WKU News

The WKU Forensics Team won all four tournaments in both Muncie, Indiana, and Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the weekend of Oct. 12-13.

In Indiana, the WKU team won the team sweepstakes championships at both tournaments, ahead of several other schools, including Bradley University, Ball State University, Marion University, Butler University and Wayne State University. Additionally, two students placed among the top three in individual sweepstakes, a measure of personal success across an entire tournament: Kelly Lingen placed second on Saturday and third on Sunday, and Rahmane Dixon placed second on Sunday.

The WKU team also won both of the sweepstakes championships in Alabama, ahead of 10 other schools, including the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the University of Alabama and Wiley College. Additionally, Emma Warnecke placed first in individual sweepstakes on Saturday. Also, all members of the team advanced to at least one elimination round.

Next weekend the team will compete at the University of Central Missouri, in Warrensburg, Missouri.

Results from the 50th annual Ball State and Illinois State University “Age of Aquarius” Swing Tournaments are as follows:

• Kelly Lingen, a sophomore from Lakeville, Minnesota, tournament champion in duo interpretation (with Faith LoPiccolo), second in individual sweepstakes, second in persuasive speaking, second in poetry interpretation and third in prose interpretation at the Saturday tournament; tournament champion in duo interpretation (with Faith LoPiccolo), third in individual sweepstakes, fourth in poetry interpretation and sixth in prose interpretation at the Sunday tournament.
• Rahmane Dixon, a junior from Houston, Texas, tournament champion in informative speaking, tournament champion in persuasive speaking, second in individual sweepstakes and sixth in extemporaneous speaking at the Sunday tournament.
• Ryan Gosling, a junior from West Palm Beach, Florida, tournament champion in poetry interpretation and tournament champion in dramatic interpretation at the Saturday tournament; tournament champion in prose interpretation at the Sunday tournament.
• Faith LoPiccolo, a senior from Lexington, tournament champion in duo interpretation (with Kelly Lingen), second in prose interpretation and third in dramatic interpretation at the Saturday tournament; tournament champion in duo interpretation (with Kelly Lingen) at the Sunday tournament.
• April Saysithi, a freshman from St. Michael, Minnesota, tournament champion in programmed oral interpretation at the Saturday tournament; third in programmed oral interpretation at the Sunday tournament.
• Corey Newsome, a junior from Morehead, tournament champion in programmed oral interpretation, second in after-dinner speaking and third in poetry interpretation at the Sunday tournament; second in after-dinner speaking, second in programmed oral interpretation and fifth in poetry interpretation at the Saturday tournament.
• Anthony Survance, a senior from Louisville, tournament champion in extemporaneous speaking at the Sunday tournament; second in impromptu speaking, third in extemporaneous speaking and sixth in informative speaking at the Saturday tournament.
• Reese Johnson, a sophomore from Burnsville, Minnesota, tournament champion in dramatic interpretation, second in prose interpretation and second in duo interpretation (with Taylor Headrick) at the Sunday tournament; second in duo interpretation (with Taylor Headrick) and fifth in dramatic interpretation at the Saturday tournament.
• Taylor Headrick, a freshman from Wadsworth, Ohio, tournament champion in after-dinner speaking and second in duo interpretation (with Reese Johnson) at the Sunday tournament; second in duo interpretation (with Reese Johnson) at the Saturday tournament.
• Amanda Langford, a sophomore from Goodlettsville, Tennessee, fourth in prose interpretation and fifth in after-dinner speaking at the Saturday tournament; third in after-dinner speaking and fifth in communication analysis at the Sunday tournament.

Results from the University of Alabama “Crimson Classic” Swing are as follows:

• Emma Warnecke, a junior from West Bloomfield, Michigan, tournament champion in individual sweepstakes, tournament champion in after-dinner speaking, tournament champion in prose interpretation, second in programmed oral interpretation and third in informative speaking at the Saturday tournament; tournament champion in informative speaking, second in prose interpretation and third in after-dinner speaking at the Sunday tournament.
• Rickey Williams, a junior from Minneapolis, Minnesota, tournament champion in informative speaking, tournament champion in poetry interpretation and tournament champion in duo interpretation (with Warren Forstmann) at the Saturday tournament; tournament champion in poetry interpretation, third in informative speaking and third in duo interpretation (with Warren Forstmann) at the Sunday tournament.
• Derek Collins, a junior from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, tournament champion in persuasive speaking at the Saturday tournament; tournament champion in persuasive speaking at the Sunday tournament.
• Bradley Wascher, a senior from Montgomery, Alabama, tournament champion in extemporaneous speaking and second in communication analysis at the Sunday tournament; second in impromptu speaking, third in communication analysis, fifth in extemporaneous speaking and fifth in informative speaking at the Saturday tournament.
• Warren Forstmann, a freshman from Hollywood, Florida, tournament champion in duo interpretation (with Rickey Williams) and second in poetry interpretation at the Saturday tournament; second in poetry interpretation and third in duo interpretation (with Rickey Williams) at the Sunday tournament.
• Paige Allbright, a sophomore from Youngsville, Louisiana, second in after-dinner speaking at the Saturday tournament; third in programmed oral interpretation, fifth in prose interpretation and fifth in after-dinner speaking at the Sunday tournament.
• Zakkiyah Sanders, a junior from Apple Valley, Minnesota, second in prose interpretation and third in duo interpretation (with Tayland Ratliff) at the Saturday tournament; second in duo interpretation (with Tayland Ratliff) at the Sunday tournament.
• Tayland Ratliff, a junior from Youngsville, Louisiana, second in duo interpretation (with Kiyah Sanders) at the Sunday tournament; third in duo interpretation (with Kiyah Sanders) and sixth in programmed oral interpretation at the Saturday tournament.
• Symone Whalin, a junior from Sonora, third in persuasive speaking at the Saturday tournament; fourth in persuasive speaking at the Sunday tournament.
• Sal Tinajero Jr., a senior from Santa Ana, California, third in poetry interpretation, fourth in prose interpretation, and fourth in after-dinner speaking at the Sunday tournament; fourth in poetry interpretation at the Saturday tournament.
• Alex Rivera, a senior from Newton, Kansas, third in extemporaneous speaking and fifth in impromptu speaking at the Sunday tournament.
• Caitlyn Woitena, a freshman from Houston, Texas, fourth in dramatic interpretation at the Sunday tournament; sixth in dramatic interpretation at the Saturday tournament.
• Parker Anderson, a sophomore from Hodgenville, fifth in informative speaking and sixth in after-dinner speaking at the Sunday tournament; fifth in after-dinner speaking at the Saturday tournament.
• Isaac Keller, a junior from Kansas City, Missouri, sixth in impromptu speaking at the Sunday tournament.
• Daliss Hicks, a freshman from Miramar, Florida, seventh in prose interpretation at the Sunday tournament.

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

Contact: Ganer Newman, (270) 745-6340