WKU News

WKU’s Forensics Team won the 51st Biennial Pi Kappa Delta National Comprehensive Tournament the weekend of March 14-17.

WKU was crowned the team sweepstakes national champions in both individual events and overall, for both speech and debate, and won 10^th in debate team sweepstakes. In all, the team won seven individual national championships and closed out the final round of Lincoln-Douglas debate for the second consecutive year. Additionally, two students placed in the top 10 in pentathalon, a measure of personal success across at least five events.

Hosted this year at Tennessee State University, Pi Kappa Delta is the oldest forensic organization in the nation, and this year hosted 82 schools from 25 states, with a total of 2,013 event entries. Other competing schools included Northwestern University, Ball State University and the University of Kentucky. This is the first time that WKU has attempted to compete at PKD in full force since the team won the overall award in 2004.

In two weeks the team will travel to Colorado Springs, Colorado, to regain the national championship at the American Forensic Association National Individual Events Tournament. Two weeks after that, they will close out the season in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, at the National Forensic Association’s national tournament.

Individual results for the 51st Pi Kappa Delta National Comprehensive Tournament are as follows:

• Asha Wasuge, a senior from Irvine, California, national champion in pentathalon, national champion in poetry interpretation, second in prose interpretation, second in after-dinner speaking, semifinalist in duo interpretation (with Matt Wisenden) and quarterfinalist in programmed oral interpretation.
• Megan Armstrong, a senior from Morehead, national champion in extemporaneous speaking and national champion in informative speaking.
• Bailey Rung, a senior from Blaine, Minnesota, national co-champion in Lincoln-Douglas debate, second in impromptu speaking, second in extemporaneous speaking and seventh debate speaker.
• Anthony Survance, a sophomore from Louisville, national co-champion in Lincoln-Douglas debate, third debate speaker, quarterfinalist in extemporaneous speaking and quarterfinalist in after-dinner speaking.
• Claire Champagne, a sophomore from Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, national champion in persuasive speaking.
• Lyric Davis, a senior from Blue Springs, Missouri, second in poetry interpretation, semifinalist in prose interpretation and excellence award in informative speaking.
• Sabas Del Toro, a junior from El Paso, Texas, second in Spanish language interpretation, quarterfinalist in prose interpretation and quarterfinalist in dramatic interpretation.
• Michael Rizzo, a senior from Weston, Florida, second in informative speaking.
• Rickey Williams, a freshman from Minneapolis, Minnesota, third in duo interpretation (with Zakiyyah Sanders), fourth in communication analysis, semifinalist in poetry interpretation and semifinalist in prose interpretation.
• Emma Warnecke, a freshman from West Bloomfield, Michigan, third in communication analysis, fourth in persuasive speaking and semifinalist in poetry interpretation.
• Zakkiyah Sanders, a freshman from Apple Valley, Minnesota, third in duo interpretation (with Rickey Williams) and excellence award in prose interpretation.
• Faith LoPiccolo, a sophomore from Lexington, third in after-dinner speaking and excellence award in communication analysis.
• Matt Wisenden, a junior from Moorhead, Minnesota, fourth in informative speaking, sixth in dramatic interpretation, 10^th in pentathalon, semifinalist in duo interpretation (with Asha Wasuge) and quarterfinalist in poetry interpretation.
• Alex Rivera, a sophomore from Newton, Kansas, fourth in editorial impromptu and semifinalist in impromptu speaking.
• Sam Moore, a senior from Blue Springs, Missouri, fourth in prose interpretation.
• Kelly Stone, a junior from Louisburg, Kansas, fifth debate speaker and quarterfinalist in Lincoln-Douglas debate.
• Isaac Keller, a freshman from Kansas City, Missouri, ninth debate speaker, quarterfinalist in Lincoln-Douglas debate and excellence award in interviewing.
• Lane Hedrick, a junior from Morehead, semifinalist in impromptu speaking, semifinalist in editorial impromptu, semifinalist in persuasive speaking, excellence award in informative speaking and excellence award in extemporaneous speaking.
• Casey Child, a junior from Taylor Mill, semifinalist in informative speaking, quarterfinalist in dramatic interpretation and excellence award in programmed oral interpretation.
• Zach Bernat, a freshman from Canfield, Ohio, quarterfinalist in programmed oral interpretation, quarterfinalist in dramatic interpretation and quarterfinalist in after-dinner speaking.
• Natalie Hedberg, a junior from Chaska, Minnesota, quarterfinalist in informative speaking, quarterfinalist in persuasive speaking and excellence award in poetry interpretation.
• Mackenzie Birkey, a senior from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, quarterfinalist in informative speaking, excellence award in prose interpretation, excellence award in persuasive speaking and excellence award in dramatic interpretation.
• Ashlyn Jones, a freshman from Lafayette, Louisiana, excellence award in impromptu speaking.

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

Contact: Ganer Newman, (270) 745-6340