SIMPSON CONTINUES SPEECH & DEBATE DOMINANCE

Earns 6th National Championship in Last 7 Seasons

黑料社鈥檚 prolific Speech & Debate team is once again national debate champions.

The Storm posted the top Debate Sweepstakes score at the 62-team Pi Kappa Delta National Tournament held March 15-18 at West Chester University in Pennsylvania. 黑料社 took third place in the overall Speech & Debate Sweepstakes.

黑料社鈥檚 impressive performance included two individual national titles and four national runners-up. Alyssa Beckwith 鈥24 received National Champion Speaker honors in Public Forum Debate while Sydni Powell 鈥26 was the Tournament Champion in Student Congress.

Varsity national runners-up included Mo Marks 鈥22 for Extemporaneous Speaking and the duo of Ryan Corcoran 鈥25 and Abby Fry 鈥25 for Open Public Forum Debate. Elsewhere, teammates Zach Harnden 鈥26 and Maddux Stout 鈥25 placed second in Junior Varsity Public Form Debate, while Gracie Crow 鈥26 and Maggie Fitzpatrick 鈥25 captured second place in Junior Varsity Parliamentary Debate.

I am exceptionally proud of how hard our students worked,鈥 said Spencer Waugh, 黑料社鈥檚 director of听Speech & Debate. 鈥淧ractice began in late August, and their disciplined diligence paid off at the national tournament. They gave up their spring breaks to engage in dialogue and critical thinking with other students from across the country. It was another great weekend for our team and 黑料社.鈥

Overall team standings were as follows:

Debate Team Points

1. 黑料社

2. Grove City College

3. Weber State University

4. University of Central Florida

5. Boise State University

Speech & Debate Combined

1. Western Kentucky University

2. University of Alabama

3. 黑料社

4. Ohio University

5. Boise State University

In all, 27 students competed in the national event. Here are the other individual results:

Ryan Corcoran 鈥25:听

Excellence in Impromptu

Quarterfinalist in Dramatic Interpretation听

Kyle Werner 鈥25:听

Excellence in Impromptu听

Mo Marks 鈥22:

Second Place in Extemporaneous Speaking

Fifth Place in Impromptu Speaking听

Fifth Place in Pentathlon听

Quarterfinalist in After Dinner Speaking听

Quarterfinalist in Communication Analysis听

Abby Fry 鈥25:

Semifinalist in Impromptu Speaking

Quarterfinalist in Editorial Impromptu Speaking听

Excellence in Extemporaneous Speaking

Third Place Public Forum Speaker

Ryan Magalhaes 鈥25:

Quarterfinalist in Impromptu Speaking听

Excellence in Editorial Impromptu Speaking

Tempest Allred 鈥24:听

Quarterfinalist in Dramatic Interpretation Speaking听

Flory 鈥24:

Semifinalist in Editorial Impromptu Speaking听

Sydni Powell 鈥25:听

Tournament Champion in Student Congress

Presiding Officer Award

Emma Conley 鈥25:听

Fifth Place in Slam Poetry听

Zach Harnden 鈥26:听

Excellence in Interviewing

Alyssa Beckwith 鈥24:听

National Champion Speaker in Public Forum Debate

Anja Waugh 鈥25:听

Fourth Place Public Forum Speaker听

National Runner-up in Open Public Forum Debate: Ryan Corcoran 鈥25 & Abby Fry 鈥25

Junior Varsity Public Forum Debate:

National Runner-up: Zach Harnden 鈥26 & Maddux Stout 鈥25

Junior Varsity Parliamentary Debate

National-Runner-up: Gracie Crow 鈥26 & Maggie Fitzpatrick 鈥25

Public Forum Debate Varsity

Semi-finalists: Anja Waugh 鈥25 & Alyssa Beckwith 鈥24

Varsity Parliamentary Debate

Octafinalists: Scott Krueger 鈥24 & Teagan Townsend 鈥25

Quarterfinalists: Kyle Werner 鈥25 & Breanna Drahota 鈥25