Bradley Wins 2021 National Speech Championship

The Bradley University Speech Team (BUST) has won the 2021 National Speech Championship (NSC), in its first time participating in the tournament. This national tournament allows teams to enter a maximum of 22 entries with only two students per event. BUST had a very strong showing with 12 of its entries making it into the final rounds, along with two national champions. Bradley took 1st place overall, beating George Mason University by six points.

Individual results can be found below. Bradley’s championship comes weeks after taking home the Illinois State Championship. The speech team will finish its season with the American Forensics Association (NFA) National Speech Tournament (April 1-5) and the National Forensics Association (AFA) Tournament (April 16-19). In 2019, Bradley was the NFA National Champion and the AFA Runner-Up.

• Haleemah Na’Allah ‘21 - Persuasive Speaking: 2nd; After Dinner Speaking: CHAMPION.
• David Daye ‘23 - After Dinner Speaking: 2nd; Persuasive Speaking: 3rd; Communication Analysis: CHAMPION.
• Joshua Beckles ‘21 - Duo Performance (w/ Kory Turner): 5th; Poetry Performance: 3rd; Prose Performance: 3rd.
• Laura Belec ‘21 - Impromptu Speaking: 5th; Extemporaneous Speaking: 4th.
• Amelia Burns ‘21 - Informative Speaking: Semi-finalist; Dramatic Performance: 6th.
• Raechel Zoellick ‘23 - Program Performance: 2nd.
• Kory Turner ‘21 - Duo Interpretation (w/ Joshua Beckles): 5th.
• Lily Pieper ‘21 - Semi-finalist in Impromptu Speaking, Extemporaneous Speaking, Poetry Performance and Dramatic Performance.
• Kaity Johnson ‘23 - Duo Interpretation (w/ Bri Leys): Semi-finalist.
• Bri Leys ‘22 - Duo Interpretation (w/ Kaity Johnson): Semi-finalist.
• Shaun Cesario ‘21 - Quarterfinalist in Communication Analysis and Informative Speaking.
• Joseph Cyrus ‘24 - Program Performance: Quarterfinalist.