November 25, 2003

Boise State Talkin' Broncos Win Oregon Forensics Tournament

The Boise State University speech and debate team won the 73rd annual Mahaffey Invitational Forensics Tournament at Linfield College in McMinnville, Ore., Nov. 14-16. Boise State finished first among 20 colleges and universities from Alaska, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. With freshman Barton Jackson (Boise) and junior Annah Merkley (Pocatello) leading the way, the Talkin’ Broncos built a sizable lead in the tournament’s speech competition, then held off second-place Lewis & Clark College (Ore.) and third-place Willamette University in the debate rounds to claim their second Mahaffey championship in three years. Jackson placed first in Speech to Entertain, second in both Persuasive and Extemporaneous Speaking and fourth in Impromptu Speaking. Merkley was first in Program Oral Interpretation and second in Dramatic Interpretation, and finished third in debate with partner Jared Cooke (freshman, Idaho Falls). Seniors Nate Schunke (Boise) and Nancy Henke (Boise) extended the Boise State lead with strong performances. Schunke finished first in Persuasive Speaking and third in Impromptu Speaking and teamed with Rachel Webb (senior, Twin Falls) for a fifth-place finish in debate. Henke chipped in third-place awards in both Informative Speaking and Program Oral Interpretation and a fifth-place in Persuasive Speaking. Other multiple award winners for the Talkin’ Broncos were: Lacey Rammell-O’Brien (junior, Boise), second in Dramatic Interpretation and third in Prose Interpretation; Hillary Davidson (sophomore, Spokane), third in Informative Speaking and fourth in Women’s Rhetoric; Chace Mickelson (freshman, Pocatello), fourth in Persuasive Speaking and fifth in Informative Speaking; and Melody Moehlmann (senior, Boise), fifth in Extemporaneous Speaking and sixth in Persuasive Speaking. Other award winners for Boise State were: Cooke, fourth in Dramatic Interpretation; Amanda Reed (sophomore, Idaho Falls), third in Poetry Interpretation; Brad Peatross (freshman, Idaho Falls), sixth in Informative Speaking; and Webb, sixth in Informative Speaking. The Mahaffey Tournament concluded the fall competition schedule for Boise State. In January, the team will travel to Murfreesboro, Tenn., for the Collegiate Honoraries National Forensics Tournament, hosted by Middle Tennessee State University. -30- Contact Marty Most Department of communication 208 426-1920 Media Contact Kathleen Craven communications and marketing 208 426-3275