Forensic Union Finishes Second at Air Force Tourney

T he Truman Forensics team made another strong showing at the U.S. Air Force Academy Classic Jan. 21-23, in Colorado Springs, Colo. The 18 Truman competitors who attended the tournament took second overall in a field of 43 colleges and universities.

Truman out-performed a wide field of prestigious institutions, top forensics programs and regional and in-state rivals.

In parliamentary debate, the Union was the only team to place four duos in elimination rounds of the open division. Senior partners Tyson Helder, communication and political science double major from Sioux Falls, S.D., and Trevor Alexander, economics and English double major from Gladstone, Mo., along with Meghana Kunkala, junior biology major from Hattiesburg, Miss., and Dylan Rothermel, freshman chemistry major from Homewood, Ill., reached the quarterfinals. The senior pair of Matt Harms, economics major from Galesburg, Ill., and Ryan Walsh, philosophy and religion and communication double major from Cassville, Mo., competed in the “sweet sixteen” round in addition to Elizabeth Hobbs, junior biology major from Newton, Kan., and Keith Schnakenberg, sophomore political science and communication double major from Buffalo, Mo.

In the individual events competition, Hobbs seized first place in rhetorical criticism, continuing a streak of first place finishes by Truman students in this event. She was also a semifinalist in impromptu speaking. Kunkala took second in the rhetorical criticism as well.

The Truman team travels to Washburn University (Topeka, Kan.) Feb. 4-6 for their next competition.