WKU News

WKU’s Forensics Team won both of the team sweepstakes championships at the Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, tournaments the weekend of Feb. 1-2.

Three students were recognized as some of the highest overall ranked at the tournament, with freshman Caitlyn Woitena winning the individual sweepstakes on Sunday; sophomore Parker Anderson placing second on Saturday, and junior Rahman Dixon placing third. In addition, all WKU students advanced to at least one elimination round. Other competing schools included Bradley University, Illinois State University and the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Next weekend the team will split to compete in two locations: McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois, and Murray State University in Murray.

Results from the Sixth Annual Urbana-Champaign/Alumni “Illinis Stars Swing” tournament are as follows:

• Caitlyn Woitena, a freshman from Houston, Texas, tournament champion in individual sweepstakes, tournament champion in prose interpretation, second in persuasive speaking, second in dramatic interpretation and fifth in communication analysis at the Sunday tournament; third in prose interpretation, third in dramatic interpretation, fifth in persuasive speaking and sixth in communication analysis at the Saturday tournament.
• Rahmane Dixon, a junior from Houston, Texas, tournament champion in extemporaneous speaking, tournament champion in communication analysis, second in dramatic interpretation and third in individual sweepstakes at the Saturday tournament; tournament champion in dramatic interpretation, second in communication analysis and third in extemporaneous speaking at the Sunday tournament.
• Zakkiyah Sanders, a junior from Apple Valley, Minnesota, tournament champion in after-dinner speaking, tournament champion in duo interpretation (with Tayland Ratliff) and fifth in duo interpretation (with Emma Warnecke) at the Sunday tournament; third in duo interpretation (with Tayland Ratliff), sixth in after-dinner speaking and fifth in duo interpretation (with Emma Warnecke) at the Saturday tournament.
• Parker Anderson, a sophomore from Hodgenville, tournament champion in informative speaking, second in after-dinner speaking, second in individual sweepstakes, fourth in communication analysis and fourth in impromptu speaking at the Saturday tournament; tournament champion in impromptu speaking and third in after-dinner speaking at the Sunday tournament.
• Ryan Gosling, a junior from West Palm Beach, Florida, tournament champion in programmed oral interpretation and third in duo interpretation (with Daliss Hicks) at the Sunday tournament; tournament champion in duo interpretation (with Daliss Hicks) and fourth in programmed oral interpretation at the Saturday tournament.
• Kelly Lingen, a sophomore from Lakeville, Minnesota, tournament champion in prose interpretation, second in persuasive speaking and fourth in after-dinner speaking at the Saturday tournament; second in after-dinner speaking and third in prose interpretation and the Sunday tournament.
• Daliss Hicks, a freshman from Miramar, Florida, tournament champion in duo interpretation (with Ryan Gosling) and third in programmed oral interpretation at the Saturday tournament; second in programmed oral interpretation and third in duo interpretation (with Ryan Gosling) at the Sunday tournament.
• Tayland Ratliff, a junior from Youngsville, Louisiana, tournament champion in duo interpretation (with Kiyah Sanders) and sixth in duo interpretation (with Paige Allbright) at the Sunday tournament; third in duo interpretation (with Kiyah Sanders) and fourth in duo interpretation (with Paige Allbright) at the Saturday tournament.
• Derek Collins, a junior from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, tournament champion in communication analysis at the Sunday tournament; third in communication analysis at the Saturday tournament.
• April Saysithi, a freshman from St. Michael, Minnesota, second in prose interpretation and second in programmed oral interpretation at the Saturday tournament; fourth in after-dinner speaking at the Sunday tournament.
• Amanda Langford, a sophomore from Goodlettsville, Tennessee, second in prose interpretation and third in persuasive speaking at the Sunday tournament; fourth in persuasive speaking at the Saturday tournament.
• Reese Johnson, a sophomore from Burnsville, Minnesota, second in duo interpretation (with Corey Newsome) and seventh in poetry interpretation at the Saturday tournament; third in poetry interpretation and fourth in duo interpretation (with Corey Newsome) at the Sunday tournament.
• Emma Warnecke, a junior from West Bloomfield, Michigan, second in poetry interpretation and fifth in duo interpretation (with Kiyah Sanders) at the Sunday tournament; third in poetry interpretation and fifth in duo interpretation (with Kiyah Sanders) at the Saturday tournament.
• Corey Newsome, a junior from Morehead, second in duo interpretation (with Reese Johnson) at the Saturday tournament; fourth in duo interpretation (with Reese Johnson) at the Sunday tournament.
• Rickey Williams, a junior from Minneapolis, Minnesota, second in communication analysis at the Saturday tournament.
• Paige Allbright, a sophomore from Youngsville, Louisiana, third in persuasive speaking, fourth in duo interpretation (with Tayland Ratliff) at the Saturday tournament; sixth in duo interpretation (with Tayland Ratliff) at the Sunday tournament.

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

Contact: Ganer Newman, (270) 745-6340