Speech Team Finishes Among Top in Nation

04/24/2014 6:00 AM

Bradley University has a storied speech team – having won 40 team championships since 1980. Team members also have won more than 140 individual championships.  The Speech Team is among the top once again with second-place finishes at the National Forensic Association and American Forensic Association championships this month. 

The team, led by a strong core of underclassmen, finished behind Western Kentucky at both events and had one individual national champion.

Bradley scored 438 points at the April 4-7 American Forensic Association (AFA) championship tournament in Tempe, Ariz., led by Morgan Green ‘14, who tied for the Individual Championship but took second on a tiebreaker.  In addition to Green’s top effort, Kaybee Brown ’14 finished sixth in the individual competition at AFA. 

“We’ve established a tradition of excellence that puts us in a pretty good place to maintain,” said Forensics Director Ken Young ‘05. “It’s a challenge to stay on top.”  Last year Bradley won both the AFA and NFA championships. 

Bradley finished with 509 points at the April 17-21 NFA tournament in Ypsilanti, Michigan.  In individual sweepstakes, Green finished fourth, followed by Kaybee Brown ’14 eighth and A.J. Curry ’14 ninth. 

“No one expected us to do as well as we did because we have a young team,” said Bradley transfer student Adam Rayzor ’15. “I’m excited for next year and to see the success our team is going to have in the years to come.”  Razor received 1st place in the Informative Speaking category at NFA.  

Young credited his squad for meeting the demands of a competition schedule that is starting to resemble that of a college athletics program with heavy travel and practice demands added to students’ academic load. 

“There is a high demand on team members to be traveling so extensively to bring recognition to the University and return home to face the demands as students,” he said. “It takes a huge toll, but these students are fierce competitors who come home to the obligations and take them in stride.”

American Forensics Association National Individual Events Tournament

April 5-7

Top Overall Speakers
Gabby Dillon, senior — 20th
Talan Tyminski, junior —12th
Kaybee Brown, senior — 6th
Morgan Green, senior — tied for championship, second on tiebreaker

Impromptu Speaking
Jerome Gregory, freshman — Quarterfinalist
Rebekah Gudeman, freshman — 5th

Prose Interpretation
Gabby Dillon, senior — Quarterfinalist
Morgan Green, senior — 2nd

Informative Speaking
Rebekah Gudeman, freshman — Semifinalist
Adam Rayzor, junior — 4th

Extemporaneous Speaking
Talan Tyminski, junior — 3rd

Program Oral Interpretation
Bryan Banuelos, junior — Quarterfinalist
Morgan Green, senior — Semifinalist
Kaybee Brown, senior — 2nd

Persuasive Speaking
Paige Ridgeway, sophomore — Quarterfinalist
Julia Rabin, sophomore — Quarterfinalist
Talan Tyminski, junior — Quarterfinalist
Rebekah Gudeman, freshman — Semifinalist
AJ Curry, senior — Semifinalist

Duo Interpretation
Savannah Jones, junior, and Dawne McClure, senior — Quarterfinalist
Kaybee Brown, senior, and Dawne McClure, senior — Semifinalist
Morgan Green, senior, and Gabby Dillon, senior — 6th

Dramatic Interpretation
Dawne McClure, senior — Quarterfinalist
Morgan Green, senior — Semifinalist
Gabby Dillon, senior — Semifinalist
Kaybee Brown, senior — 2nd

Poetry Interpretation
Kaybee Brown, senior — Quarterfinalist
Morgan Green, senior — Semifinalist

After Dinner Speaking
AJ Curry, senior — Semifinalist
Jerome Gregory, freshman — 5th
Lauren Galloway, sophomore — 3rd

Communication Analysis
Kitrina Baumgartner, junior — Quarterfinalist
AJ Curry, senior — Quarterfinalist
Julia Rabin, sophomore — Quarterfinalist
Jerome Gregory, freshman — Quarterfinalist
Abby Surprenant, freshman — Semifinalist
Talan Tyminski, senior — 4^th

 

National Forensics Association Nationals

April 17-21

Top Individual Speakers:
A.J. Curry, senior — 9th
Kaybee Brown, senior — 8th
Morgan Green, senior — 4th

Extemporaneous Speaking:
Talan Tyminski, junior — Semifinalist

After Dinner Speaking:
Jerome Gregory, freshman — Semifinalist
A.J. Curry, senior — Quarterfinalist

Prose Interpretation:
A.J. Curry, senior — Quarterfinalist
Bryan Banuelos, junior — Semifinalist
Tyler Beall, sophomore — Semifinalist
Kaybee Brown, senior — 4th
Morgan Green, senior — 2nd

Informative Speaking:
Lauren Galloway, sophomore — Quarterfinalist
Talan Tyminski, junior — 2nd
Adam Rayzor, junior — 1st

Poetry Interpretation:
Dawne McClure, senior — Quarterfinalist
Kaybee Brown, senior — Semifinalist
Morgan Green, senior — Semifinalist

Rhetorical Criticism:
Julia Rabin, sophomore — Quarterfinalist
Kitrina Baumgartner, junior — Quarterfinalist
Abby Surprenant, freshman — Semifinalist
Jerome Gregory, freshman — Semifinalist
AJ Curry, senior — 2nd

Persuasive Speaking: 
Abby Surprenant, freshman — Quarterfinalist
Lauren Galloway, sophomore — Quarterfinalist
Jerome Gregory, freshman — Semifinalist
AJ Curry, senior — 3rd

Dramatic Interpretation:
Bryan Banuelos, junior — Semifinalist
Gabby Dillon, senior — Semifinalist
Morgan Green, senior — Semifinalist
Dawne McClure, senior — Semifinalist
Kaybee Brown, senior — 5th

Impromptu Speaking: 
Jerome Gregory, freshman — Quarterfinalist
Talan Tyminski, junior — Quarterfinalist

Dramatic DUO:
Savannah Jones, junior, and Matt DuPuis, sophomore — Quarterfinalist
Savannah Jones, junior, and Dawne McClure, senior — Quarterfinalist
Kaybee Brown, senior, and Morgan Green, senior — Quarterfinalist
Kaybee Brown, senior, Dawne McClure, senior — Semifinalist
Adam Rayzor, junior, and Amanda Philio, senior — Semifinalist
Gabby Dillon, senior, and Morgan Green, senior — 3rd