K-State forensics team begins season with several achievements

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Source: Bobby Imbody, 785-532-6872, bobby@k-state.edu
Editor's note: Alexandria Serra, senior in kinesiology, is a graduate of Rock Creek Junior-Senior High School, St. George.
News release prepared by: Sara Shellenberger, 785-532-6415, media@k-state.edu

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

K-STATE FORENSICS TEAM BEGINS SEASON WITH SEVERAL ACHIEVEMENTS

MANHATTAN -- K-State Speech Unlimited, the forensics team at Kansas State University, has hit the ground running.

In the first six weeks of the 2006-2007 season, the team has won six tournaments and more than 20 individual event titles.

"The team is full of students working hard and continuing to win in the tradition we have set for ourselves," said Craig Brown, K-State instructor of speech communication. "It's hard to maintain a consistently winning program, but the students in our program excel at what they do. There's a reason we have been among the best programs in the nation for so long."

Speech Unlimited has earned top-10 finishes in the country 12 times in the last 15 years. Last year, the team was one of only five teams nationwide to qualify for the maximum number of events for the American Forensics Association national tournament.

Speech Unlimited achieved its most recent team victory at the pre-nationals warm-up tournament Oct. 21-22 at Minnesota State University in Mankato.

Individual successes for 2006-2007 include Julia Debes, senior in agricultural communications and journalism, Hoisington, who has placed as an individual champion at five separate tournaments this year; and Jessy Ohl, junior in political science, Denison, Iowa, who was named champion in After Dinner Speaking at the LE Norton Invitational at Bradley University.

In addition, each of the 17 team members has reached a final round of competition this season, and five students have already qualified for the American Forensics Association national tournament for a total of 12 events. The tournament is in April 2007.

Along with Debes and Ohl, students involved in Speech Unlimited include:

Kevin Keatley, senior in political science, Bazine; Ashley Bechard, sophomore in speech, Beloit; and Zac Ralston, junior in speech, Great Bend; Gerald Stoskopf, freshman in agribusiness, Hoisington; Brett Culbert, sophomore in theater, Lansing; Clare Feeley, sophomore in speech, Leawood; Sam Neal, junior in education-social studies, Linwood; and Rebecca Sullivan, freshman in agricultural communications and journalism, Paola; Victoria O'Brien, freshman in theater, St. George; Kevin Phillips, junior in speech, Spring Hill; Amanda Hoffman, senior in speech, and James Stanfill, sophomore in pre-professional secondary education, both of Topeka; and Alex Dryden, sophomore in theater, Wichita.

From out-of-state: Alexandria Serra, senior in kinesiology, Joshua, Texas.