WKU News

WKU’s Forensics Team divided into two teams and traveled to both Normal, Illinois, and Jefferson City, Tennessee, to compete in four tournaments Nov. 17-18.

In Illinois, the WKU team of only three placed second in debate team sweepstakes at the first tournament, and all WKU students advanced to elimination rounds over the two tournaments. Freshman Tess Welch won the Howard C. Nelson Overall Top Speaker Award for the two tournaments combined. Other competing schools included Pennsylvania State University, Truman State University, Central Michigan University and the University of Northern Iowa.

In Tennessee, WKU won the team sweepstakes at the Carson-Newman tournament and won second in overall team sweepstakes for the two tournaments together. Additionally, all WKU team members advanced to at least one final round. Other competing schools included the University of Alabama, Texas Southern University and Berry College.

The team will not travel for the remainder of the fall semester, instead hosting a junior high tournament on Dec. 1 and a high school tournament on Dec. 8.

Results from the Illinois State University “Redbird” Debate Swing tournaments are as follows:

• Kelly Stone, a senior from Louisburg, Kansas, top debate speaker and second in Lincoln-Douglas debate at the first tournament; second debate speaker at the second tournament.
• Tess Welch, a freshman from Houston, Texas, semifinalist in Lincoln-Douglas debate and third debate speaker at the first tournament; top debate speaker and quarterfinalist in Lincoln-Douglas debate at the second tournament.
• Ben Hanson, a freshman from Louisville, quarterfinalist in Lincoln-Douglas debate at the second tournament.

Results from the Carson-Newman/Berry College “Front Porch” Swing Tournaments are as follows:

• Casey Child, a senior from Taylor Mill, tournament champion in pentathlon, tournament champion in duo interpretation (with Reese Johnson), second in prose interpretation, second in duo interpretation (with Tayland Ratliff) and fifth in informative speaking at the Carson-Newman tournament; tournament champion in duo interpretation (with Tayland Ratliff) and second in duo interpretation (with Reese Johnson) at the Berry College tournament.
• Reese Johnson, a freshman from Burnsville, Minnesota, tournament champion in after-dinner speaking, tournament champion in duo interpretation (with Casey Child) and second in dramatic interpretation at the Carson-Newman tournament; second in duo interpretation (with Casey Child), third in dramatic interpretation and sixth in after-dinner speaking at the Berry College tournament.
• Tayland Ratliff, a sophomore from Youngsville, Louisiana, tournament champion in poetry interpretation, tournament champion in duo interpretation (with Casey Child) and fourth in dramatic interpretation at the Berry College tournament; tournament champion in dramatic interpretation, second in poetry interpretation and second in duo interpretation (with Casey Child) at the Carson-Newman tournament.
• Derek Collins, a sophomore from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, tournament champion in after-dinner speaking, tournament champion in communication analysis and fourth in prose interpretation at the Berry College tournament; tournament champion in communication analysis and second in after-dinner speaking at the Carson-Newman tournament.
• Faith LoPiccolo, a junior from Lexington, tournament champion in prose interpretation at the Berry College tournament; second in programmed oral interpretation and third in persuasive speaking at the Carson-Newman tournament.
• Emma Warnecke, a sophomore from West Bloomfield, Michigan, tournament champion in persuasive speaking and sixth in programmed oral interpretation at the Carson-Newman tournament; fifth in informative speaking and fifth in programmed oral interpretation at the Berry College tournament.
• Zakkiyah Sanders, a sophomore from Apple Valley, Minnesota, tournament champion in prose interpretation at the Carson-Newman tournament; second in prose interpretation at the Berry College tournament.
• Symone Whalin, a sophomore from Sonora, tournament champion in persuasive speaking at the Berry College tournament; second in persuasive speaking at the Carson-Newman tournament.
• Natalie Hedberg, a senior from Chaska, Minnesota, second in informative speaking and fourth in communication analysis at the Carson-Newman tournament; fourth in communication analysis, fifth in poetry interpretation, and sixth in extemporaneous speaking at the Berry College tournament.
• Amanda Langford, a freshman from Goodlettsville, Tennessee, second in persuasive speaking at the Berry College tournament; fourth in persuasive speaking at the Carson-Newman tournament.
• Parker Anderson, a freshman from Hodgenville, sixth in after-dinner speaking at the Carson-Newman tournament.

More: Check out the WKU Forensics Facebook page or follow @wkuforensics on Twitter.         

Contact: Ganer Newman, (270) 745-6340