College of Education and Behavioral Sciences News

The WKU Forensics Team won both the National Forensic Association Individual Events Team Championship and the National Forensic Association Lincoln-Douglas Debate Team Sweepstakes national championship, hosted virtually this year April 16-19.

WKU sent 29 competitors with a total of 94 individual event entries and seven debate entries to this tournament. Of the 94 IE entries, WKU advanced 84 entries to the octofinal round, 58 students advanced to the quarterfinal round, 32 advanced to the semifinal round, and 20 students advanced to the final rounds of competition.

WKU entered seven debaters into the tournament. Of the total entries, six students advanced to the double octofinal round, five students advanced to the top 16 and three students advanced into the quarterfinal round (top 8). Sophomore Andre Swai of Springfield, Missouri, won the final round of Lincoln-Douglas Debate on a 4 to 3 decision, becoming the Lincoln-Douglas Debate National Champion. He represents WKU's 12th L-D championship. Swai also became the first Black man to ever win the NFA National Championship in debate. In 2015, WKU’s Nefertiti Dukes became the first Woman of Color to win the NFA-LD championship. Additionally, WKU senior Ben Hanson of Louisville won the tournament’s Top Speaker Award in Lincoln-Douglas Debate.

In individual events, WKU was crowned team sweepstakes champion with 919 points, while the University of Texas at Austin placed second with 589.5 points, and Bradley University placed third with 530.5 points. Other top 10 schools included George Mason University, the University of Alabama, and the University of Illinois at Chicago.

The WKU team was also crowned team sweepstakes champion in Lincoln-Douglas debate with 131 points, while the University of Nebraska-Lincoln placed second with 82 points, and Missouri State University placed third with 79 points. Other universities competing in debate include Pennsylvania State University, UCLA, John Carroll University and UC Berkeley.

In addition to the team’s success, forensics team members captured five out of the top 10 individual sweepstakes awards, which recognizes personal success across five different events across at least two different genres (i.e.: public address, limited preparation, interpretation). Senior Derek Collins won the Individual Sweepstakes Championship, junior Paige Allbright placed fifth, junior Kelly Lingen placed eighth, sophomore Caitlyn Woitena placed ninth, and senior Emma Warnecke placed 10th.

Director of Debate Chad Meadows said: “While debate recognizes individual accomplishments, it’s truly a team activity. This year’s debate program will be remembered for its teamwork, embrace of diverse pedagogical approaches, and character under fire. From August to April these students never let up, and to see them recognized for those efforts was truly special.”

“This is a historic victory for Western Kentucky University,” Director of Forensics Ganer Newman said. “Words fail to articulate how proud I am of this team, not only did we achieve historic results in Lincoln-Douglas Debate, our students in Individual Events broke our previous record for the total number of points scored at nationals. Our team members came together after a year characterized by isolation. We confronted many challenges as a squad this season, but countless hours of practice, the brilliant inventiveness of our coaches, the support of our alumni, and our students’ enduring competitive spirit resulted in a full sweep of the National Championships for WKU.”

WKU is the only team in forensics history to win the American Forensics Association Team Championship, the National Forensics Association Individual Events Team Championship, and the National Forensics Association Debate Team Championship in the same year. WKU has accomplished this feat 10 times since 2003.

WKU President Timothy C. Caboni congratulated the team for its national championships during a recognition event Wednesday morning. “Students, I am so pleased with your work and with your drive to compete. And I am pleased with the awards you’ve brought home to the Hill and what they mean for you both individually and as a team -- and also what these successes mean for our University,” President Caboni said. “Your achievements serve as a testament, to all of our programs across our campus, of what’s possible when you consistently strive for, pursue and demand excellence.”

The NFA national tournament brings the competition year to a close. Soon, work will quickly begin for the next season. First, the team will move locations from the Garrett Conference Center, which has housed the team for over 15 years to a new location. “Winning these championships in Garrett was an especially emotional experience,” Newman said. “It is not lost on me that some of the last sounds ever heard in this building are the voices of WKU Forensics team members, winning all of our national competitions in history-making fashion.” 

2021 NFA national tournament

Results from Lincoln-Douglas Debate

Double Octofinals

• Miles Morton of Sherman Oaks, California

Octofinals

• Isaac Keller of Kansas City, Missouri
• Madelynn Einhorn of Oakwood, Ohio

Quarterfinals

• Ben Hanson of Louisville, Kentucky
• Tess Welch of Houston, Texas

NFA-LD Champion

• Andre Swai of Springfield, Missouri

Debate Speaker Awards

• Ben Hanson, Top Speaker
• Madelynn Einhorn, 2nd
• Tess Welch, 8th

Results from Individual Events

After Dinner Speaking

Quarterfinalists

• Jo Headrick of Wadsworth, Ohio
• Emma Warnecke of Detroit, Michigan
• Reese Johnson of Burnsville, Minnesota
• Kelly Lingen of Lakeville, Minnesota
• Joey Eberle of Maple Grove, Minnesota

Dramatic Interpretation

Octofinalists

• Rickey Williams of Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Samantha Sallee of Danville, Kentucky
• Kelly Lingen

Quarterfinalists

• Caitlyn Woitena of Houston, Texas
• Reggie Jefferson of Houston, Texas
• Daliss Hicks of Miramar, Florida
• Tayland Ratliff of Youngsville, Louisiana

Semifinalists

• Jo Headrick

Finalists

• Reese Johnson, 3rd
• Paige Allbright of Youngsville, Louisiana, 5th

Duo Interpretation

Quarterfinalists

• Reese Johnson and Jo Headrick

Semifinalists

• Rashon Leday of Lafayette, Louisiana, and Tayland Ratliff
• Caitlyn Woitena and Kelly Lingen
• Paige Allbright and Corey Newsome of Morehead, Kentucky

Finalists

• Derek Collins of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and Ryan Gosling of West Palm Beach, Florida, National Champions
• Corey Newsome and Reese Johnson, 2nd
• Daliss Hick and Ryan Gosling, 3rd

Extemporaneous Speaking

Octofinalists

• Isaac Keller
• Tani Washing of Henrico, Virginia
• Miles Morton

Quarterfinalists

• Tess Welch

Finalists

• Rahmane Dixon of Houston, Texas, 5th

Impromptu Speaking

Octofinalists

• Isaac Keller
• Miles Morton

Quarterfinalists

• Madelynn Einhorn

Semifinalists

• Rahmane Dixon

Finalists

• Tess Welch, 4th

Informative Speaking

Octofinalists

• Jo Headrick
• Kellin Robinson of Roseville, Minnesota
• Kelly Lingen

Quarterfinalists

• Derek Collins
• Autumn Howard of Hendersonville, Tennessee
• Rahmane Dixon

Finalists

• Emma Warnecke of Detroit, Michigan, 2nd
• Reese Johnson, 3rd
• Rickey Williams, 4th

Persuasive Speaking

Octofinalists

• Caitlyn Woitena
• Autumn Howard
• Naomi Desrosiers of Bowling Green, Kentucky
• Emma Warnecke

Quarterfinalists

• Paige Allbright

Finalists

• Derek Collins, 2nd
• Kelly Lingen, 6th

Program Oral Interpretation

Octofinalists

• Kelly Lingen
• Reggie Jefferson
• Kellin Robinson
• Stefani Giles of Hodgenville, Kentucky

Quarterfinalists

• Corey Newsome

Semifinalists

• Derek Collins
• Rashon Leday
• Paige Allbright

Finalists

• Ryan Gosling, National Champion
• Tayland Ratliff, 6th

Prose Interpretation

Octofinalists

• Rashon Leday
• Stefani Giles
• Tayland Ratliff
• Daliss Hicks

Quarterfinalists

• Jo Headrick
• Kelly Lingen
• Emma Warnecke
• Caitlyn Woitena
• Rickey Williams

Semifinalists

• Paige Allbright

Rhetorical Criticism

Octofinalists

• Kellin Robinson

Quarterfinalists

• Autumn Howard

Semifinalists

• Corey Newsome

Finalists

• Derek Collins, National Champion
• Caitlyn Woitena, 4th
• Rahmane Dixon, 5th
• Tani Washington, 6h

Individual Sweepstakes Awards

• Derek Collins, Individual Event Sweepstakes Champion
• Paige Allbright, 5th
• Kelly Lingen, 8th
• Caitlyn Woitena, 9th
• Emma Warnecke, 10th

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

Photo caption: Members of the national champion WKU Forensics Team are (bottom to top, left to right) Madelynn Einhorn, Naomi Desrosiers, Symone Whalin, Emma Warnecke, Corey Newsome, Samantha Sallee, Miles Morton, Autumn Howard, Andre Swai, Tani Washington, Rashon Leday, Paige Allbright, Tayland Ratliff, Rickey Williams, Daliss Hicks, Tess Welch, Isaac Keller, Ben Hanson, Kelly Lingen. Joey Eberle, Reggie Jefferson, Jo Hedrick, Reese Johnson, Ryan Gosling, Caitlyn Woitena, Derek Collins. Not pictured team members Rahmane Dixon and Kellin Robinson. (Photo by Sur La Lune Photography)

Contact: Ganer Newman, (270) 745-6340.