McKendree University Speech and Debate Opens Season with 44 Awards
(LEBANON, Ill., October 4, 2016) — The McKendree University speech and debate team opened its season with strong performances at each of its first five tournaments.
Along with 39 individual awards – including nine first-place finishes – McKendree
finished in second or third place as a program at four of its five tournaments.
“The team did fantastic on all fronts,” said Assistant Coach Lance Allen. “A start
like this can only bring good things, come nationals.”
Fifteen colleges and universities, including the University of California at Berkeley,
the University of Oregon, and Colorado State University, attended William Jewell College’s
debate tournament on Sept. 16-18. Representing McKendree were juniors Alex Baldwin,
Beth Graham and Gage Simmons; and sophomore Adeja Powell. The team of Baldwin-Simmons
finished with a 5-3 recorded and advanced to octofinals, after receiving a first elimination
round bye. The team of Graham-Powell posted a 4-4 record and also were octofinalists,
after defeating Morehouse College in double-octofinals. McKendree was the only squad
with multiple teams to advance all of its teams to octofinals.
Fifteen colleges and universities, including the University of Alabama, Lafayette
College and Truman State University attended Western Kentucky University’s speech
tournament on Sept. 17-18. Representing McKendree were seniors Dylan Comer, Katie
Reining and Taylor Rossi; junior Noelle Zickefoose; sophomores Aliyah Smith, Andrew
Wagner and Emma Webster; and first-years Grace Alexander, Kate Maag and Isa Scaturro.
At the first half, Reining took fourth place in after dinner Speaking, while also
finishing sixth in duo with Webster. Zickefoose placed sixth in program oral interpretation.
At the second half, Wagner won first place in communication analysis. Rossi and Reining
finished second and third, respectively, in after dinner speaking, while Reining also
took sixth in persuasion. Zickefoose again placed sixth in programmed oral interpretation,
while the duo of Comer and Webster placed sixth. As a squad, McKendree took third
place. This is the most advancing events that McKendree has had at Western Kentucky
since at least 2008.
Six colleges and universities, including Loyola University, Cedarville University
and Belmont College, attended Wheaton College’s debate tournament on Sept. 23-24.
Representing McKendree were juniors Alex Baldwin, Beth Graham, Kaitlyn Hutchison and
Gage Simmons; sophomore Adeja Powell; and first-years Virginia Parkinson, Brad Riedemann
and Tyler Timmons. The team of Graham-Powell posted a 4-2 record in prelims. After
defeating Loyola in quarterfinals and Wheaton in semifinals, they advanced to finals,
taking second place. Baldwin and Simmons placed as quarterfinalists, after also finishing
with a 4-2 record. Hutchison and Riedemann just missed advancing with a 3-3 record
(but beat the eventual tournament champions in prelims).
Nineteen colleges and universities, including George Mason University, Ball State
University and Ohio University, attended the University of Indianapolis’s speech tournament
on Sept. 24. Representing McKendree were seniors Dylan Comer, Katie Reining and Taylor
Rossi; sophomores Aliyah Smith, Andrew Wagner and Emma Webster; and first-years Grace
Alexander, Kate Maag and Isa Scaturro. Alexander won first place in novice prose and
second place in novice impromptu. Comer took third in programmed oral interpretation,
while finishing second in duo with Webster. Scaturro was fifth in programmed oral
interpretation, while placing fourth in duo with Smith. Webster received sixth in
prose and drama, while also taking third in duo with Reining. As a team, McKendree
finished in third place.
Nineteen colleges and universities, including the University of Florida, the University
of Nebraska and Illinois State University, attended Southwest Baptist University’s
speech and debate tournament on Sept. 30-Oct. 1. Representing McKendree were seniors
Dylan Comer, Katie Reining and Taylor Rossi; juniors Adam Kaul and Noelle Zickefoose;
sophomores Justin Fausz, Aliyah Smith and Emma Webster; and first-years Andrew Dori,
Kate Maag, Isa Scaturro and Tyler Timmons. In total, McKendree won an incredible six
of 11 events – and finished in second place as a squad. Reining won first place in
after dinner speaking, persuasion, and communication analysis, while taking second
place with Webster in duo. Webster also won first place in prose and third in drama,
as well as another first place finish in duo with Comer. Zickefoose won first place
in programmed oral interpretation. Comer took third place in prose. Rossi finished
in fourth place in after dinner speaking. Smith placed fifth in drama, while also
taking fourth with Scaturro in duo. Finally, Maag was named top novice in impromptu.
“These students have been working since June on their performances,” said Speech Coach
Stephen Hagan. “Three weeks in a row is difficult but they worked hard and had excellent
results.”
McKendree will next compete at the University of Central Missouri on Oct. 14-16.
Competing for McKendree University at the William Jewell College debate tournament were Alex Baldwin, Gage Simmons, Adeja Powell and Beth Graham.
Bringing home trophies from the Western Kentucky tournament were speech team members, front row, Taylor Rossi, Katie Reining, Aliyah Smith, Isa Scaturro, Grace Alexander, Andrew Wagner; back row, Noelle Zickefoose, Emma Webster, Dylan Comer and Kate Maag.
Competing at the Wheaton College tournament were debaters Kaitlyn Hutchison, Brad Riedemann (kneeling); Tyler Timmons, Virginia Parkinson, Beth Graham, Adeja Powell, Alex Baldwin and Gage Simmons (standing).
The speech team took third at the University of Indianapolis tournament: Kate Maag, Gracie Alexander, Isa Scaturro, Taylor Rossi, Andrew Wagner, Katie Reining, Aliyah Smith, Emma Webster and Dylan Comer.
The team won six of 11 events at the Southwest Baptist University tournament. Front row, Dylan Comer, Emma Webster, Taylor Rossi, Katie Reining, Aliyah Smith; back row, Andrew Dori, Tyler Timmons, Adam Kaul, Kate Maag, Noelle Zickefoose, Isa Scaturro and Justin Fausz.
-McK-
