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Media Relations
Kansas State University
9 Anderson Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-6415
media@k-state.edu

Information provided by K-State Media Relations, K-State's news service, may be reproduced without permission. The marks and names of Kansas State University are protected trademarks and may not be used in any commercial or private endeavor without the approval of the university.

Sources: Craig Brown, 785-532-6790, craigb@k-state.edu; Bobby Imbody, 785-532-6872,
bobby@k-state.edu
http://www.k-state.edu/forensics/
News release prepared by: Andy Badeker, 785-532-6415, abadeker@k-state.edu

Thursday, April 10, 2008

K-STATE SENIOR WINS FOUR NATIONAL TITLES IN FORENSICS TOURNEY

MANHATTAN -- A senior in political science at Kansas State University has won four titles at a national forensics competition, making him only the second person in the event's 31-year history to do so.

Jessy Ohl, Denison, Iowa, won the overall individual trophy at the American Forensics Association National Individual Events Tournament, which took place April 5-7 in Austin, Texas. He also placed first in extemporaneous speaking, informative speaking and communication analysis.

As captain, Ohl led the K-State team to a fourth-place finish overall, out of 90 teams that qualified for the country's most prestigious forensics competition. It was K-State's best finish in the tournament since 1998, when the team also placed fourth.

K-State President Jon Wefald said, "Whether athletics or academics, I would rank Jessy Ohl's four national championships in the spring 2008 forensics tournament as one of the most brilliant accomplishments for a K-State student in my 22 years as president of Kansas State University."

"It's just a monumental achievement," said Bobby Imbody, assistant director of individual events for the K-State team. The only other time a student managed a similar feat was in 1992. "We're incredibly proud of Jessy and the whole team."

"The team did what I was hoping they could do, which was to finish back in the top five," Brown said. Even with all of Ohl's accomplishments in Austin, "we only finished 17 points ahead of the next team, and we needed all 16 kids we brought. So it was very much a team victory."

K-State has had two other students win the overall individual trophy in the past, Imbody said. In 1993 and 1994, Tim Schultz won, and Chris McLemore won the trophy in 2000. As in gymnastics, to qualify for the overall trophy, a student must compete in at least four events. In addition to his wins, Ohl placed third in impromptu and persuasive speaking and was a semifinalist in after-dinner speaking.

"We have always said that if you give us the opportunity and the resources, we could deliver national champions," Brown said. "The College of Arts and Sciences and President Wefald have done that, giving us faculty and coaching positions. And we couldn't have enjoyed these results without the support and encouragement of the faculty and staff here in the department of speech communication, theater and dance.

"The credit starts with students, but it goes all the way up the line, with people investing in their dreams."

The top five overall teams, in descending order: Western Kentucky University, Bradley University, University of Texas at Austin, K-State and George Mason University.

Forensics differs from debate in that students typically select a piece of literature or a specialized topic to present in the clearest and most compelling way possible; they are not taking sides on an issue or advocating for a course of action. Ohl's choice for his informative speaking entry, for example, was the disappearing language of an indigenous Brazilian population, Imbody said.

K-State was one of the founding institutions of the American Forensics Association tournament and has fielded a team every April since it began. In 2005, the Wildcats played host to the event.

The next event for the K-State team is a seniors-only trip to the National Forensics Association meet at Tennessee State University in Nashville. And Kevin Phillips and James Stanfill will represent the state in the upcoming 136th annual Interstate Oratorical Association competition for persuasive speaking. K-Staters won first and second place in 2006, "so we've had a history of success in that  tournament as well," Imbody said.

"They're such great kids, and they work very hard, and they get little recognition across campus," Imbody said. "Our seniors are going on to high-profile graduate programs, where they will spread the word about our accomplishments here at K-State."

In addition to Brown and Imbody, the coaching staff includes Kevin Keatley, Bazine; Neal Stewart, Paola; Sarah Schwartz, Atwater, Minn.; and Emily Kofoed, Mapleton, Minn. All are graduate students in speech.

Members of the K-State team who competed in Austin and their awards include: Ashley Bechard, junior in speech, Beloit; Zac Ralston, senior in speech, Great Bend, fourth in informative speaking; semifinalist in dramatic duo interpretation; quarterfinalist in poetry interpretation; Ralston placed 19th overall.

From Greater Kansas City: Jessica Thompson, sophomore in pre-journalism and mass communications, Kansas City, Mo.; Clare Feeley, junior in speech, Leawood, semifinalist in prose interpretation and program of oral interpretation; Samantha Harlan, sophomore in speech, Lenexa; Cory Sears, senior in speech, Shawnee.

Bryan Dickerson, junior in pre-journalism and mass communications, Hutchinson; Sam Neal, senior in social studies education, Linwood; Kevin Phillips, senior in speech, Spring Hill, quarterfinalist in prose interpretation and semifinalist in dramatic duo interpretation; James Stanfill, senior in English education, Topeka; Brook Abitz, freshman in agricultural economics, Wheaton; Alex Dryden, junior in theater, and Chandler Johnson, freshman in pre-journalism and mass communications, both of Wichita.

From out of state: Cameron Piercy, sophomore in speech, Comanche, Okla.; Alex Serra, senior in kinesiology, Joshua, Texas, sixth place in persuasive speaking.