Forensics Team Wins Multiple State Championship Titles

Forensics brought home a total of eight state championships, including Individual Event Sweepstakes and Combined Sweepstakes. The team placed second in Debate Sweepstakes and was also awarded the Director’s Award for the most cumulative points earned over multiple years. The team defeated in-state competitors including the University of Central Missouri, the University of Missouri-Columbia and Webster University. They also prevailed over out-of-state competitors including Simpson College and McKendree University.

In individual events Annie Nguyen, first-year political science and environmental science student, was top novice and state champion in Communication Analysis. Nguyen was joined by Sawyer Partney, second-year economics and political science student, who placed fourth. Emery McEvoy, second-year accounting student, took home the championship in Informative Speaking, with Nguyen placing third and earning top novice. Ashton Mullen, third-year political science student, was fourth. In Persuasive Speaking, Alex Peterson, fourth-year criminal justice and social issue advocacy student, took home the state title, closely followed by Nguyen, who finished second and was the top novice. Lauren Weiss, second-year biology student, was sixth. In After Dinner Speaking, Willow Adamson, first-year psychology student, finished fourth, followed by Jessie Philips, fourth-year political science student, in fifth, qualifying for nationals, and Weiss in sixth. Peterson also took home the championship in Impromptu speaking, joined by McEvoy, placing third. Mullen and Jack Unsell, first-year political science and environmental science student, were semifinalists. In Extemporaneous Speaking, Partney placed fourth, and Mullen finished fifth. 

In interpretation events, the team continued its success. In Poetry Interpretation, Philips took home the state title. Philips was joined by Briggs Maynor, fourth-year chemistry student, who finished second, Zoe Walker, third-year criminal justice and English student, who placed fourth, and Adamson, who placed sixth. Maynor and Philips finished second in Duo Interpretation, with Maynor and Peterson finishing fourth. Peterson finished fifth in Prose Interpretation. Finally, in Program Oral Interpretation, Adamson was sixth, and Walker was seventh. In Pentathlon, which reflects competition across five events, Peterson was fourth, and Maynor was sixth. 

Truman’s debaters kept the winning streak going. In Novice Lincoln-Douglas (LD) debate, Ammi McHugh, first-year political science and creative writing student, and Tessa Kremer, first-year statistics student, were semifinalists. McHugh received the third-place speaker award. Emmett Beeson, first-year business administration student, was fifth speaker, and Kremer was sixth. In Open LD, Aiden Breesawitz, fourth-year communication student, was a semifinalist and received the second-place speaker award. Payten Luaders, third-year political science and philosophy student, was the third-place speaker, and Ryan Franklin, second-year math student, was fourth. In Open International Public Debate (IPDA), Partney and Cooper Spacil, second-year social issue advocacy student, were octafinalists. Spacil also received a third-place speaker award. In Team IPDA, the team of Partney and Unsell claimed the state champion title. McEvoy was third speaker and Unsell was sixth. Unsell placed second as Top Forensicator, given to competitors who compete in both individual events and debate. 

“This team always amazes me. I can’t wait to see how much they shine at Nationals,” said  Ben Davis, director of forensics.

With the regular season over, the Truman Forensics Union is preparing for the Pi Kappa Delta National Tournament to take place after spring break.

For more information, follow @trumanforensicunion on Instagram and visit forensics.truman.edu for additional details.