2016-17 Talkin’ Broncos, photo by Allison Corona
The Pi Kappa Delta National Championship Boise State Speech and Debate team continued their 2016-17 season with a dominating performance at the Steve Hunt Invitational in Portland, Oregon, Oct. 7-9. Thirty-nine teams representing many western states and Texas competed in the tournament, including Oregon State University, the University of Washington and the University of Nevada. The Talkin’ Broncos won first place in Individual Events Sweepstakes, first place in Debate Sweepstakes and first place in Overall Sweepstakes.
“I’d have to check the records, but I feel like that’s the first time Boise State has won all three sweepstakes awards at the Steve Hunt,” said Manda Hicks, director of forensics. “We brought a lot of debate talent onto the team this year – students and coaches – and I think that’s why we were able to win debate sweepstakes at one of the most competitive tournaments in the nation.”
In Open Public Debate, Luke Yeates (senior, Boise) was both the tournament champion and the winner of the first place-speaker award. Catherine Floate (senior, Meridian) was a semi-finalist and winner of the eighth-place speaker award. Scott Ludwig (senior, Pocatello) and Justin Fields (senior, Boise) were quarter-finalists, with Ludwig winning the fourth-place speaker award. Janice Witherspoon (sophomore, Caldwell) won the second-place speaker award and Hunter Carson (junior, Nampa) won the ninth-place speaker award.
In Junior Public Debate, Connor Johnson (junior, Billings, MT) was both the tournament champion and the winner of the first-place speaker award. Lauren Peña (junior, Meridian) and Brock Arnold (sophomore, Meridian) were semi-finalists, with Arnold winning the ninth-place speaker award. Ximena Bustillo (freshman, Nampa) and Tate Volbrecht (freshman, Billings, MT) were quarter-finalists, with Bustillo winning the second-place speaker award and Volbrecht winning the seventh-place speaker award. Kaitlyn Rogers (junior, Boise) was an octo finalist. Other top debaters recognized were Elizabeth Popp (junior, Columbia, MO) winning the eighth-place speaker award and Sam Haskell (Tacoma, WA) winning the 10th-place speaker award.
In Novice Public Debate, Kaelee Novich (freshman, Nampa) was a quarter finalist and Steve Silva (senior, Boise) won the 10th-place speaker award.
In Open Parliamentary Debate, the team of Ryan Orlando (senior, Meridian) and Jamie Maas (junior, Meridian) were octo finalists, with Maas winning the 11th-place speaker award and Orlando winning the fifth-place speaker award.
In individual events, Witherspoon led the Talkin’ Broncos with first place in both program oral interpretation and impromptu speaking, fifth place in dramatic interpretation, and sixth place in prose interpretation. Witherspoon and Floate tied for the third place overall Individual Events Competitor award. Mackenzie Moss (junior, Boise) took first place in communication analysis, fourth place in informative speaking, and sixth place in extemporaneous speaking. Orlando took first place in poetry interpretation and fifth place in both extemporaneous speaking and duo interpretation. Madison Grady (junior, Whitefish, Montana) took first place in informative speaking, second place in prose interpretation, and fifth place in both persuasive speaking and extemporaneous speaking. Maas took first place in persuasive speaking and third place in extemporaneous speaking. Volbrecht took first place in extemporaneous speaking, third place in after-dinner speaking, and fourth place in impromptu speaking. Bustillo took first place in prose interpretation, third place in persuasive speaking, and sixth place in impromptu. Daniel Gardner (junior, Twin Falls) took first place in dramatic interpretation and third place in prose interpretation. Zach Hill (freshman, Kuna) took first place in persuasive speaking and third place in prose interpretation. Kelsey Cooper (sophomore, Spring Creek, Nevada) took first place in impromptu speaking.
Other top competitors include: Floate, who took second place in persuasive speaking, prose interpretation, and impromptu speaking; Rogers, who took second place in communication analysis, fourth place in prose interpretation, and seventh place in extemporaneous speaking; Johnson, who took second place in prose interpretation, fourth place in extemporaneous speaking, and sixth place in impromptu; Ludwig, who took second place in extemporaneous speaking and fourth place in dramatic interpretation; Carson, who took second place in dramatic interpretation and fourth place in prose interpretation; Silva, who took second place in impromptu and fourth place in prose; Hailie Johnson-Waskow (junior, Nampa), who took third place in program oral interpretation and fifth place in duo interpretation; Brandon Sams (senior, Mountain Home), who took fourth place in communication analysis. Kacie Hoch (senior, Boise), who took fifth place in prose and sixth place in dramatic interpretation; Popp, who took fifth place in prose interpretation and sixth place in persuasive speaking; Fields, who took fifth place in informative speaking; Peña, who took fifth place in impromptu; Arnold, who took fifth place in prose interpretation; Haskell, who took sixth place in prose interpretation; and Andde Mendez (senior, Nampa), who took sixth place in program oral interpretation.
The Talkin’ Broncos continue their season with their second conference tournament, the Mahaffey Memorial at Linfield College, Nov. 18-20.
The Talkin’ Broncos are the 2015-2016 Pi Kappa Delta National Champions in Speech and Debate and are supported in part through the generosity of the Jeker Family Trust. For more information about the Talkin’ Broncos, contact Hicks at mandahicks@boisestate.edu.
BY: CIENNA MADRID PUBLISHED 12:03 PM / OCTOBER 12, 2016