November 1, 2004

Boise State Talkin' Broncos Tops At Tacoma Tourney

The Boise State University debate and speech team won 43 individual awards and dominated a field of 28 colleges and universities from seven states at the first Northwest Forensic Conference tournament of the season, held Oct. 22-24 at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash. The Talkin’ Broncos set a school record for points scored at a conference meet with 233.2 team points.  Second-place Lewis and Clark College (Ore.) finished with 164.8 team points. Whitman College (Wash.) was third (93.4 team points), Utah State fourth (70.4 team points) and the University of Puget Sound (61 team points) was fifth. Co-captains Nancy Henke (senior, Boise) and Kristin Davidson (junior, Winnipeg, Manitoba) led the Boise State team in scoring. Henke was first in Informative Speaking, second in Prose Interpretation, third in Persuasive Speaking and fourth in Program Oral Interpretation, while Davidson was second in both Persuasive Speaking and Rhetorical Analysis, and third in both Informative Speaking and Poetry Interpretation. Davidson also teamed with debate partner John Petti (senior, Lakewood, Calif.) to finish third in Novice Debate. Petti was also first in Impromptu Speaking, second in Dramatic Interpretation and fifth in Extemporaneous Speaking.   Barton Jackson (sophomore, Eagle) and Lacey Rammell-O’Brien (senior, Eagle) also contributed heavily to the Boise State scoring record. Together they placed ninth in Open Debate. Jackson also won Extemporaneous Speaking, was second in Speech to Entertain, third in Prose Interpretation, fourth in Persuasive Speaking and fifth in Impromptu Speaking. Rammell-O’Brien was third in Impromptu Speaking, fourth in both Poetry and Dramatic Interpretation and fifth in Speech to Entertain.   Scott Nelson (senior, American Falls) was named the top speaker in novice debate and teamed with Krista King (junior, Boise) to finish fifth in Novice Debate. Nelson also won Novice Persuasive Speaking and placed fourth in Rhetorical Analysis, while King won Novice Informative Speaking and was fourth in Novice Persuasive Speaking. Joining Nelson on the All-Tournament Team were Davidson, who was named second novice speaker, and Rammell-O’Brien who received an award as the fourth speaker in Open Debate. Every member of the Boise State team scored, including: Annah Merkely (senior, Pocatello), who won Poetry Interpretation; Hillary Davidson (junior, Spokane), who placed fourth in Persuasive Speaking and fifth in both Informative Speaking and Prose Interpretation; Michelle Bicek (senior, Boise), who was third in Novice Persuasive Speaking and fifth in Novice Informative Speaking;  Tracy Glass (junior, Meridian), who was fourth in Novice Persuasive Speaking and fifth in Novice Informative Speaking; Miles Stirewalt (junior, Pocatello), who was fifth in Persuasive Speaking; and Wayne Rysavy (sophomore, Mountain Home), who finished fourth in Informative Speaking. The Talkin’ Broncos travel to McMinnville, Ore., in three weeks for the second Northwest Forensic Conference Tournament of the season, hosted by Linfield College.   -30- Contact: Marty Most, Department of Communication, (208) 426-1920 Media Contact: Kathleen Craven, communications and marketing, (208) 426-3275