Bowling Green, Ky. - The Western Kentucky University Forensic Team concluded its regular season this past weekend by taking top debate honors in two tournaments and rounding out the roster for the two national individual events tournaments.

WKU debaters claimed top honors in Lincoln-Douglas debate and parliamentary debate at the Century College NPTE Preview in White Bear Lake, Minn. The field of competitors served as a warm-up for this month’s National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence at the University of Oregon.

Individual events competitors added an additional five slots to the national tournament roster at the Muskingum College Invitational and Ohio State University “Generic” Invitational. Team sweepstakes were not given in the March 4-5 tournaments.

A third group of WKU debaters was the runner-up in parliamentary debate at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas Invitational held March 4-5.

This weekend, WKU goes for its seventh International Forensic Association World Championship in Prague, Czech Republic. Ten team members will represent WKU in the March 13-14 tournament.

Other upcoming national tournaments include the following:

National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence: March 18-19 at the University of Oregon in Eugene. Six WKU debaters (three two-person teams) will compete in a field of the nation’s top 48 debate pairs.

National Parliamentary Debate Tournament: March 24-27 at Oregon State University in Corvallis.

American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament (NIET): March 31-April 3 at University of Florida in Gainesville. WKU will have a full slate of 66 entries to the national tournament. WKU placed fourth at the NIET last year after winning the championship in 2003 and 2004.

National Forensic Association National Tournament: April 14-17 at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. WKU will have more than 120 entries in individual events and Lincoln-Douglas debate at the national tournament. WKU captured the team sweepstakes award in debate last year and placed second in individual events. In 2003, WKU became the first and only school to capture both titles in the same year.

Results from the Century College Invitational/NPTE Preview

Lauren Nelson, a freshman from Wheaton, Ill., top speaker in Lincoln-Douglas debate, top speaker in parliamentary debate, semifinalist in Lincoln-Douglas debate, quarterfinalist in parliamentary debate (with partner Rachel Mosley) in the NPTE Preview; top speaker in Lincoln-Douglas debate, semifinalist in Lincoln-Douglas debate in the Century College Invitational.

Kasey Gardner, a junior from Simi Valley, Calif., tournament champion in Lincoln-Douglas debate, tournament champion in parliamentary debate (with partner Justin Cress), fourth speaker in parliamentary debate in the NPTE Preview; semifinalist in Lincoln-Douglas debate, fourth speaker in Lincoln-Douglas debate in the Century College Invitational.

Justin Cress, a Florence senior, tournament champion in parliamentary debate (with partner Kasey Gardner), third speaker in parliamentary debate in the NPTE Preview; tournament champion in Lincoln-Douglas debate, third speaker in Lincoln-Douglas debate in the Century College Invitational.

Rachel Mosley, a freshman from Verdi, Nev., quarterfinalist in parliamentary debate (with partner Lauren Nelson), fifth speaker in Lincoln-Douglas debate in the NPTE Preview.

Results from the Muskingum College Invitational/Ohio State University “Generic”

Lydia Nelson, a junior from Carver, Mass., tournament champion in impromptu speaking, tournament champion in duo interpretation (with partner Ryan Howell) in the Muskingum tournament.

Courtney Wright, a senior from Evansville, Ind., tournament champion in informative speaking, second in rhetorical criticism, third in impromptu speaking in the Muskingum tournament.

Ryan Howell, a senior from Plymouth, Ind., tournament champion in duo interpretation (with partner Lydia Nelson) in the Muskingum tournament.

Brian Bloss, a freshman from Coppell, Texas, tournament champion in Lincoln-Douglas debate in the Ohio State tournament.

James Victery, an Indianapolis freshman, second in impromptu speaking in the Muskingum tournament; second in prose interpretation in the Ohio State tournament.

Melissa Messer, a San Antonio junior, third in after dinner speaking in the Muskingum tournament.

Nick Romerhausen, a senior from Evansville, Ind., fourth in poetry interpretation in the Muskingum tournament.

Results from the UNLV Invitational

Joelle Perry, a Florence junior, second in parliamentary debate (with partner Megan Schrader), third speaker in parliamentary debate.

Megan Schrader, a freshman from Lowell, Ark., second in parliamentary debate (with partner Joelle Perry), eighth speaker in parliamentary debate.

More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.

For information, contact Judy Woodring at (270) 745-6340.