WKU News

The WKU Forensics Team placed second at the American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament championship, hosted this year by Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, during the March 31-April 3 weekend.

WKU sent 26 competitors with a total of 66 entries to the national tournament. Of the 66 total entries, 38 advanced to quarterfinal rounds, 24 advanced to the semifinal round, and 10 events made it to the final rounds of competition. Last year, the team fielded 37 quarterfinalists and 25 semifinalists.

WKU placed second in team sweepstakes, and the University of Texas at Austin placed first. George Mason University placed third. Other top 10 schools included Bradley University, the University of Alabama, the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Illinois State University, the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, Concordia University Irvine and Wiley College. The AFA National Individual Events Tournament hosted 73 schools this year, with nearly 1,395 entries.

WKU seniors Camille Acosta of El Paso, Texas, and Lauren Sledge-Groves of Bowling Green were recognized as AFA All Americans for their work in the community, as scholars and as leaders. One school receiving two such awards is a rare achievement. Also, three members of the team were recognized for excellence across several events at the tournament, called the pentathlon award: Andrea Ambam received third, Lily Nellans received 16th and Brent O’Connor received 18th.

“I am incredibly proud of the effort of our students. The contest for the championship was impossibly tight, with a point difference of about 1 percent,” said WKU Director of Forensics Ganer Newman. “It’s understandable to feel a level of disappointment when your team falls short of a championship by such a slim margin. However, I know our students prepared like champions all season and they gave their all every single round of this tournament. I’m indescribably proud of the students for their work and what they accomplished this weekend! Congratulations to the University of Texas at Austin for their success. We will now direct our focus on the defending our titles at the National Forensics Association championship tournament. Our students are poised to build on the success of this weekend and keep the championship on The Hill!”

The team is preparing for the final national tournament, the National Forensic Association National Speech and Debate Tournament, hosted in one week at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

The AFA national tournament offers individual events such as dramatic interpretation of literature, limited preparation and prepared speaking. The NFA national tournament, however, allows competitors to compete in debate as well as the individual events. Newman said the team hopes to bring back the NFA team championships in debate and individual events.

Earlier this spring, WKU won its 25th consecutive Kentucky Forensic Association team sweepstakes state championship.

Individual results from the 40th Annual American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament are as follows:

• Lily Nellans, a junior from Des Moines, Iowa, national champion in impromptu speaking, third in extemporaneous speaking and 16^th in pentathlon.
• Andrea Ambam, a sophomore from Peculiar, Missouri, third in pentathlon, fifth in informative speaking, sixth in persuasive speaking, semifinalist in poetry interpretation, semifinalist in programmed oral interpretation and semifinalist in after-dinner speaking.
• Brent O’Connor, a senior from Plantation, Florida, third in poetry interpretation, fifth in duo interpretation (with Lyric Davis), 18^th in pentathlon and quarterfinalist in duo interpretation (with Blake Knapp).
• Durwan Green, a junior from Lewisville, Texas, second in duo interpretation (with Matt Wisenden) and quarterfinalist in duo interpretation (with Lyric Davis).
• Matt Wisenden, a sophomore from Moorhead, Minnesota, second in duo interpretation (with Durwan Green).
• Camille Acosta, a senior from El Paso, Texas, fourth in programmed oral interpretation and semifinalist in dramatic interpretation.
• Blake Knapp, a junior from Blue Springs, Missouri, fourth in prose interpretation, quarterfinalist in poetry interpretation and quarterfinalist in duo interpretation (with Brent O’Connor).
• Lyric Davis, a junior from Blue Springs, Missouri, fifth in duo interpretation (with Brent O'Connor) and quarterfinalist in duo interpretation (with Durwan Green).
• Murphy Burke, a junior from Des Moines, Iowa, sixth in after-dinner speaking and semifinalist in impromptu speaking.
• Asha Wasuge, a junior from Irvine, California, sixth in poetry interpretation and semifinalist in after-dinner speaking.
• Brian Anderson, a sophomore from Hodgenville, sixth in impromptu speaking quarterfinalist in extemporaneous speaking.
• Bradley Wascher, a freshman from Montgomery, Alabama, sixth in extemporaneous speaking.
• Sam Moore, a junior from Blue Springs, Missouri, sixth in dramatic interpretation.
• Sean Diaz, a junior from El Paso, Texas, semifinalist in programmed oral interpretation, quarterfinalist in poetry interpretation and quarterfinalist in dramatic interpretation.
• Lauren Groves, a senior from Bowling Green, semifinalist in informative speaking, quarterfinalist in after-dinner speaking and quarterfinalist in communication analysis.
• Bailey Rung, a junior from Blaine, Minnesota, semifinalist in extemporaneous speaking and quarterfinalist in impromptu speaking.
• Mark Allseits, a senior from Englewood, Florida, semifinalist in communication analysis.
• Megan Armstrong, a junior from Morehead, quarterfinalist in informative speaking and quarterfinalist in communication analysis.
• Casey Child, a sophomore from Taylor Mill, quarterfinalist in prose interpretation and quarterfinalist in duo interpretation (with Mackenzie Birkey).
• Kayla English, a sophomore from Indianapolis, Indiana, quarterfinalist in after-dinner speaking.
• Mackenzie Birkey, a junior from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, quarterfinalist in duo interpretation (with Casey Child).

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

Contact: Ganer Newman, (270) 745-6340