Your future, our focus
POWELL, Wyo. - Three years and no defeats. That's how the Northwest College Forensics Team closed the books this spring on its regular-season competition. The perennial powerhouse of collegiate forensics hasn't lost a community college tournament since the 2005-06 academic year.
The team closed the regular season Feb. 13-15, posting two more wins at a two-tournament swing in Tempe, Ariz., on the Arizona State University campus. The first half of the swing was hosted by the Western States Communication Association, and Glendale Community College was host for the second half.
In the Western States tournament, Northwest placed first in debate among all colleges, second overall behind Western Kentucky University, and first overall among community colleges. In the Glendale tournament, NWC placed second overall again behind WKU, and first among two-year colleges.
Five NWC students walked to the individual events awards podium after the Western States competition. They were Pam Garman of Townsend, Mont., who took fourth in communications analysis, extemporaneous communication and impromptu speaking); Tiffani Kennedy, also of Townsend, (third in communication analysis and persuasive speaking and fourth in after-dinner speaking); Ben Norberg of Powell (second in duet interpretation and fourth in dramatic interpretation); Danyon Satterlee, Powell (first in program oral interpretation, second in duet interpretation, and third in poetry interpretation and prose interpretation); and Kaleb Olsen, Thermopolis (seventh in after-dinner speaking).
The debate speaker awards went to Nik Vantine of Cody, ninth; Kennedy, 11th; Garman, 12th; Norberg, 14th and Cali Christensen of Moroni, Utah, 18th.
The debate team of Olsen and Heather Ogle (Wright) advanced to the semifinal round of junior competition where they dropped to a team from Casper College to place third. Norberg and Christensen tied for third place in the open division with Satterlee and Vantine. The team of Garmen and Kennedy placed second in the open division after a final round loss to a Northern Arizona University team.
The Glendale Community College tournament saw a familiar lineup of NWC finishers on the individual events winners' podium. The seven Northwest winners were Norberg (first in drama, fourth in extemporaneous), Garmen (third in extemporaneous), Davis Bonner of Powell (second in extemporaneous), Satterlee (first in prose and third in poetry), Kennedy (first in persuasive, sixth in after-dinner), Michael Lechner of Star Valley, Utah (fifth in prose), and Christensen (fourth in impromptu).
The NWC team is coached by Duane Fish, Jeannie Hunt and Fred Ebert. Their post-season competitions include two national tournaments in March and April. The National Parliamentary Debate Association tournament is March 27-30 in Stockton, Calif., and the Phi Rho Pi National Tournament is April 6-11 in Portland, Ore.