WKU News

The WKU Forensics Team divided in two and traveled to both Normal, Illinois, and Owensboro to compete in four tournaments Nov. 1-3.

In Owensboro, WKU won the team sweepstakes championships at both tournaments, ahead of eight schools. Additionally, across the two tournaments four members of the team took the top three spots in individual sweepstakes, which is a measure of personal success across an entire tournament: on Friday, sophomore Parker Anderson placed first; sophomore Kelly Lingen placed second; and junior Rahmane Dixon placed third; on Saturday, senior Bradley Wascher placed first.

In Illinois, the team of seven debaters placed second in team sweepstakes.

Results from the Owensboro Community and Technical College “BBQ Swing” tournaments are as follows:

• Parker Anderson, a sophomore from Hodgenville, tournament champion in individual sweepstakes, tournament champion in communication analysis, tournament champion in impromptu speaking, second in after-dinner speaking, second in programmed oral interpretation, third in impromptu counseling and fourth in informative speaking at the Friday tournament.
• Bradley Wascher, a senior from Montgomery, Alabama, tournament champion in extemporaneous speaking, tournament champion in communication analysis, second in informative speaking, second in impromptu speaking and third in individual sweepstakes at the Saturday tournament.
• Kelly Lingen, a sophomore from Lakeville, Minnesota, tournament champion in poetry interpretation, second in individual sweepstakes, second in persuasive speaking, second in duo interpretation (with Faith LoPiccolo), third in after-dinner speaking and fourth in prose interpretation at the Friday tournament.
• Rahmane Dixon, a junior from Houston, Texas, tournament champion in persuasive speaking, third in extemporaneous speaking, third in informative speaking, fourth in impromptu speaking and fourth in impromptu counseling at the Friday tournament.
• Rickey Williams, a junior from Minneapolis, Minnesota, tournament champion in informative speaking, tournament champion in duo interpretation (with Warren Forstmann) and second in communication analysis at the Friday tournament.
• Reese Johnson, a sophomore from Burnsville, Minnesota, tournament champion in dramatic interpretation, tournament champion in duo interpretation (with Taylor Headrick) and third in prose interpretation at the Saturday tournament.
• Emma Warnecke, a junior from West Bloomfield, Michigan, tournament champion in after-dinner speaking and tournament champion in programmed oral interpretation at the Friday tournament.
• Warren Forstmann, a freshman from Hollywood, Florida, tournament champion in duo interpretation (with Rickey Williams) and second in poetry interpretation at the Friday tournament.
• Anthony Survance, a senior from Louisville, tournament champion in extemporaneous speaking, second in impromptu speaking, second in impromptu counseling and seventh in informative speaking at the Friday tournament.
• Paige Allbright, a sophomore from Youngsville, Louisiana, tournament champion in after-dinner speaking, second in dramatic interpretation, third in programmed oral interpretation and fourth in prose interpretation at the Saturday tournament.
• Corey Newsome, a junior from Morehead, tournament champion in persuasive speaking, second in poetry interpretation, third in after-dinner speaking and fourth in programmed oral interpretation at the Saturday tournament.
• Alex Rivera, a senior from Newton, Kansas, tournament champion in impromptu counseling, second in extemporaneous speaking and fourth in impromptu speaking at the Saturday tournament.
• Sal Tinajero Jr., a senior from Santa Ana, California, tournament champion in prose interpretation, third in poetry interpretation and fourth in after-dinner speaking at the Saturday tournament.
• Daliss Hicks, a freshman from Miramar, Florida, tournament champion in prose interpretation at the Friday tournament.
• Taylor Headrick, a freshman from Wadsworth, Ohio, tournament champion in duo interpretation (with Reese Johnson) and second in after-dinner speaking at the Saturday tournament.
• Tayland Ratliff, a junior from Youngsville, Louisiana, tournament champion in programmed oral interpretation and second in duo interpretation (with Zakkiyah Sanders) at the Saturday tournament.
• Caitlyn Woitena, a freshman from Houston, Texas, second in persuasive speaking, third in dramatic interpretation, and fifth in prose interpretation at the Saturday tournament.
• Zakkiyah Sanders, a junior from Apple Valley, Minnesota, second in prose interpretation and second in duo interpretation (with Tayland Ratliff) at the Saturday tournament.
• April Saysithi, a freshman from St. Michael, Minnesota, second in programmed oral interpretation and fifth in after-dinner speaking at the Saturday tournament.
• Amanda Langford, a sophomore from Goodlettsville, Tennessee, second in communication analysis and sixth in after-dinner speaking at the Saturday tournament.
• Faith LoPiccolo, a senior from Lexington, second in duo interpretation (with Kelly Lingen) at the Friday tournament.
• Ryan Gosling, a junior from West Palm Beach, Florida, second in prose interpretation at the Friday tournament.

Results from the Illinois State University “Redbird” Debate Swing tournaments are as follows:

• Madelynn Einhorn, a sophomore from Oakwood, Ohio, tournament champion in Lincoln-Douglas debate and second debate speaker at the Sunday tournament.
• Tess Welch, a sophomore from Houston, Texas, second debate speaker and quarterfinalist in Lincoln-Douglas debate at the Saturday tournament; quarterfinalist in Lincoln-Douglas debate at the Sunday tournament.
• Alianna Casas, a freshman from Hartford, second in novice Lincoln-Douglas debate at the Saturday tournament; top novice debate speaker at the Sunday tournament.
• Ben Hanson, a sophomore from Louisville, octofinalist in Lincoln-Douglas debate at the Saturday tournament; octofinalist in Lincoln-Douglas debate at the Sunday tournament.
• Andre Swai, a freshman from Springfield, Missouri, octofinalist in Lincoln-Douglas debate at the Saturday tournament.
• Symone Whalin, a junior from Sonora, octofinalist in Lincoln-Douglas debate at the Saturday tournament.

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

Contact: Ganer Newman, (270) 745-6340