WKU News & Events

March 21, 2002

WKU Wins National Speech
And Debate Tournament

Bowling Green, Ky. - Chalk up another national championship for Western Kentucky University's speech and debate team.

WKU's William E. Bivin Forensic Society won the overall title at the Delta Sigma Rho-Tau Kappa Alpha National Tournament held March 14-17 in Lake City, Fla.

Four Western students shared the national championship in Lincoln-Douglas Debate in the event at Lake City Community College. Western students also won national titles in two other events and finished in the top six in 10 of the 11 individual event competitions.

"It was an extremely difficult tournament and the advantage constantly shifted back and forth between Western and Alabama," said Judy Woodring, forensics director. "Our placements in semis and finals, however, gave us an 86-point victory over Alabama."

Western has won four of the past six DSR national tournaments. Last year WKU finished second to Alabama.

In Lincoln-Douglas Debate, four WKU students advanced to the semifinals and decided not to debate but to share the national title. Those students were: Jenny Corum, an Auburn freshman; Raegan Gibson, a junior from Evansville, Ind.; David Laing, a Louisville senior; and Jennifer Purcell, a freshman from Lewisville, Texas.

Purcell also was the top speaker in Lincoln-Douglas debate and third speaker in parliamentary debate out of 46 speakers. Corum also was a semifinalist in impromptu speaking.

Phillip Wininger, a Bowling Green senior, was national champion in communication analysis. Wininger also was second in extemporaneous speaking, tied for sixth in individual sweepstakes and was a semifinalist in impromptu speaking and informative speaking.

Margaret Au, a sophomore from Evansville, Ind., and Alisa Ponananta, a Florence senior, were national champions in duo interpretation - an event that had WKU students take four of the top five places.

Au also was second in poetry interpretation, a semifinalist in prose interpretation and tied for sixth in individual sweepstakes. Ponananta finished fourth in informative speaking, fifth in prose interpretation and tied for sixth in individual sweepstakes.

David Wilkins, a Bardstown senior, received the excellence award in Student Congress. Wilkins also finished third in extemporaneous speaking and third in impromptu speaking.

Other individual results for WKU students are as follows:

Andrew Causey, a sophomore from Franklin, Tenn., second in dramatic interpretation, third in programmed oral interpretation, third in duo interpretation with Libby Au, fourth in individual sweepstakes and sixth in after-dinner speaking.

Nicole Estenfelder, a Florence freshman, sixth in dramatic interpretation.

David Burns, a Bowling Green freshman, second in communication analysis and semifinalist in prose interpretation.

Keith Blaser, a junior from Evansville, Ind., fourth in duo interpretation with Drew Allen, sixth in poetry interpretation and semifinalist in prose interpretation,

Jenny Hyatt, a Cynthiana freshman, sixth in extemporaneous speaking.

Libby Au, a freshman from Evansville, Ind., third in duo interpretation with Andrew Causey.

Sarah Sparks, a Morehead senior, semifinalist in extemporaneous speaking.

Stacy Bernaugh, a Bowling Green junior, semifinalist in extemporaneous speaking and semifinalist in informative speaking.

Drew Allen, a sophomore from Brentwood, Tenn., fourth in duo interpretation with Keith Blaser and fifth in poetry interpretation.

Caleb Williams, a freshman from Lewisville, Texas, fifth in duo interpretation with Adam Henze, semifinalist in poetry interpretation and semifinalist in informative speaking.

Kate Hertweck, a freshman from Evansville, Ind., semifinalist in informative speaking.

Corey Alderdice, a Water Valley sophomore, fifth in programmed oral interpretation.

Adam Henze, a freshman from Evansville, Ind., fifth in duo interpretation with Caleb Williams and semifinalist in poetry interpretation.

Next up for members of the WKU speech and debate team are trips to the American Forensic Association National Tournament and the National Forensics Association 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.