WKU Forensic Team Wins Fourth AFA National Championship

April 11, 2007

Bowling Green, Ky. - The Western Kentucky University forensic team won its fourth American Forensic Association National Individual Events title in five years over the weekend.
           
The WKU team finished 84 points ahead of second-place University of Texas-Austin. Rounding out the top six were Illinois State University, Bradley University, Arizona State University and George Mason University. The tournament was April 4-9 in Mankato, Minn.
           
“It was a race to the finish,” Forensic Director Judy Woodring said. “Up until the posting of the flight C finals, we were neck-to-neck with UT-Austin.  When the finals were all posted, I relaxed for a few minutes then realized---Texas was still in reach if they won several final rounds and we bottomed-out.  Our students quickly assured me that the plan was to take no 6th places and they didn't!  To be first out of 85 other universities across the U.S. is remarkable.  To have made history once again by being the first school to have three of the top five winners in pentathalon is also rewarding.”
           
Lydia Nelson, a senior from Carver, Mass., defeated the entire field of competitors to defeat WKU Junior (and last year’s Individual Sweepstakes champion) Natalie Sintek, a junior from Eagan, Minn.  These achievements were another first for WKU, as no team has won the top two spots in the Individual Sweepstakes race.
           
Individual results are as follows:
           
Nelson, second in after-dinner speaking, third in prose interpretation, third in informative speaking, fifth in programmed oral interpretation and quarter-finalist in duo interpretation (with Stephanie Youroukos).
           
Sintek, third in programmed oral interpretation, third in duo interpretation (with Ben Pyle), fifth in informative speaking, semi-finalist in prose interpretation and quarter-finalist in dramatic interpretation.
           
Saeed Jones, a junior from Lewisville, Texas, second in impromptu speaking, fifth in after-dinner speaking, sixth in poetry interpretation, semi-finalist in prose interpretation, quarter-finalist in duo interpretation (with Rachel Wigginton) and quarter-finalist in persuasive speaking.
           
Benjamin Pyle, a junior from Harrisburg, Ill., second in dramatic interpretation, third in duo interpretation (with Natalie Sintek), fourth in duo interpretation (with Rachel Wigginton) and quarter-finalist in prose interpretation.
           
Rachel Wigginton, a sophomore from Glendale, fourth in duo interpretation (with Ben Pyle), semi-finalist in communication analysis and quarter-finalist in duo interpretation (with Saeed Jones).
           
Benjamin Unanaowo, a junior from California, fourth in poetry interpretation, quarter-finalist in duo interpretation (with Jerome Davis) and quarter-finalist in persuasive speaking.
           
Joelle Perry, a senior from Florence, fifth in extemporaneous speaking.
           
Cornelius Lee, a sophomore from Killeen, Texas, quarter-finalist in duo interpretation (with J.D. VanSlyke), quarter-finalist in programmed oral interpretation and quarter-finalist in dramatic interpretation.
           
Stephanie Youroukos, a senior from Harrisburg, Ill., quarter-finalist in duo interpretation (with Lydia Nelson), quarter-finalist in poetry interpretation and quarter-finalist in after-dinner speaking.
           
Kevin Cheairs, a freshman from Bellevue, Neb., semi-finalist in poetry interpretation and quarter-finalist in duo interpretation (with J.D. VanSlyke).
           
Maggie Waid, a junior from Symsonia, semi-finalist in poetry interpretation and quarter-finalist in prose interpretation.
           
J.D. VanSlyke, a sophomore from Wylie, Texas, quarter-finalist in duo interpretation (with Cornelius Lee) and quarter-finalist in duo interpretation (with Kevin Cheairs).
           
Micah Mason, a sophomore from Desoto, Texas, quarter-finalist in programmed oral interpretation.
           
Jerome Davis, a freshman from Austell, Ga., quarter-finalist in duo interpretation (with Benjamin Unanaowo).
           
Ashley Litsey, a sophomore from Hodgenville, quarter-finalist in programmed oral interpretation.
           
Seth Peckham, a freshman from Alden, Kansas, quarter-finalist in extemporaneous speaking.

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.