WKU News

Top: WKU Forensics Team members won the debate team sweepstakes at the Gorlok Gala. Bottom: WKU Forensics Team members won the team sweepstakes championship at the Mid-America Forensic League 5 tournament and placed second at the MAFL 6 tournament.

WKU’s Forensics Team traveled to Saint Louis, Missouri, and DeKalb, Illinois, to take part in three tournaments the weekend of Jan. 26-27.

The tournament in Saint Louis was hosted by Webster University, and the debate competition -- widely considered the best predictor for success at the national tournament -- fielded more than 100 competitors. WKU’s team of six advanced all entries to elimination rounds and won the debate team sweepstakes at the Gorlok Gala. Competing schools included Pennsylvania State University, California State University-Sacramento, Hillsdale College, Truman State University, University of Nebraska, University of Pacific, Central Michigan University and Missouri State University.

In Illinois, WKU's team of 11 won the team sweepstakes championship at the Mid-America Forensic League (MAFL) 5 tournament and placed second at the MAFL 6. Other competing schools included Northwestern University, Bradley University, University of Illinois at Chicago, North Central College, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Northern Illinois University.

Next weekend the team will split to compete in two locations: Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, and Murray, Kentucky.

Results from the Webster University Gorlok Gala are as follows:

• Anthony Survance, a junior from Louisville, tournament champion in Lincoln-Douglas debate and fifth debate speaker.
• Isaac Keller, a sophomore from Kansas City, Missouri, excellence award in impromptu speaking and quarterfinalist in Lincoln-Douglas debate.
• Ben Hanson, a freshman from Louisville, quarterfinalist in Lincoln-Douglas debate and seventh debate speaker.
• Madelynn Einhorn, a freshman from Oakwood, Ohio, fourth debate speaker and octofinalist in Lincoln-Douglas debate.
• Alex Rivera, a junior from Newton, Kansas, semifinalist in impromptu speaking and octofinalist in Lincoln-Douglas debate.
• Tess Welch, a freshman from Houston, Texas, semifinalist in impromptu speaking and double-octofinalist in Lincoln-Douglas debate.

Results from the Mid-America Forensic League 5 & 6 Tournaments are as follows:

• Lane Hedrick, a senior from Morehead, tournament champion in impromptu speaking, tournament champion in extemporaneous speaking and second in informative speaking at the MAFL 6 tournament; fourth in impromptu speaking and sixth in extemporaneous speaking at the MAFL 5 tournament.
• Andrea Ambam, a senior from Peculiar, Missouri, tournament champion in persuasive speaking and tournament champion in prose interpretation at the MAFL 5 tournament; fourth in persuasive speaking at the MAFL 6 tournament.
• Casey Child, a senior from Taylor Mill, tournament champion in dramatic interpretation, second in duo interpretation (with Reese Johnson) and fifth in informative speaking at the MAFL 5 tournament; fourth in informative speaking at the MAFL 6 tournament.
• Reese Johnson, a freshman from Burnsville, Minnesota, tournament champion in after-dinner speaking and second in duo interpretation (with Casey Child) at the MAFL 5 tournament; fifth in dramatic interpretation at the MAFL 6 tournament.
• Rickey Williams, a sophomore from Minneapolis, Minnesota, tournament champion in informative speaking and second in poetry interpretation at the MAFL 5 tournament.
• Zakkiyah Sanders, a sophomore from Apple Valley, Minnesota, tournament champion in poetry interpretation, fourth in after-dinner speaking and fifth in prose interpretation at the MAFL 5 tournament; fourth in after-dinner speaking at the MAFL 6 tournament.
• Matt Wisenden, a senior from Moorhead, Minnesota, tournament champion in dramatic interpretation and fifth in prose interpretation at the MAFL 6 tournament; fourth in prose interpretation and fourth in dramatic interpretation at the MAFL 5 tournament.
• Emma Warnecke, a sophomore from West Bloomfield, Michigan, tournament champion in communication analysis at the MAFL 5 tournament; second in communication analysis and third in informative speaking at the MAFL 6 tournament.
• Sal Tinajero Jr., a junior from Santa Ana, California, second in after-dinner speaking, second in programmed oral interpretation and third in duo interpretation (with Sabas Del Toro) at the MAFL 5 tournament; sixth in prose interpretation at the MAFL 6 tournament.
• Sabas Del Toro, a senior from El Paso, Texas, third in programmed oral interpretation, third in prose interpretation and third in duo interpretation (with Sal Tinajero, Jr.) at the MAFL 5 tournament; fourth in programmed oral interpretation at the MAFL 6 tournament.
• Natalie Hedberg, a senior from Chaska, Minnesota, third in communication analysis and sixth in poetry interpretation at the MAFL 5 tournament.

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

Contact: Ganer Newman, (270) 745-6340