Forensics Ends Season with Third-Place Finish at Nationals
Forensics placed third in Division I of the National Forensic Association National Championship Tournament, April 16-20, at Tennessee State University in Nashville.
The tournament is the largest intercollegiate forensics championship, spanning 11 different individual speaking categories and Lincoln-Douglas Debate. A record number of entries from 70 colleges and universities from across the United States were represented. Across all categories, Truman was ranked 13th overall, without regard to school or entry size. Rankings consider the performances of every student on a team. This ranking put Truman ahead of universities such as multiple campuses of the Cal-State system, Arizona State, Rice, UC-Berkeley, Northwestern and Hofstra, as well as all other participating Missouri institutions.
In individual events competition, Alex Peterson, fourth-year criminal justice studies and social issue advocacy major, was a semifinalist, while Emery McEvoy, second-year accounting major, was a semifinalist in Extemporaneous Speaking. Jessie Philips, fourth-year political science and international relations major, was a quarterfinalist in Poetry Interpretation. In Duo Interpretation, Philips and her partner, Briggs Maynor, fourth-year chemistry major, were quarterfinalists. Annie Nguyen, first-year political science and international relations and environmental science major, was a quarterfinalist in Persuasive Speaking. The team also had six placements in the octafinals of the tournament. These included Maynor and Philips in After Dinner Speaking, Willow Adamson, first-year psychology major, in Poetry Interpretation, Jack Unsell, first-year political science and international relations and environmental science major, in Impromptu Speaking, Nguyen in Informative Speaking and Peterson in Persuasive Speaking. In Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Ryan Franklin, second-year mathematics major, reached the double-octafinals. All 21 students contributed points to the overall result of the team.
In addition to these accolades, Robert Layne II (’02), a Truman communication graduate, was inducted into the National Forensic Association Hall of Fame for his competitive success and application of skills learned in forensics to public service. Layne was a member of the national championship debate team in 2000 and reached several elimination rounds at both the National Parliamentary Debate Association and National Forensic Association National Championships. Layne serves in a senior communications leadership position for the City of Salem, Oregon. This is Truman’s second alumnus to join the Hall of Fame.
"Our success at NFA this year was indicative of our students' hard work and commitment to the team throughout the season,” said Ben Davis, director of forensics. “Each person on our squad played a hand in reaching our team goal this year of breaking into the Top 15 at NFA. Their support for each other is inspirational and the coaches are thrilled to see such fire beneath the team right now as we end our season and start preparing for another great year next season."
This concludes the competitive season for Forensics. The team will begin competition for the 2026-27 season in September. For more information on the program, follow @trumanforensicunion on Instagram or visit forensics.truman.edu.
The tournament is the largest intercollegiate forensics championship, spanning 11 different individual speaking categories and Lincoln-Douglas Debate. A record number of entries from 70 colleges and universities from across the United States were represented. Across all categories, Truman was ranked 13th overall, without regard to school or entry size. Rankings consider the performances of every student on a team. This ranking put Truman ahead of universities such as multiple campuses of the Cal-State system, Arizona State, Rice, UC-Berkeley, Northwestern and Hofstra, as well as all other participating Missouri institutions.
In individual events competition, Alex Peterson, fourth-year criminal justice studies and social issue advocacy major, was a semifinalist, while Emery McEvoy, second-year accounting major, was a semifinalist in Extemporaneous Speaking. Jessie Philips, fourth-year political science and international relations major, was a quarterfinalist in Poetry Interpretation. In Duo Interpretation, Philips and her partner, Briggs Maynor, fourth-year chemistry major, were quarterfinalists. Annie Nguyen, first-year political science and international relations and environmental science major, was a quarterfinalist in Persuasive Speaking. The team also had six placements in the octafinals of the tournament. These included Maynor and Philips in After Dinner Speaking, Willow Adamson, first-year psychology major, in Poetry Interpretation, Jack Unsell, first-year political science and international relations and environmental science major, in Impromptu Speaking, Nguyen in Informative Speaking and Peterson in Persuasive Speaking. In Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Ryan Franklin, second-year mathematics major, reached the double-octafinals. All 21 students contributed points to the overall result of the team.
In addition to these accolades, Robert Layne II (’02), a Truman communication graduate, was inducted into the National Forensic Association Hall of Fame for his competitive success and application of skills learned in forensics to public service. Layne was a member of the national championship debate team in 2000 and reached several elimination rounds at both the National Parliamentary Debate Association and National Forensic Association National Championships. Layne serves in a senior communications leadership position for the City of Salem, Oregon. This is Truman’s second alumnus to join the Hall of Fame.
"Our success at NFA this year was indicative of our students' hard work and commitment to the team throughout the season,” said Ben Davis, director of forensics. “Each person on our squad played a hand in reaching our team goal this year of breaking into the Top 15 at NFA. Their support for each other is inspirational and the coaches are thrilled to see such fire beneath the team right now as we end our season and start preparing for another great year next season."
This concludes the competitive season for Forensics. The team will begin competition for the 2026-27 season in September. For more information on the program, follow @trumanforensicunion on Instagram or visit forensics.truman.edu.
