Alabama Forensics Council Wins 21st National Championship

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama Forensics Council has captured its 21^st overall speech and debate national championship at the Novice National Championship Tournament earlier in March at the University of West Florida.

The Novice National Tournament is designed to give first-year collegiate speakers and debaters a chance at national recognition before the rest of the national forensics tournament season.

In addition to winning the overall speech and debate national championship, the Alabama Forensics Council won the Open Division Team Sweepstakes, the Division One Team Sweepstakes and the Quality Award

“The first-year forensics students are one of the most talented groups of any age in our activity nationwide,” said Bobby Imbody, director of forensics in The University of Alabama’s College of Communication and Information Sciences. “This accomplishment is basically a coronation of this very talented and hard-working group, a reward for their hard work and dedication to our program.”

Ten first-year members of the Alabama Forensics Council competed in 33 events and advanced to the national elimination rounds in 23 of those events.

Full, individual results:

Parliamentary Debate National Finalists
Jordan Taylor (Charlottesville, Virginia), National Runner-up
Paul Bousquet (Franklin, Tennessee), National Runner-up

Speaker Awards for Debate
Jordan Taylor, 4th place Speaker
Paul Bousquet, 3rd place speaker

After-dinner Speaking
Brittany Grady (Hoover), 2nd place
Quinn Oberg (Centennial, Colorado), 3rd place

Dramatic Interpretation
Caitlin Leiva (Hattiesburg, Mississippi), 2nd place
Madison Hall (Montgomery), 5th place

Extemporaneous Speaking
Paul Bousquet, 2nd place

Impromptu
Paul Bousquet, 3rd place
Brittany Grady, Semi-finalist

Informative
Sydney Terry (Bulls Gap, Tennessee), National Champion
Alyssa Herrera (Huntley, Illinois), 2nd place
Crystal Stone (Poland, Ohio), 3rd place
Quinn Oberg, 4th place

Persuasion
Crystal Stone, National Champion
Sydney Terry, 3rd place

Program Oral Interpretation
Michael Rankin (Nashville, Tennessee), 2nd place
Madison Hall, 4th place

Prose
Alyssa Herrera, 3rd place
Madison Hall, Semi Finalist
Jordan Taylor, Semi Finalist
Michael Rankin, Semi Finalist

Rhetorical Analysis
Jordan Taylor, 2nd place

Slam Poetry
Caitlin Leiva, 3rd place
Michael Rankin, 4th place

The Alabama Forensics Council will compete next in the American Forensic Association’s National Individual Events Tournament at Bradley University, April 1-3. 24 students will represent the Council in 66 events at the nation’s most competitive speech competition.

Founded in 1946, the Alabama Forensics Council is the oldest co-curricular organization at The University of Alabama. The Alabama Forensics Council is housed by the College of Communication and Information Sciences and is open to UA students of all academic disciplines.