WKU News

WKU Forensics won the sweepstakes championship at the 2024 Crimson Classic, hosted by the University of Alabama. Back row (from left): Somtoo Nkurumeh, Ameya Puranik, Nik Schintgen, Jay Roccaforte; middle row (from left): Christian Butterfield, Elizabeth Allen, Finn Larson, Ryder Hebert, Kirsten Eversmann, Sophie Todaro, Sydney Rettig; front row (from left): Rachael Akinbayo, Jonah Johnson, Cecilia Alali, Aquilla Dunn, Danielle Williams, Jaleon Brown, Joie Willoughby, Jade Ismail

The WKU Forensics Team won the sweepstakes championship at the 2024 Crimson Classic, hosted by the University of Alabama, October 19-20.

Across two tournaments, WKU captured 10 individual championships including five individual sweepstakes placings. Seniors Cece Alali, Jonah Johnson and Christian Butterfield placed first, third and fifth, respectively, meaning three of the top five students with the most points accumulated across several events were from WKU.

These efforts, alongside the rest of the program’s results, paved the way for a team sweepstakes sweep with WKU winning both days of the competition, ahead of Bradley University and Tennessee State University.

WKU also competed in the Marshall University Memorial Tournament as 80% of WKU students advanced past the preliminary rounds to the elimination debates. In a March Madness style bracket, WKU had four of the Top 7 and three of the Final Four. No sweepstakes award was announced, but WKU had more elimination rounds than the other schools with advancing students from Florida State University and Fullerton College.

WKU next competes at Bradley University. 

Results from The Crimson Classic are as follows:

• After Dinner Speaking: Cece Alali of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 1st; Jonah Johnson of Burnsville, Minnesota, 2nd; Sophie Todaro of St. Paul, Minnesota, 4th.
• Communication Analysis: Rachael Akinbayo, 1st; Jaleon Brown of Kansas City, Missouri, 2nd.
• Dramatic Interpretation: Cece Alali, 2nd; Finn Larson of Moorhead, Minnesota, 3rd; Joie Willoughby of Little Rock, Arkansas, 6th.
• Duo Interpretation: Cece Alali and Jonah Johnson, 1st; Finn Larson and Jonah Johnson, 2nd.
• Extemporaneous Speaking: Christian Butterfield of Bowling Green, Kentucky, 1st.
• Impromptu Speaking: Cece Alali, 2nd; Ameya Puranik of Mountain House, California, 6th.
• Informative Speaking: Nik Schintgen of Lansing, Kansas, 2nd; Ryder Hebert of Madison, Mississippi, 4th.
• Persuasive Speaking: Christian Butterfield, 1st.
• Poetry Interpretation: Jay Roccaforte of Cheyenne, Wyoming, 3rd.
• Program Oral Interpretation: Aquilla Dunn of St. Paul, Minnesota, 2nd; Elizabeth Allen of Portland, Tennessee, 5th.
• Prose Interpretation: Cece Alali, 2nd; Jade Ismail of Lafayette, Louisiana, 3rd; Kirsten Eversmann of Harrisburg, Illinois, 4th; Sophie Todaro of St. Paul, Minnesota, 6th. 

Results from The UA Alumni Swing are as follows:

• After Dinner Speaking: Sophie Todaro, 1st; Cece Alali, 2nd; Kirsten Eversmann, 4th; Jonah Johnson, 5th.
• Communication Analysis: Jaleon Brown, 2nd; Rachael Akinbayo, 3rd; Christian Butterfield, 4th.
• Dramatic Interpretation: Jaleon Brown, 1st; Cece Alali, 2nd; Joie Willoughby, 5th; Sydney Rettig of Perrysburg, Ohio, 6th.
• Duo Interpretation: Cece Alali and Jonah Johnson, 1st; Finn Larson and Jonah Johnson, 2nd.
• Impromptu Speaking: Cece Alali, 5th.
• Informative Speaking: Somtoo Nkurumeh of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 1st; Nik Schintgen, 2nd; Ryder Hebert, 5th.
• Persuasive Speaking: Christian Butterfield, 1st; Elizabeth Allen, 5th.
• Poetry Interpretation: Jay Roccaforte, 2nd; Sydney Rettig, 3rd.
• Program Oral Interpretation: Elizabeth Allen, 4th; Rachael Akinbayo, 6th.
• Prose Interpretation: Cece Alali, 5th.

Results from the Marshall Memorial Tournament are as follows: 

• LD Speakers: Chase Shockley of Carthage, Missouri, 2nd; Joshua St. Peter of Canton, Georgia, 3rd; Rae Fournier of Woodbridge, Virginia, 4th; Sage Carter of Salina, Kansas, 5th.
• LD Debate: Rae Fournier, 2nd; Joshua St. Peter, Top 4; Chase Shockley, Top 4; Sage Carter, Top 7.

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

Contact: Ganer Newman, (270) 745-6340

-- WKU –

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.