The Boise State Speech and Debate team continue their undefeated 2024-2025 season with a first-place overall sweepstakes finish at the Northwest Nazarene Valentine Tournament hosted in Nampa, Idaho, Feb. 15-16. The tournament featured competitors from all over the Northwest Forensics Conference including Oregon State University, Colorado Christian University and Weber State University.
In open public debate, Allie Hampton (junior, Meridian) and Anthony Thomas (junior, Meridian) closed out the final round.
In junior public debate, Arianna Ashby (freshman, Idaho Falls) was the tournament champion and Chloe Sellers (junior, Twin Falls) finished as a semi-finalist and Jaxon Holmes (sophomore, Garden City) finishing as a quarter-finalist.
In novice public debate, Cadence Marang (sophomore, Nampa) took second-place overall with Jesse Madison (freshman, Meridian) finishing as a quarter-finalist.
In individual events, Adam Pendergrass (sophomore, Nampa) led the Talkin’ Broncos with first-place finishes in both extemporaneous speaking and duo interpretation, and second-place in both persuasive speaking and impromptu speaking. Hampton took first-place in impromptu speaking, third-place in both prose interpretation and informative speaking, and fourth-place in extemporaneous speaking. Holmes took first-place in duo interpretation, second-place in both program oral interpretation and extemporaneous speaking, and third-place in impromptu speaking. Ivan Markevych (sophomore, Kremenchuk, Poltava region, Ukraine) took first-place in prose interpretation and second-place in both after dinner speaking and dramatic interpretation. Sellers took first-place in informative speaking, third-place in both after dinner speaking and extemporaneous speaking, and fourth-place in program oral interpretation. Ryan Wind (sophomore, Meridian) took first-place in after dinner speaking and second-place in prose interpretation. In novice division, Madison took first-place in informative speaking and second-place in both prose interpretation and extemporaneous speaking.
Other top competitors included: Ashby, who took second-place in informative speaking and fifth-place in extemporaneous speaking; Bridget Gibson (sophomore, Boise), who took third-place in program oral interpretation and fourth-place in prose interpretation; Thomas, who took third-place in persuasive speaking and was a finalist in impromptu speaking; and Marang, who took third-place in novice prose interpretation.
The Talkin’ Broncos continue their 2024-2025 season with their first national tournament at Ohio University in March. The Talkin’ Broncos are supported in part through the generosity of the Jeker Family Trust. For more information about the Talkin’ Broncos, contact Manda Hicks, director of forensics at Boise State at mandahicks@boisestate.edu.