McKendree’s Speech and Debate Team Came Home With Some Heavy Hardware

McKendree University speech and debate students took home 79 awards, including 13 1^st place finishes, this spring to complete the regular season.

In debate, McKendree’s students Mitch Deleel and Adeja Powell are the 4^th ranked team in the nation (of 458 teams) and have qualified to compete at the National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence (NPTE). Caden Owens and Rebecca Postula are the 43^rd ranked team and may qualify for the NPTE. As a program, McKendree is ranked 15^th (of 132 schools).

In speech, McKendree students have qualified ten events to the prestigious American Forensic Association’s National Individual Events Tournament (AFA-NIET). Andrew Wagner has qualified in six events: communication analysis, extemporaneous speaking, impromptu speaking, duo interpretation (with Smith), after dinner speaking, and persuasive speaking. Aliyah Smith has qualified in three events: duo interpretation (with Wagner), dramatic interpretation, and programmed oral interpretation. Finally, Isa Scaturro has qualified in informative speaking and after dinner speaking.

McKendree will complete its competitive season by attending the National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence, the National Parliamentary Debate Association Championship Tournament, the National Speech Championship, the Lincoln-Douglas Grand Prix, and the National Forensic Association Championship Tournament.

Below are the results from spring tournaments:

Texas Two Step, Part One (hosted by the University of North Texas on January 4-5)

• Mitch Deleel & Adeja Powell: 5^th place team in parliamentary debate
• Adeja Powell: 4^th place speaker in parliamentary debate

Texas Two Step, Part Two (hosted by the University of North Texas on January 6-7)

• Mitch Deleel & Adeja Powell: 3^rd place team in parliamentary debate
• Adeja Powell: 1^st place speaker in parliamentary debate
• Mitch Deleel: 17^th place speaker in parliamentary debate

Iowa Swing, Part One (hosted by Simpson College on January 19)

• Andrew Wagner: 2^nd in extemporaneous speaking, 3^rd in impromptu speaking, 3^rd in informative speaking, 4^th in communication analysis, 1^st in individual sweepstakes
• Aliyah Smith/Andrew Wagner: 3^rd in duo
• Isa Scaturro: 4^th in informative speaking
• Taylor Roth: 7^th in poetry, 4^th in individual sweepstakes
• McKendree: 4^th in team sweepstakes

Iowa Swing, Part Two (hosted by the University of Northern Iowa on January 20)

• Andrew Wagner: 1^st in extemporaneous speaking, 2^nd in communication analysis, 5^th in after dinner speaking, 5^th in informative speaking, 6^th in impromptu speaking, 1^st in individual sweepstakes, 1^st in weekend individual sweepstakes
• Aliyah Smith/Andrew Wagner: 2^nd in duo
• Isa Scaturro: 2^nd in after dinner speaking, 3^rd in informative speaking, 5^th in persuasion
• Taylor Roth: 7^th in extemporaneous speaking (also top novice), 7^th in communication analysis (also top novice), top novice in poetry, top novice in impromptu speaking

Gorlok Gala (hosted by Webster University on January 25-27)

• Andrew Wagner: 2^nd in after dinner speaking, 2^nd in communication analysis, 5^th in individual sweepstakes
• Aliyah Smith: excellent in drama
• Aliyah Smith/Andrew Wagner: 3^rd in duo
• Isa Scaturro: 1^st in informative speaking, 7^th in persuasion
• Kate Maag: 7^th in impromptu speaking, 7^th in extemporaneous speaking
• Rachael Hooven: 3^rd in after dinner speaking, 4^th in prose
• Taylor Roth: excellent in poetry

National Warm-up (hosted by the University of Missouri on February 9-10)

• Mitch Deleel & Adeja Powell: 5^th place team in parliamentary debate
• Adeja Powell: 5^th place speaker in parliamentary debate
• Mitch Deleel: 19^th place speaker in parliamentary debate

Fur-ensic Pals, Part One (hosted by McKendree University on February 9)

• Isa Scaturro: 2^nd in informative speaking, 3^rd in after dinner speaking
• Kate Maag: 5^th place programmed oral interpretation, 6^th in impromptu speaking, 6^th in prose

Fur-ensic Pals, Part Two (hosted by Eastern Illinois University on February 10)

• Andrew Wagner: 1^st place in persuasion, 5^th in informative speaking, 6^th in prose
• Isa Scaturro: 1^st place in informative speaking, 2^nd place in persuasion, 4^th in after dinner speaking
• Rachael Hooven: 2^nd in drama, 5^th in prose
• Taylor Roth: top novice extemporaneous speaking, top novice impromptu speaking, top novice sweepstakes

Missouri State Tournament (hosted by Webster University on February 22-23)

• Andrew Wagner: 1^st in extemporaneous speaking, 1^st in informative speaking, 2^nd in persuasion, 3^rd in impromptu speaking, 1^st in individual sweepstakes
• Aliyah Smith: 2^nd in programmed oral interpretation
• Smith/Wagner: 1^st in duo
• Isa Scaturro: 1^st in after dinner speaking, 6^th in persuasion
• Kate Maag: 5^th in poetry
• Rachael Hooven: 2^nd in after dinner speaking, 6^th in prose
• Taylor Roth: top novice communication analysis
• Kyle Garrett: 2^nd place in novice Lincoln-Douglas debate, 4^th place novice Lincoln-Douglas speaker
• McKendree: 2^nd in individual event sweepstakes, 2^nd in limited entry debate sweepstakes