Speech & Debate Team Takes Home 43 Awards in Two Tournaments
(LEBANON, Ill., February 5, 2016) - The McKendree Speech and Debate team is off to a fast start this semester, taking home 43 awards in its first two
tournaments of the spring at Butler University and Webster University. Additionally,
the team placed second and third in individual event sweepstakes at each tournament.
Fourteen colleges and universities, including Illinois State University and Ball State
University, attended Butler University’s Bulldog Classic on Jan. 16-17. Representing
McKendree were juniors Katie Reining and Taylor Rossi; sophomore Hannah Zickefoose;
and first-years Andrew Wagner and Emma Webster.
At the first half, Reining finished third in both after dinner speaking and poetry,
sixth in communication analysis, and fifth in individual sweepstakes. Webster took
third place in drama. Zickefoose got fourth in extemporaneous, fifth in prose, and
sixth in poetry. Rossi placed fifth in informative, while Wagner took second in novice
impromptu. As a team, McKendree placed fourth.
At the second half, Reining won in after dinner speaking, and second in both communication
analysis and individual sweepstakes. Rossi finished first in informative speaking,
fifth in poetry, sixth in impromptu, and third in individual sweepstakes. Wagner took
third in persuasion, sixth in extemporaneous, and fifth in individual sweepstakes.
Zickefoose finished third in poetry, fifth in after dinner speaking, sixth in prose,
and fourth in individual sweepstakes. Webster took fifth in persuasion. McKendree
finished second in team sweepstakes.
Thirty-four colleges and universities, including the University of Nebraska, the Ohio
State University and the University of Illinois, attended Webster University’s Gorlok
Gala, Jan. 29-31. Representing McKendree were senior Rodney McBride; juniors Dylan
Comer, Katie Reining, and Taylor Rossi; sophomores Alex Baldwin, Beth Graham, Kaitlyn
Hutchison, David Junge, Adam Kaul, Jazzmine Mitchell, Gage Simmons and Hannah Zickefoose;
and first-years Justin Fausz, Adeja Powell, Andrew Wagner and Emma Webster.
In individual events, Zickefoose won first in programmed oral interpretation, fourth
in after dinner speaking, semifinalist in extemporaneous, excellent in impromptu,
and third in individual sweepstakes. Reining took second in duo improv (with Comer),
third in after dinner speaking, and fifth in individual sweepstakes. Rossi finished
second in communication analysis. Comer took second in duo improv (with Reining),
fifth in duo (with Webster), semifinalist in prose, and excellent in programmed oral
interpretation. Finally, Webster took fifth in duo (with Comer) and semifinalist in
prose. McKendree also won third in individual event team sweepstakes.
In open parliamentary debate, the team of Kaul and McBride went 3-2, but due to a
ballot were not allowed to advance. They were recognized as quarterfinalists, however.
Baldwin and Simmons also posted a 3-2 record, finishing as octofinalists. In junior
parliamentary debate, Hutchison and Mitchell went 3-2 as well, and placed as octofinalists.
McKendree will compete at Loyola University on Feb. 12-14.
Front row, Dylan Comer; middle row, Beth Graham, Andrew Wagner, Hannah Zickefoose, Emma Webster, Katie Reining, Taylor Rossi and Alex Baldwin; back row, Justin Fausz, David Junge, Gage Simmons and Adam Kaul.
-McK-
