Over the last couple weeks of January, the Hastings College forensics team competed in three tournaments, qualifying two more events to the American Forensics Association National Speech Tournament (AFA-NST), which will be held virtually in April.
The team competed asynchronously and synchronously at the Kansas in Nebraska Swing January 19-24, which was hosted by Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in Lincoln, Nebraska.
From January 25 to 29, the team competed asynchronously at the fourth Online Asynchronous Tournament Series (OATS 4), hosted by Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, Minnesota. On January 30, the team competed synchronously in the second Valley Forensics League (VFL 2), hosted by South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota.
During these competitions, the team found many successes and placed sixth at OATS 4 in team sweepstakes and fourth in team sweepstakes at VFL 2.
Events that qualified for the AFA-NST included Isaabella Munoz, a senior from Worland, Wyoming, who qualified Program Oral Interpretation, and Sam Johnson, a junior from Hastings, Nebraska, who qualified After Dinner Speaking.
The results from the past weeks are below.
Kansas in Nebraska Swing Results
January 23, 2021
- Sam Johnson, a junior from Hastings, Nebraska, placed second in After Dinner Speaking.
- Samantha Burke, a senior from Denver, Colorado, placed third in Program Oral Interpretation.
January 24, 2021
- Sam Johnson, a junior from Hastings, Nebraska, placed first in After Dinner Speaking.
- Isaabella Munoz, a senior from Worland, Wyoming, placed fifth in Informative Speaking and first in Program Oral Interpretation.
OATS 4 Results
January 29, 2021
- Nikki DeSeriere, a sophomore from Westminster, Colorado, placed first in Duo Interpretation with junior Brendan Kachnowski and placed third in Dramatic Interpretation.
- Brendan Kachnowski, a junior from Rock Springs, Wyoming, placed first in Duo Interpretation with sophomore Nikki DeSeriere.
- Samantha Burke, a senior from Denver, Colorado, placed first in Program Oral Interpretation.
The team placed sixth in team sweepstakes for the day.
VFL 2 Results
January 30, 2021
- Victoria Caplinger, a first-year student from Effingham, Kansas, was awarded top novice and placed third in Impromptu Speaking, and was awarded top novice and placed fifth in Extemporaneous Speaking.
- Mae Heater, a first-year student from Bennington, Nebraska, was awarded top novice and placed fifth in After Dinner Speaking and placed seventh in Poetry Interpretation.
- Nikki DeSeriere, a sophomore from Westminster, Colorado, placed third in Dramatic Interpretation.
- Samantha Burke, a senior from Denver, Colorado, placed second in Program Oral Interpretation.
The team placed fourth in team sweepstakes for the day.
The Hastings College forensics team continues a long-running tradition of national competitive success, placing in the top 20 at the American Forensics Association National Speech Tournament (AFA-NST) for many of the past 10 years. Most recently, Hastings College placed 9th at AFA-NST 2019.
Hastings College is a four-year residential college that focuses on student academic and extracurricular achievement. Hastings’ student-centered initiatives include providing books, an iPad and a two-week study away experience at no additional cost. A block-style semester schedule allows professors and students to focus on fewer classes at a time and promotes hands-on experiences. Discover more at hastings.edu.
