifinals in duo interpretation with Keith Blaser, quarterfinals in duo interpretation with Katie Tyree and quarterfinals in prose interpretation.

Phillip Wininger, a Bowling Green junior, semifinals in extemporaneous speaking and quarterfinals in informative speaking.

David Wilkins, a Bardstown junior, quarterfinals in extemporaneous speaking, quarterfinals in after-dinner speaking, quarterfinals in impromptu speaking and octofinals in Lincoln-Douglas debate.

Sarah Sparks, a Morehead junior, octofinals in Lincoln-Douglas debate.

Natalie Croney, a Hopkinsville freshman, quarterfinals in prose interpretation.

Katie Tyree, a freshman from Plymouth, Ind., quarterfinals in duo interpretation with Drew Allen.

Other team members who contributed to Western's success at the NFA tournament were Corey Alderdice, a Water Valley freshman; Margaret Au and Raegan Gibson, both freshmen from Evansville, Ind.; Kelli Giorgio, a Bowling Green sophomore; David Laing, a Louisville junior; Andy Miladin, a Shelbyville freshman; Shameka Neely, a sophomore from Hermitage, Tenn.; Alisa Ponananta, a Florence junior; and Eric Rogers, a Cave City sophomore.

For more information, contact Judy Woodring, forensics director, at (270) 745-6340. More WKU news is available on the World Wide Web at www.wku.edu. If you'd like to receive WKU news via E-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.