WKU News

WKU's Forensics Team traveled to Lebanon, Illinois, to take part in two tournaments Feb. 10-11 at McKendree University.

At both tournaments, WKU was crowned team sweepstakes champion, ahead of such teams as the University of Alabama and Bradley University. In all, the team collected 11 individual event championships, half of the total possible. Additionally, sophomore Faith LoPiccolo placed second in quadrathon at the McKendree tournament, a measure of personal success across four or more events.

Next weekend, the team will compete at both the Kentucky state tournament in Berea and the AFA national tournament district qualifier in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Three tournaments in all, the team will divide in two to compete in both locations.

Results from the McKendree University/Eastern Illinois University "Purr-fect Pals Fur-ensics Swing" tournaments are as follows:

• Michael Rizzo, a senior from Weston, Florida, tournament champion in communication analysis, tournament champion in persuasive speaking and fourth in after-dinner speaking at the McKendree tournament; tournament champion in after-dinner speaking and tournament champion in communication analysis at the Eastern Illinois tournament.
• Asha Wasuge, a senior from Irvine, California, tournament champion in duo interpretation (with Matt Wisenden), second in prose interpretation and second in programmed oral interpretation at the McKendree tournament; tournament champion in duo interpretation (with Matt Wisenden) and third in programmed oral interpretation at the Eastern Illinois tournament.
• Matt Wisenden, a junior from Moorhead, Minnesota, tournament champion in duo interpretation (with Asha Wasuge), third in informative speaking and fourth in poetry interpretation at the McKendree tournament; tournament champion in duo interpretation (with Asha Wasuge) and sixth in poetry interpretation at the Eastern Illinois tournament.
• Tayland Ratliff, a freshman from Youngsville, Louisiana, tournament champion in dramatic interpretation at the McKendree tournament; second in prose interpretation and fifth in dramatic interpretation at the Eastern Illinois tournament.
• Sam Moore, a senior from Blue Springs, Missouri, tournament champion in prose interpretation and second in duo interpretation (with Lyric Davis) at the Eastern Illinois tournament; fifth in prose interpretation at the McKendree tournament.
• Andrea Ambam, a junior from Peculiar, Missouri, tournament champion in programmed oral interpretation and third in prose interpretation at the McKendree tournament.
• Casey Child, a junior from Taylor Mill, tournament champion in persuasive speaking and fourth in programmed oral interpretation at the Eastern Illinois tournament; fifth in persuasive speaking at the McKendree tournament.
• Murphy Burke, a senior from Des Moines, Iowa, tournament champion in informative speaking at the Eastern Illinois tournament; fifth in informative speaking at the McKendree tournament.
• Emma Warnecke, a freshman from West Bloomfield, Michigan, second in communication analysis and second in programmed oral interpretation at the Eastern Illinois tournament; fourth in programmed oral interpretation at the McKendree tournament.
• Alyssa Wilhelm, a sophomore from Roseville, Minnesota, second in after-dinner speaking and sixth in prose interpretation at the Eastern Illinois tournament; second in after-dinner speaking at the McKendree tournament.
• Mackenzie Birkey, a senior from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, second in informative speaking at the Eastern Illinois tournament; fourth in informative speaking at the McKendree tournament.
• Lily Nellans, a senior from Des Moines, Iowa, second in persuasive speaking at the McKendree tournament; fourth in persuasive speaking at the Eastern Illinois tournament.
• Lyric Davis, a senior from Blue Springs, Missouri, second in duo interpretation (with Sam Moore) at the Eastern Illinois tournament; fourth in prose interpretation at the McKendree tournament.
• Zakkiyah Sanders, a freshman from Apple Valley, Minnesota, second in poetry interpretation and fifth in duo interpretation (with Rickey Williams) at the Eastern Illinois tournament; third in duo interpretation (with Rickey Williams) and eighth in poetry interpretation at the McKendree tournament.
• Faith LoPiccolo, a sophomore from Lexington, second in quadrathon, third in dramatic interpretation, fourth in communication analysis and fifth in poetry interpretation at the McKendree tournament; fifth in communication analysis at the Eastern Illinois tournament.
• Sabas Del Toro, a junior from El Paso, Texas, third in programmed oral interpretation at the McKendree tournament; fourth in prose interpretation at the Eastern Illinois tournament.
• Rickey Williams, a freshman from Minneapolis, Minnesota, third in duo interpretation (with Zakiyyah Sanders) at the McKendree tournament; fifth in duo interpretation (with Zakiyyah Sanders) at the Eastern Illinois tournament.
• Quest Broussard, a freshman from Delcambre, Louisiana, third in dramatic interpretation at the Eastern Illinois tournament; fifth in dramatic interpretation at the McKendree tournament.
• Bradley Wascher, a sophomore from Montgomery, Alabama, sixth in communication analysis at the McKendree tournament.

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

Contact: Ganer Newman, (270) 745-6340