October 03, 2001

WKU Forensics Team Wins Tournament In Missouri

Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University's William E. Bivin Forensic Society took first-place honors in debate and speech events last weekend at a tournament in Missouri.

Western was first in debate sweepstakes and first in overall debate and individual events sweepstakes in the Truman State Swing Tournament. Twelve members of the WKU forensics team competed in the Sept. 28-30 event at Kirksville, Mo.

David Wilkins, a Bardstown senior, and Jennifer Purcell, a freshman from Lewisville, Texas, placed first and second in overall combined individual sweepstakes, which includes both debate and individual events.

David Laing, a Louisville senior, won the Lincoln-Douglas debate tournament.

Wilkins was a semifinalist in Lincoln-Douglas debate and a quarterfinalist in parliamentary debate. Purcell was a quarterfinalist in parliamentary debate.

Sarah Sparks, a Morehead senior, was a quarterfinalist in Lincoln-Douglas debate.

Results from the weekend's two individual events tournaments are as follows:

Wilkins, first in extemporaneous speaking in the first tournament; second in after-dinner speaking and third in impromptu speaking in the second tournament.

Joel Smith, a Murray freshman, second in duo interpretation, fourth in after-dinner speaking and fifth in poetry interpretation in the first tournament.

Katie Tyree, a sophomore from Plymouth, Ind., second in duo interpretation in the first tournament.

Laing, fifth in extemporaneous speaking in the first tournament.

Purcell, fifth in persuasive speaking in the first tournament and sixth in persuasive speaking in the second tournament.

Caleb Williams, a freshman from Lewisville, Texas, fifth in programmed oral interpretation in the first tournament; first in poetry interpretation in the second tournament.

Adam Henze, a freshman from Evansville, Ind., fifth in dramatic interpretation in the second tournament.

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.