WKU Forensics Team Wins 2022 Asynchronous Speech Championship

Paducah KY

31 March, 2022

11:57 AM

Description

Press release from Western Kentucky University: March 28, 2022 The WKU Forensics Team won the first Asynchronous Speech Championship. Team members include (back row, from left) Dakota Perry, Collin Tuerk, Caitlyn Woitena, Danielle Williams, Reese Johnson, Jaleon Brown, Christian Butterfield, Director of Debate Chadwick Meadows; (middle row, from left) Director of Forensics Ganer Newman, Jonah Johnson, Shainna Ralston, Antonina Clementi, Rachael Akinbayo; (front row from left) Rashon Leday, Samantha Sallee, Paige Allbright, Kellin Robinson, Tani Washington, Joseph Eberle. The WKU Forensics Team won the sweepstakes championship at the first Asynchronous Speech Championship hosted virtually by Southwest Minnesota State University on March 28. The Asynchronous Speech Championship (ASC) is the first to utilize video submissions rather than live performances to award a national championship. WKU also took eight of the top 10 in Individual Sweepstakes, an award which acknowledges the points students accumulate across all their events. Senior Reese Johnson of Burnsville, Minnesota, was awarded the individual sweepstakes championship. WKU placed ahead of the University of Alabama, the University of Illinois at Chicago, Arizona State University and the University of Florida among others. Director of Forensics Ganer Newman said: "This championship is a reflection of our students' profound ability to adapt their public speaking gifts to new communication contexts and meet the demands of our changing world. They worked diligently with their coaches all season to develop powerful and inspiring messages, and challenged themselves to produce dynamic videos in order to engage a national audience. It's awesome to see their efforts pay off in such an exceptional way at the Asynchronous Speech Championship!" The team will now prepare for its final competition, the National Forensics Association National Championship hosted by Illinois State University. Results from the Asynchronous Speech Championship are as follows: After Dinner Speaking Quarterfinalists: Reese Johnson; Danielle Williams of Goodlettsville, Tennessee; Mauricio Patino of Stockton, California; Christian Butterfield of Bowling Green, Kentucky Semifinalists: Tanya Prabhakar of Danville, California Finalists: Racheal Akinbayo of Houston, Texas, National Champion; Dakota Perry of Morehead, Kentucky, 4th. Communication Analysis Semifinalists: Samantha Sallee of Danville, Kentucky. Finalists: Tani Washington of Henrico, Virginia, National Champion; Caitlyn Woitena of Houston, Texas, 2nd; Racheal Akinbayo, 3rd. Dramatic Interpretation Quarterfinalists: Collin Tuerk of Morehead, Kentucky; Samantha Sallee; Kelly Lingen of Lakeville, Minnesota Semifinalists: Reese Johnson; Shainna Ralston of Eldorado, Illinois Finalists: Caitlyn Woitena, National Champion; Mauricio Patino, 2nd; Reggie Jefferson of Houston, Texas, 3rd; Paige Allbright of Youngsville, Louisiana, 5th. Duo Interpretation Semifinalists: Caitlyn Woitena and Paige Allbright Finalists: Jonah Johnson of Burnsville, Minnesota, and Reese Johnson, National Champion; Jonah Johnson and Paige Allbright, 2nd; Collin Tuerk and Noah Gordon of Pittsburg, California, 3rd; Kelly Lingen and Reese Johnson, 4th; Rashon Leday of Lafayette, Louisiana, and Reggie Jefferson, 5ht; Danielle Williams and Jaleon Brown of Raytown, Missouri, 6th. Extemporaneous Speaking Quarterfinalists: Tess Welch of Houston, Texas; Antonina Clementi of Lafayette, Louisiana. Semifinalists: Tani Washington; Christian Butterfield; Madelynn Einhorn of Oakwood, Ohio Finalists: Miles Morton of Sherman Oaks, California, 4th. Impromptu Speaking Quarterfinalists: Collin Tuerk Semifinalists: Andre Swai of Springfield, Missouri; Joey Eberle of Maple Grove, Minnesota; Reggie Jefferson Finalists: Christian Butterfield, National Champion; Miles Morton, 3rd; Antonina Clementi, 5th; Tani Washington, 6th. Informative Speaking Quarterfinalists: Paige Allbright; Shainna Ralston; Joey Eberle; Samantha Sallee Finalists: Tani Washington, National Champion; Reese Johnson, 2nd; Kelly Lingen, 5th; Kellin Robinson of Roseville, Minnesota, 6th Persuasive Speaking Quarterfinalists: Jaleon Brown Semifinalists: Samantha Sallee; Tess Welch Finalists: Christian Butterfield, 4th Poetry Interpretation Semifinalists: Reese Johnson Finalists: Rashon Leday, National Champion; Reggie Jefferson, 2nd; Kelly Lingen, 3rd Program Oral Interpretation Semifinalists: Imanii Giles of Hodgenville, Kentucky; Kellin Robinson Finalists: Mauricio Patino, 2nd; Tani Washington, 3rd; Paige Allbright, 4th; Danielle Williams, 5th; Jonah Johnson, 6th Prose Interpretation Quarterfinalists: Dakota Perry; Noah Gordon; Kelly Lingen Semifinalists: Imanii Giles; Samantha Sallee; Paige Allbright Finalists: Reese Johnson, National Champion: Mauricio Patino, 2nd; Shainna Ralston, 4th; Caitlyn Woitena, 5th Individual Sweepstakes Reese Johnson, 1st; Paige Allbright, 2nd; Tani Washington, 3rd; Caitlyn Woitena, 6th; Mauricio Patino, 7th; Kelly Lingen, 8th; Samantha Sallee, 9th; Reggie Jefferson, 10th This press release was produced by Western Kentucky University. The views expressed here are the author's own.