WKU News

The WKU Forensics Team won the 2019 Kentucky Forensic Association State Tournament on Saturday (Feb. 9) in Louisville.

WKU won the debate team sweepstakes, the individual events team sweepstakes and the overall combined team sweepstakes. Of the 16 event championships at the state tournament, WKU students won 14. Additionally, WKU team members won the top six places in individual sweepstakes, a measure of personal success across multiple events, and closed out the final round of IPDA (International Public Debate Association) debate. This is WKU’s 27th consecutive year as state champion.

WKU Director of Forensics Ganer Newman was pleased with the team’s results. “Our students have worked very hard this season and it is great to see the work pay off with a state championship,” he said.

Despite the state title, the season is far from over. “We are pleased with our efforts at the state championship, but we remain focused on achieving all of our team goals. We have a lot of work to do to reclaim the AFA National Championship and hold on to our NFA National Championship titles.”

On Wednesday (Feb. 13), the team will host its fourth annual Black Excellence Exposition at 7:06 p.m. in the Downing Student Union Auditorium. Next weekend, the team will split to compete in two locations: Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and Normal, Illinois.

Individual results for the 46th Annual Kentucky Forensic Association State Tournament are as follows:

• Derek Collins, a sophomore from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, state champion in individual sweepstakes, state champion in communication analysis, state champion in persuasive speaking, state champion in after-dinner speaking, second in prose interpretation, second in informative speaking and quarterfinalist in NPDA (National Parliamentary Debate Association) debate (with Brian Anderson).
• Sabas Del Toro, a senior from El Paso, Texas, state champion in prose interpretation, state champion in programmed oral interpretation, state champion in duo interpretation (with Sal Tinajero Jr.), second in individual sweepstakes and third in dramatic interpretation.
• Anthony Survance, a junior from Louisville, state champion in impromptu speaking, state champion in editorial impromptu and third in extemporaneous speaking.
• Tayland Ratliff, a sophomore from Youngsville, Louisiana, state champion in dramatic interpretation, second in poetry interpretation, second in duo interpretation (with Casey Child), third in individual sweepstakes and third in persuasive speaking.
• Andrea Ambam, a senior from Peculiar, Missouri, state champion in informative speaking, second in programmed oral interpretation, second in persuasive speaking, third in radio broadcasting and fourth in individual sweepstakes.
• Casey Child, a senior from Taylor Mill, state champion in poetry interpretation, second in dramatic interpretation, second in duo interpretation (with Tayland Ratliff), fifth in individual sweepstakes and fifth in informative speaking.
• Kelly Stone, a senior from Louisburg, Kansas, state co-champion in IPDA debate, second in NPDA debate (with Ben Hanson), fourth in communication analysis, fifth IPDA debate speaker and seventh NPDA debate speaker.
• Sal Tinajero Jr., a junior from Santa Ana, California, state champion in duo interpretation (with Sabas Del Toro), third in after-dinner speaking, third in programmed oral interpretation and sixth in individual sweepstakes.
• Alex Rivera, a junior from Newton, Kansas, state champion in extemporaneous speaking, third in impromptu speaking, quarterfinalist in IPDA debate, sixth in editorial impromptu, sixth IPDA debate speaker and sixth NPDA debate speaker.
• Isaac Keller, a sophomore from Kansas City, Missouri, state co-champion in IPDA debate, third in editorial impromptu, third IPDA debate speaker and quarterfinalist in NPDA debate (with Tess Welch).
• Brian Anderson, a senior from Hodgenville, second in communication analysis, second in editorial impromptu, quarterfinalist in NPDA debate (with Derek Collins) and quarterfinalist in IPDA debate.
• Kelly Lingen, a freshman from Lakeville, Minnesota, second in radio broadcasting, third in poetry interpretation, fourth in after-dinner speaking and fourth in programmed oral interpretation.
• Paige Allbright, a freshman from Youngsville, Louisiana, second in after-dinner speaking, third in prose interpretation and fourth in dramatic interpretation.
• Tess Welch, a freshman from Houston, Texas, second in extemporaneous speaking and quarterfinalist in NPDA debate (with Isaac Keller).
• Ben Hanson, a freshman from Louisville, second in NPDA debate (with Kelly Stone).
• Bradley Wascher, a junior from Montgomery, Alabama, third in communication analysis, third in informative speaking, sixth in impromptu speaking and sixth in persuasive speaking.
• Symone Whalin, a sophomore from Sonora, fourth in persuasive speaking and fifth in impromptu speaking.
• Madelynn Einhorn, a freshman from Oakwood, Ohio, fourth in extemporaneous speaking and 10^th NPDA debate speaker.
• Corey Newsome, a sophomore from Morehead, fifth in dramatic interpretation and fifth in poetry interpretation.

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

Contact: Ganer Newman, (270) 745-6340