Falcon Forensics and Debate team wins national championship

BGSU's win marks 15th national title for the University since 2001

The Falcon Forensics and Debate team won the National Championships held by the Novice National Forensic Association on March 8-10 at Bowling Green State University.

The national tournament featured competition among the best first-year novice competitors in the nation, attracting colleges and universities from as far as Florida and Washington. The Falcons placed 16 student presentations in final rounds, earning five individual National Champion titles in multiple events.

The team also won its second National Title in Reader’s Theatre, a group performance event. Other BGSU team honors include Open Division National Champions, Debate National Championships and Division I Forensics Individual Events National Champions. As a team, BGSU now ranks first in Debate and Forensics Public Speaking Events, with wins in both the Division I and Open classifications.

This year’s win marks BGSU’s 15th National Championship Title since 2001, with other wins including the National Comprehensive Championships, Pi Kappa Delta National Convention, the North American Forensics Society and 10 straight title wins with the Collegiate Forensic Association.

Two BGSU team members placed in multiple events in final rounds, emerging as the top and second place speakers overall in the nation, National Pentathalon Champion Sophia Stockham and second place Pentathalon Champion Sophia Walcher. Pentathalon recognizes the top overall student speakers/debaters at the National Tournament.

Here is the breakdown of other results:

INDIVIDUAL EVENT NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

• Impromptu Speaking National Champion
  
  • Sophia Walcher

• Impromptu Sales Speaking National Champion
  
  • Sophia Stockham

• Dramatic Interpretation National Champion
  
  • Mikey Ragusa

• Poetry Interpretation National Champion
  
  • Sophia Stockham

• Reader’s Theatre National Champions
  
  • Sophia Walcher, Emily Rice, Mikey Ragusa, Julianna Welker

NATIONAL FINALISTS

• 2nd Place Extemporaneous Speaking
  
  • Sophia Stockham

• 2nd Place Impromptu Speaking
  
  • Sophia Stockham

• 2nd Place Prose Interpretation
  
  • Sophia Walcher

• 2nd Place Slam Poetry Interpretation
  
  • Sophia Stockham

• 3rd Place Public Narrative Speaking
  
  • Sophia Walcher

• 4th Place Poetry Interpretation
  
  • Sophia Walcher

• 4th Place Persuasive Speaking
  
  • Sophia Stockham

• National Semifinalist in International Public Debate
  
  • Sophia Stockham

• National Quarterfinalist in International Public Debate
  
  • Allison Sturley

• National Octofinalist in International Public Debate
  
  • Jesse Lenzo

• National Octofinalist in International Public Debate
  
  • Rachel Murphy

Falcon Forensics and Debate is a co-curricular competitive team sponsored through the School of Media and Communication.