The Boise State Speech and Debate team continue their 2024-2026 undefeated regional/conference streak with a first-place overall sweepstakes finish at the Fran Tanner Open hosted by College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls, ID September 26-27. The tournament drew 15 schools from five states, marking it the largest field of competitors in its 15-year history. This scrimmage tournament recognizes the top 10% through 30% of competitors with gold, silver and bronze awards.
In Open Public Debate, Adam Pendergrass (senior, Nampa) and Jaxon Holmes (senior, Garden City) earned gold awards, with Pendergrass receiving the first-place speaker award and Jaxon Holmes receiving the third-place speaker award. Colby Bond (junior, Meridian) earned a silver award. Ariana Ashby (junior, Idaho Falls) earned a bronze award and received the second-place speaker award. In Junior Public Debate, Ben Hobbs (sophomore, Caldwell) and Aleigh Holmes (sophomore, Garden City) earned gold awards, with Hobbs receiving the second-place speaker award and Aleigh Holmes receiving the fourth-place speaker award. Olivia Wakeman (freshman, Ammon) earned a silver award and received the third-place speaker award. Seddi Momenpour (sophomore, Nampa) earned a bronze award. In Novice Public Debate, Ty Lambert (junior, Camas, WA) earned a gold award and received the sixth-place speaker award.
In Individual Events, Pendergrass led the Talkin’ Broncos with gold awards in both extemporaneous speaking and persuasive speaking and silver awards in after-dinner speaking and duo interpretation. Bond received gold awards in both impromptu speaking and after-dinner speaking and a silver award in persuasive speaking. Ashby received a gold award in communication analysis, silver awards in impromptu speaking, prose interpretation and poetry interpretation, and a bronze award in both extemporaneous speaking and dramatic interpretation. Jaxon Holmes received a gold award in impromptu speaking and silver awards in both extemporaneous speaking and duo interpretation. Ivan Markevych (senior, Kremenchuk, Poltava region, Ukraine) received a gold award in dramatic interpretation and silver awards in both extemporaneous speaking and informative speaking. Sam Kleman (senior, Boise) received a gold award in impromptu speaking, a silver award in communication analysis, and a bronze award in extemporaneous speaking. Momenpour received a gold award in extemporaneous speaking and bronze awards in both impromptu speaking and communication analysis. Jesse Madison (junior, Meridian) received a gold award in poetry interpretation and bronze awards in both extemporaneous speaking and impromptu speaking.
Other top competitors included: Aleigh Holmes, who won a silver award in impromptu speaking; Hobbs, who received a bronze award in prose interpretation; Wakeman, who received a bronze award in persuasive speaking; and Lambert, who received a bronze in informative speaking.
The Talkin’ Broncos will continue their 2026-2027 season with Steve Hunt Classic in Portland, Oregon. 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.