The WKU Forensics Team won both the National Forensic Association Individual Events Team Championship and the National Forensic Association Lincoln-Douglas Debate Team Sweepstakes national championship, hosted virtually this year April 16-19.
WKU sent 29 competitors with a total of 94 individual event entries and seven debate entries to this tournament. Of the 94 IE entries, WKU advanced 84 entries to the octofinal round, 58 students advanced to the quarterfinal round, 32 advanced to the semifinal round, and 20 students advanced to the final rounds of competition.
WKU entered seven debaters into the tournament. Of the total entries, six students advanced to the double octofinal round, five students advanced to the top 16 and three students advanced into the quarterfinal round (top 8). Sophomore Andre Swai of Springfield, Missouri, was the Lincoln-Douglas Debate National Champion. He represents WKU's 12th L-D championship and is the first Black man to ever win the NFA National Championship in debate. WKU senior Ben Hanson of Louisville won the tournament’s Top Speaker Award in Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
In individual events, WKU was crowned team sweepstakes champion; the University of Texas at Austin placed second and Bradley University placed third. WKU also was crowned team sweepstakes champion in Lincoln-Douglas debate; the University of Nebraska-Lincoln placed second and Missouri State University placed third.
Earlier this month, WKU won its 11th American Forensic Association National Speech Tournament championship.
WKU President Timothy C. Caboni congratulated the team for its national championships during a recognition event Wednesday morning. “Students, I am so pleased with your work and with your drive to compete. And I am pleased with the awards you’ve brought home to the Hill and what they mean for you both individually and as a team -- and also what these successes mean for our University,” President Caboni said. “Your achievements serve as a testament, to all of our programs across our campus, of what’s possible when you consistently strive for, pursue and demand excellence.”
