WKU Forensic Team Wins Awards At Three Tournaments

September 24, 2007

Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University forensic team members traveled to Missouri, Texas and Tennessee to take part in three tournaments the weekend of Sept. 22-24.

At the William Jewell Invitational in Liberty, Mo., the WKU squad of 20 walked away as sweepstakes champions, with Washburn University taking second, and Truman State taking third.

In Austin, Texas, six WKU team members received numerous individual awards in the Hill Country Swing, hosted by both Texas State University and University of Texas at Austin. WKU swept the combined sweepstakes, with Kansas State taking second, and West Texas A&M University taking third.

In Nashville, four WKU team members competed at the Tennessee State University Swing, placing all students in final rounds.

Results from the William Jewell Invitational are as follows:
Thomas Schally, a junior from Stillwater, Minn., second in open parliamentary debate (with Chad Meadows), second speaker for the round-robin parliamentary debate, second in the round-robin parliamentary debate (with Chad Meadows) and seventh open parliamentary debate speaker.

Chad Meadows, a senior from Owensboro, second in open parliamentary debate (with Tom Schally), second in the round-robin parliamentary debate (with Tom Schally) and eighth open parliamentary debate speaker.
Logan Parke, a sophomore from Little Rock, Ark., octafinalist in open parliamentary debate (with Elizabeth Mullins) and ninth open parliamentary debate speaker.

Amber Williams, a freshman from Kokomo, Ind., tournament champion in novice Lincoln-Douglas debate, second novice Lincoln-Douglas debate speaker, semifinalist in  novice parliamentary debate (with Rob Strobel) and fifth novice parliamentary debate speaker.

Brandon Merrell, a freshman from Snohomish, Wash., top novice Lincoln-Douglas debate speaker, second novice parliamentary debate speaker and second in novice parliamentary debate (with Todd Rainey).
Dontarius Bailey, a freshman from Fort Inn, S.C., octafinalist in open parliamentary debate (with Josh Harzman).
Todd Rainey, a freshman from Indianapolis, top novice parliamentary debate speaker and second in novice parliamentary debate (with Brandon Merrell).

Jessica Furgerson, a sophomore from San Antonio, quarterfinalist in open parliamentary debate (Rachel Mosley), octafinalist in open Lincoln-Douglas debate and ninth open Lincoln-Douglas debate speaker.

Elizabeth Mullins, a sophomore from Plymouth, Mass., quarterfinalist in open Lincoln-Douglas debate, fourth open Lincoln-Douglas debate speaker and octafinalist in open parliamentary debate (with Logan Parke).
Rob Strobel, a freshman from Lexington, semifinalist in novice parliamentary debate (with Amber Williams) and quarterfinalist in novice Lincoln-Douglas debate.

Brian Bloss, a junior from Coppell, Texas, octafinalist in open Lincoln-Douglas debate.
Kelcey Hathaway, a sophomore from Garden City, Kan., octafinalist in open Lincoln-Douglas debate.

Joshua Harzman, a freshman from Salina, Kan., octafinalist in open parliamentary debate (with Dontarius Bailey).
Rachel Mosley, a junior from Lake Tahoe, Calif., quarterfinalist in open parliamentary debate (with Jessica Furgerson).

Results from the Hill Country Swing are as follows:
Saeed Jones, a senior from Lewisville, Texas, tournament champion in impromptu speaking, tournament champion in poetry interpretation and tournament champion in duo interpretation (with Ben Unanaowo) in the Texas State University portion; tournament champion in impromptu speaking, second in prose interpretation, second in poetry interpretation, second in duo interpretation (with Ben Unanaowo) and third in persuasive speaking in the UT-Austin portion; and tournament champion in combined individual sweepstakes for both tournaments.

Ben Unanaowo, a senior from Union City, Calif., tournament champion in duo interpretation (with Saeed Jones) and fourth in poetry interpretation in the Texas State University portion; second in duo interpretation (with Ben Unanaowo), third in prose interpretation and fifth in poetry interpretation in the UT-Austin portion.

Cornelius Lee, a junior from Killeen, Texas, second in poetry interpretation and third in prose interpretation in the Texas State University portion; tournament champion in prose interpretation, third in poetry interpretation and fourth in after-dinner speaking in the UT-Austin portion.

Seth Peckham, a sophomore from Alden, Kan., second in persuasive speaking and fifth in extemporaneous speaking in the Texas State University portion; tournament champion in persuasive speaking and second in extemporaneous speaking in the UT-Austin portion.

Daniel Johnson, a sophomore from Independence, Mo., third in duo interpretation (with Adam Swanson) and fifth in informative speaking in the UT-Austin portion.

Adam Swanson, a sophomore from Rosemount, Minn., seventh in prose interpretation in the Texas State University portion; third in duo interpretation (with Daniel Johnson) and seventh in prose interpretation in the UT-Austin portion.

Results from the Tennessee State University Swing are as follows:
Joele Denis, a junior from Hollywood, Fla., tournament champion in dramatic interpretation, second in programmed oral interpretation, third in individual quadrathon and fifth in communication analysis in the Alumni portion; second in programmed oral interpretation and second in individual quadrathon in the TSU portion.
J.D. VanSlyke, a junior from Wylie, Texas, fifth in poetry interpretation in the TSU portion.

Samantha Harrison, a sophomore from Carrollton, Texas, second in poetry interpretation in the Alumni portion; third in poetry interpretation in the TSU portion.

Ben Pyle, a senior from Harrisburg, Ill., third in poetry interpretation in the Alumni portion.
               
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For information, contact Judy Woodring at (270) 745-6340.