WKU News

The WKU Forensics Team won the combined team sweepstakes national championship at the 2023 Pi Kappa Delta National Comprehensive Tournament. Back row, from left: Jakayla Brown, Denise Marin, Kole Ingram, Hannah Jones, Noah Gordon, Cecilia Alali, Collin Tuerk, Samantha Sallee, Julie Mischuk, Caitlyn Woitena, Mauricio Patino, Dakota Perry, Shainna Ralston, Imamulhaq Brula, Rashon Leday, Rae Fournier, Antonina Clementi, Caroline Chubb, Kirsten Eversmann; front row, from left: Miles Morton, Andre Swai, Tanya Pranbhakar, Jonah Johnson, Christian Butterfield, Joseph Eberle, Reginald Jefferson, Jaleon Brown, Micah Poole, Danielle Williams 

The Western Kentucky University Forensics Team won the combined team sweepstakes national championship at the 2023 Pi Kappa Delta National Comprehensive Tournament. WKU placed ahead of all 63 colleges and universities in attendance at one of the largest and most comprehensive live collegiate Speech and Debate competition held in the United States.

Individually, WKU captured nine national championships including the Pentathlon Championship given to sophomore Christian Butterfield of Bowling Green, Kentucky, in recognition for excellence across three different speech and debate genres.

In debate, WKU competed in Lincoln-Douglas Debate (LD) and International Public (IPDA) debate and placed in the top eight of both categories. Senior Tanya Prabhakar of Danville, California, won the national championship in LD and senior Andre Swai of Springfield, Missouri, was awarded the LD Top Speaker award.

Director of Debate Chad Meadows said: “I was pleased to return to Pi Kappa Delta’s National Comprehensive Tournament. We always appreciate the collegial atmosphere, the tournament’s commitment to students, and the vast array of events offered.  It was a challenge to compete in several new categories, but the skills our students have learned in forensics and WKU’s classrooms clearly translated across the board. All the effort the assistant coaches and support staff put into making this a success really helped the students shine when the lights were brightest.”  

In speech, WKU competed in 12 categories winning the individual events sweepstakes national championship ahead of the University of Alabama, the University of Ohio, and Truman State University. WKU’s sweepstakes effort was led by six individual national championships including sophomore Christian Butterfield of Bowling Green, Kentucky, in After Dinner Speaking; junior Rashon Leday of Lafayette, Louisiana, in Communication Analysis; sophomore Cecilia Alali of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in Poetry Interpretation; junior Joey Eberle of Maple Grove, Minnesota, in Informative Speaking; sophomore Jonah Johnson of Burnsville, Minnesota, in Program Oral Interpretation; and sophomore Jaleon Brown of Raytown, Missouri, in Persuasive Speaking.

All students in attendance received an award, and thus contributed to the combined sweepstakes national championship ahead of the University of Alabama, Simpson College, Ohio University, Boise State University, Weber State University, Truman State University, and Cornell University. The tournament was hosted by West Chester University March 15-18.

Director of Forensics Ganer Newman said: “This is a special group of students. They put in countless hours developing their speeches and cases this season. During the competition, I was moved by their cooperation and selflessness. Whenever one debater lost a round, they immediately reported to their coaches to help another team member win the next. This kind of teamwork is embedded in our process, but it’s inspiring to witness it pay off in such a spectacular result.  

“WKU has an unmatched legacy of success in collegiate speech and debate, but winning six individual event national titles, the LD Debate national championship and Top Speaker Award, as well as the Pentathlon Championship is the best result we ever had at nationals. 

“Our work is not done. WKU debaters will compete at one of the most uniquely challenging debate competitions in the country this weekend while our speech competitors finalize their video recordings for the Asynchronous Speech Championship. The competitive season will culminate in mid-April, as we seek to defend our national championship title at the National Forensics Association tournament.” 

By virtue of winning the 2023 Pi Kappa Delta National Comprehensive Tournament’s top award, WKU has once again decisively demonstrated they sit atop the pinnacle of collegiate speech and debate.

Results from the 2023 PKD are as follows:

• Impromptu Speaking: Miles Morton of Sherman Oaks, California, 3rd; Christian Butterfield of Bowling Green, Kentucky, Top 12; Andre Swai of Springfield, Missouri, Top 24; Caroline Chubb of Lewis Center, Ohio, Top 30%; Kole Ingram of Hindman, Kentucky, Top 30%; Antonina Clementi of Lafayette, Louisiana, Top 30%.
• After Dinner Speaking: Christian Butterfield, National Champion; Joey Eberle of Maple Grove, Minnesota, 2nd; Kirsten Eversmann of Harrisburg, Illinois, 6th; Shainna Ralson of Eldorado, Illinois, Top 12.
• Communication Analysis: Rashon Leday of Lafayette, Louisiana, National Champion; Jaleon Brown of Raytown, Missouri, 4th; Collin Tuerk of Morehead, Kentucky, 5th; Caitlyn Woitena of Houston, Texas, 6th; Samantha Sallee of Danville, Kentucky, Top 12; Joey Eberle, Top 24; Dakota Perry of Morehead, Kentucky, Top 24.
• Dramatic Interpretation: Michah Poole of Lafayette Louisiana, 4th; Caitlyn Woitena, 6th; Samantha Sallee, Top 12; Mauricio Patino, Top 24; Noah Gordon, Top 24; Denise Marin, Top 24; Reginald Jefferson, Top 30%.
• Editorial Impromptu: Christian Butterfield, 4th; Kole Ingram, 5th.
• Poetry Interpretation: Cecilia Alali of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, National Champion; Reginald Jefferson of Houston, Texas, 3rd; Danielle Williams of Goodlettsville, Tennessee, 4th; Micah Poole, 5th; Shainna Ralston, Top 12; Mauricio Patino of Stockton, California, Top 12; Noah Gordon, Top 12.
• Prose Interpretation: Shainna Ralston, 2nd; Jonah Johnson of Burnsville, Minnesota, 3rd; Caitlyn Woitena, 4th; Micah Poole, 5th; Noah Gordon 6th; Samantha Sallee, Top 12; Jaleon Brown, Top 12; Cecilia Alali, Top 12; Denise Marin of Houston, Texas, Top 24; Dakota Perry, Top 30%.
• Informative Speaking: Joey Eberle, National Champion; Cecilia Alali, 2nd; Collin Tuerk, 4th; Jonah Johnson, 5th; Samantha Sallee, 6th; Mauricio Patino, Top 24; Danielle Williams, Top 24.
• Program Oral Interpretation: Jonah Johnson, National Champion; Rashon Leday, 2nd; Reginald Jefferson, 4th; Christian Butterfield, 5th, JaKayla Brown of Kansas City, Kansas, Top 12; Danielle Williams, Top 12; Kirsten Eversmann, Top 24.
• Spanish Interpretation: Mauricio Patino, 2nd.
• Interviewing: Hannah Jones of Bowling Green, Kentucky, 5th; Julie Mishchuk of Nicholasville, Kentucky, Top 30%; Imam Brula of Bowling Green, Kentucky, Top 30%; Tanya Prabhakar of Danville, California, Top 30%.
• Extemporaneous Speaking: Antonina Clementi of Lafayette, Louisiana, 4th; Miles Morton of Sherman Oaks, California, 5th; Kole Ingram, Top 24; Joey Eberle, Top 30%; Rae Fournier of Woodbridge, Virginia, Top 30%.
• Duo Interpretation: Jonah Johnson and Cecilia Alali, 2nd; Samantha Sallee and Reginald Jefferson, 4th; Jaleon Brown and Danielle Williams, Top 12; Caitlyn Woitena and Samantha Sallee, Top 12; Noah Gordon and Collin Tuerk, Top 24.
• Persuasive Speaking: Jaleon Brown, National Champion; Caitlyn Woitena, 3rd; Rashon Leday, 5th; Shainna Ralston, Top 24.
• Pentathlon: Christian Butterfield, National Champion; Danielle Williams, 10th.
• Novice International Public Debate: Kole Ingram, Top 16
• Novice International Public Debate Speakers: Kole Ingram, 4th.
• Varsity International Public Debate: Miles Morton, Top 8.
• Varsity International Public Debate: Miles Morton, 4th.
• Lincoln-Douglas Debate: Tanya Prabhakar, National Champion; Andre Swai, Top 4; Antonina Clementi, Top 8; Rae Fournier, Top 8.
• Lincoln-Douglas Debate Speakers: Andre Swai, Top Speaker; Rae Fournier, 2nd; Antonina Clementi, 3rd; Tanya Prabhakar, 8th.

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

Contact: Ganer Newman, (270) 745-6340

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Western Kentucky University prides itself on positioning its students, faculty and staff for long term success. As a student-centered, applied research university, WKU helps students expand on classroom learning by integrating education with real-world applications in the communities we serve. Our hilltop campus is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, which was recently named by Reader’s Digest as one of the nicest towns in America, just an hour’s drive from Nashville, Tennessee.