The Boise State Speech and Debate team continues their nearly two-year undefeated conference record with a first-place overall sweepstakes finish at the Scheller Forensics Invitational hosted by Pacific University in Forest Grove, OR, from Jan. 23 – 25. The tournament brought competition from Massachusetts, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Alabama, and Wyoming, and included Harvard University and Ohio State University.
In Open Public Debate, the Talkin’ Broncos advanced all 13 of their competitors into the out rounds, resulting in the team closing out the tournament’s single-elimination bracket at quarter-finals. Sam Kleman (junior, Boise), won the tournament and also received the second-place speaker award, Adam Pendergrass (senior, Nampa) finished in second place and received the third-place speaker award. Allie Hampton (senior, Meridian),was a semi-finalist in the tournament and received the first-place speaker award. Chloe Sellers (senior, Twin Falls) finished as a semi-finalist. Orion Logan (junior, Boise), Anthony Thomas (senior, Meridian), Ivan Markevych (junior, Kremenchuk, Poltava region, Ukraine), and Jaxon Holmes (junior, Garden City) all finished as quarter-finalists. Thomas received the fifth-place speaker award. Ari Ashby (sophomore, Idaho Falls), Kiryn Willett (senior, Boise), Jesse Madison (sophomore, Meridian), Bridget Gibson (junior, Boise), and Cadence Marang (junior, Nampa) finished as octo-finalists. In Junior Public Debate, Aleigh Holmes (freshman, Garden City) finished as a quarter-finalist and received the fifth-place speaker award. In Novice Public Debate, Ben Hobbs (freshman, Caldwell) finished as a quarter-finalist.
In Individual Events, Ashby led the Talkin’ Broncos with first-place finishes in prose interpretation and informative speaking, second-place in extemporaneous speaking and poetry interpretation, and sixth-place in persuasive speaking. Hampton finished with first-place in extemporaneous speaking and persuasive speaking, second-place in impromptu speaking, third-place in prose interpretation, and fourth-place in informative speaking. Aleigh Holmes took first-place in junior dramatic interpretation, second-place in junior prose interpretation, third-place in junior persuasive speaking and fifth-place in junior impromptu speaking. Colby Bond (sophomore, Meridian), received first-place in novice prose interpretation and fourth-place in junior dramatic interpretation.
Other top competitors included: Pendergrass, who received second-place in communication analysis, third-place in both extemporaneous speaking and duo interpretation, fifth-place in impromptu speaking, and sixth-place in poetry; Jaxon Holmes, who received second-place in prose interpretation, third place in persuasive speaking and duo interpretation, and fourth-place in extemporaneous speaking; Hobbs, who received third-place in both junior prose interpretation and junior dramatic interpretation; Sellers, who received third-place in dramatic interpretation and fifth-place in informative speaking; Seddi Momenpour (freshman, Nampa), who received third-place in junior after-dinner speaking; Gibson, who received fourth-place in communication analysis and fifth-place in program oral interpretation; Thomas, who received fourth-place in impromptu speaking; Willett, who received fourth-place in after dinner speaking; and Logan, who received fifth-place in dramatic interpretation.
The Talkin’ Broncos continue their 2025-2026 season with their national comprehensive tournament, Pi Kappa Delta, hosted by Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri 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