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National Forensic Association National Championship Tournament
[edit]The National Forensic Association (NFA) National Championship Tournament is an intercollegiate forensics tournament held annually during the third weekend of April.[1] It was established in 1971 by Dr. Seth Hawkins of Southern Connecticut State College.[2] Unlike the American Forensic Association National Speech Tournament (AFA-NST), another prominent college-level individual events national tournament, the NFA National Championship Tournament includes both individual events (IEs) and Lincoln-Douglas Debate (LD Debate).[3] The tournament awards 11 national championships in IEs, a LD Debate championship and top speaker award, a Pentathlon championship, and eight team sweepstakes championships.[4]
The 2025 NFA National Championship Tournament will be hosted by Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.[5]
History
[edit]In the late 1960s, Dr. Hawkins, Dr. Raymond Beaty of Ohio University, and Dr. Jack Howe of California State University, Long Beach began to explore the potential for a national tournament centered on IEs. Dr. Beaty reported that the debate community initially disregarded these inquiries.[6] During the 1970-71 forensics season, Dr. Hawkins opted to establish the National Individual Events Tournament[1] despite this lack of institutional support.
The inaugural tournament was held in the spring of 1971 on the campus of Ohio Northern University. 23 schools brought 142 slots to participate in six events (prose, poetry, extemporaneous speaking, oratory, and after-dinner speaking). Ohio University won the first team sweepstakes championship and Robert Reider won the first Pentathlon championship.
At the 1972 tournament, Dramatic Pairs was added as an event, currently known as Duo Interpretation.
Following the continued success of the tournament, the National Forensic Association was established with the approval of a constitution at the 1974 event. Additionally, Expository Speaking (now known as Informative Speaking) was added as an event and Dr. Hawkins introduced the Founder's Cumulative Sweepstakes Award.
At the 1975 tournament, Rhetorical Criticism was added as an event, bringing the total number of IEs to nine.
In 1991, LD Debate was added as an event, followed by the LD Debate Team Sweepstakes award in 1992.
The final events approved by the NFA were Dramatic Interpretation in 2008 and Program Oral Interpretation in 2018, bringing the total number of IEs to the same 11 offered by the AFA-NST.
Structure
[edit]Unlike the AFA-NST, the NFA National Championship Tournament has no limit on the number of entries a school can bring to the tournament.
The IE tournament consists of three preliminary rounds, followed by octafinals, quarterfinals, semifinals, and a final round for all 11 events. The LD Debate tournament consists of six preliminary rounds, followed by a single-elimination tournament bracket.
Team sweepstakes awards are awarded to the best overall performing team based on entry size and two-year status. The five team sweepstakes awarded for IEs are as follows:
- Open Sweepstakes (all schools)
- President's One (schools with 30-55 entered slots)
- President's Two (schools with 13-29 entered slots)
- President's Three (schools with 1-12 entered slots)
- Community College (only two-year colleges)
The two team sweepstakes awarded for LD Debate are as follows:
- Open Sweepstakes (all schools)
- Community College (only two-year colleges)
The Founder's Cumulative Sweepstakes Award is earned by the school with the highest cumulative sweepstakes points across all National Championship Tournaments. When a school wins, their total points are reset to the zero. The 2024 Founder's Award was earned by the University of Texas at Austin.
Students who compete in five or more IEs in at least two genres (public address, limited preparation, interpretation) are eligible for the Pentathlon awards. Only the five best slots are considered for tabulation purposes.
Previous Tournaments
[edit]List of Speech Sweepstakes Champions
[edit]| Year | Pentathlon Champion | Open Sweepstakes |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Robert Reider, Ohio University | Ohio University |
| 1972 | Jim Molnar, Ohio University | Ball State University |
| 1973 | Jim Molnar, Ohio University | Eastern Michigan University |
| 1974 | Bobbi Rowe, Stetson University | Ohio University (2) |
| 1975 | Bobbi Rowe, Stetson University | Ohio University (3) |
| 1976 | Irene Ziegler, Stetson University | Eastern Michigan University (2) |
| 1977 | Michael Garcia, Eastern Michigan University | Eastern Michigan University (3) |
| 1978 | William Allen Young, University of Southern California | Eastern Michigan University (4) |
| 1979 | George Denger, Eastern Michigan University | Eastern Michigan University (5) |
| 1980 | Jon Capecci, Eastern Michigan University | Eastern Michigan University (6) |
| 1981 | Jon Capecci, Eastern Michigan University | Eastern Michigan University (7) |
| 1982 | Theresa McElwee, Eastern Michigan University | Bradley University |
| 1983 | Mike Jones, Eastern Michigan University | Bradley University (2) |
| 1984 | Brad Johansen, Bradley University | Bradley University (3) |
| 1985 | John Broer, Miami University | Bradley University (4) |
| 1986 | Greg Dolph, Bradley University | Eastern Michigan University (8) |
| 1987 | Laura Duncan, Eastern Michigan University | Eastern Michigan University (9) |
| 1988 | Brenda Dempsey, Eastern Michigan University | Bradley University (5) |
| 1989 | Cam Jones, Cornell University | Bradley University (6) |
| 1990 | Stephanie Kaplan, University of Wisconsin-Madison | Bradley University (7) |
| 1991 | Karon Bowers, Bradley University | Bradley University (8) |
| 1992 | Ronnie Stewart, Bradley University | Bradley University (9) |
| 1993 | Jason Berke, Illinois State University | Bradley University (10) |
| 1994 | Andy Wood, Berry College | Bradley University (11) |
| 1995 | Jason Berke, Illinois State University | Illinois State University |
| 1996 | August Benassi, Bradley University | Bradley University (12) |
| 1997 | Chris Grove, Illinois State University | Bradley University (13) |
| 1998 | Grant Ward, Illinois State University Brendan Kelly, Eastern Michigan University |
Bradley University (14) |
| 1999 | Brian Davis, Arizona State University | Illinois State University (2) |
| 2000 | Dan Hungerman, Miami University | Illinois State University (3) |
| 2001 | Steve Zammit, Cornell University | Bradley University (15) |
| 2002 | Eric Long, Bradley University | Bradley University (16) |
| 2003 | Meredith Schnug, Miami University | Western Kentucky University |
| 2004 | John Coleman, Berry College | Western Kentucky University (2) |
| 2005 | A.J. Moorehead, Arizona State University | Bradley University (17) |
| 2006 | Paul Davis, Arizona State University | Western Kentucky University (3) |
| 2007 | Kashif Powell, Morehouse College | Western Kentucky University (4) |
| 2008 | Jessy Ohl, Kansas State University | Western Kentucky University (5) |
| 2009 | Joele Denis, Western Kentucky University | Western Kentucky University (6) |
| 2010 | Dan Glaser, Ohio University | Western Kentucky University (7) |
| 2011 | Jacoby Cochran, Bradley University | Western Kentucky University (8) |
| 2012 | Jacoby Cochran, Bradley University | Bradley University (18) |
| 2013 | Kaybee Brown, Bradley University | Bradley University (19) |
| 2014 | Andrew Neylon, Ball State University | Western Kentucky University (9) |
| 2015 | Jerome Gregory, Bradley University | Western Kentucky University (10) |
| 2016 | Farrah Bara, University of Texas at Austin | Western Kentucky University (11) |
| 2017 | Jerome Gregory, Bradley University | Western Kentucky University (12) |
| 2018 | Abigail Onwunali, University of Texas at Austin | Western Kentucky University (13) |
| 2019 | Andrea Ambam, Western Kentucky University | Bradley University (20) |
| 2021 | Derek Collins, Western Kentucky University | Western Kentucky University (14) |
| 2022 | Fernando Cereceres, University of Texas at Austin | Western Kentucky University (15) |
| 2023 | Doniven Hill-Bush, Illinois State University | Western Kentucky University (16) |
| 2024 | Fernando Cereceres, University of Texas at Austin | Western Kentucky University (17) |
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 tournament was canceled, resulting in no sweepstakes winners. However, the NFA permitted competitors in their senior year to submit recordings of their speeches for an asynchronous competition. The top performing student in each category was ranked as the Performance of Highest Distinction. Finalists in each category were not publicly ranked but were announced as Performances of Distinction.[7] The Pentathlon award was replaced with the Performer of Highest Distinction award, which Saeed Malami won from Lafayette College.[8]
List of LD Debate Champions
[edit]| Year | National Champion | Open Sweepstakes |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Kevin Minch, Wayne State University | |
| 1992 | Cindy Weisenbeck, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire | Ohio University |
| 1993 | Robert Mattingly, Western Kentucky University | Suffolk University |
| 1994 | Paul Higday, University of Pennsylvania | Ohio State University |
| 1995 | Mary Cunningham, Suffolk University | Western Kentucky University |
| 1996 | Robert Mattingly, Western Kentucky University | Western Kentucky University (2) |
| 1997 | Scott Smith, Ohio State University | Colorado State University |
| 1998 | Mike McDonner, Western Kentucky University | Western Kentucky University (3) |
| 1999 | Mike McDonner, Western Kentucky University | Western Kentucky University (4) |
| 2000 | Sean Williams, Central Missouri State | Central Missouri State University |
| 2001 | Colleen Karpinsky, Saint Anselm College | Missouri Southern State University |
| 2002 | Lindsay Marquardt, University of Pennsylvania | Creighton University |
| 2003 | Jeremy Hollingshead, Missouri Southern State University | Creighton University (2) |
| 2004 | John Henderson, Creighton University | Western Kentucky University (5) |
| 2005 | Nick Dudley, University of Missouri | Western Kentucky University (6) |
| 2006 | Nick Dudley, University of Missouri | Western Kentucky University (7) |
| 2007 | Mike Storey, Creighton University | Western Kentucky University (8) |
| 2008 | Spencer Harris, Drury University | Western Kentucky University (9) |
| 2009 | Mike Storey, Creighton University | Western Kentucky University (10) |
| 2010 | Kaleb Jessee, Western Kentucky University | Western Kentucky University (11) |
| 2011 | Sarah Spiker, Western Kentucky University | Western Kentucky University (12) |
| 2012 | Alison Stickland, Drury University | Truman State University |
| 2013 | Susan Taylor, Western Kentucky University | Western Kentucky University (13) |
| 2014 | Spencer Orlowski, Western Kentucky University | Western Kentucky University (14) |
| 2015 | Nefertiti Dukes, Western Kentucky University | Western Kentucky University (15) |
| 2016 | Alex Glanzman, Kansas City Kansas Community College | Western Kentucky University (16) |
| 2017 | John Sahlman & Mark Allseits, Western Kentucky University | Western Kentucky University (17) |
| 2018 | Colten White, University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Western Kentucky University (18) |
| 2019 | Anthony Survance, Western Kentucky University | Western Kentucky University (19) |
| 2021 | Andre Swai, Western Kentucky University | Western Kentucky University (20) |
| 2022 | Alex Webb, Lewis and Clark College | University of Nebraska-Lincoln |
| 2023 | Nick Wallenburg, University of Nebraska-Lincoln | University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2) |
| 2024 | Cade Blenden, Washburn University | Washburn University |
No team sweepstakes champion was crowned during the 2020 National Championship Tournament. However, The 2020 Performance of Highest Distinction in LD Debate was Alex Rivera from Western Kentucky University.
Notes
[edit]- ^ a b "National Forensic Association Constitution" (PDF). nationalforensicassociation.org. January 2023. p. 7. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
- ^ Bartanen & Littlefield 2013, p. 73.
- ^ "Competition". nationalforensicassociation.org. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
- ^ "NFA 2024 Results Packet" (PDF). speechwire.com. 2024. p. 7. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
- ^ "Events for April 19, 2025 - Council of Forensic Organizations". cofo.americanforensicsassoc.org. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
- ^ Fryar 2013, p. 73-74.
- ^ "Texas Speech: Individual National Champions". commstudies.utexas.edu. Retrieved 2024-10-01.
- ^ "2024 NFA Booklet" (PDF). nationalforensicassociation.org. Retrieved 2024-10-01.
References
[edit]- Bartanen, Michael D.; Littlefield, Robert S. (2013). Forensics in America: A History.
- Fryar, Linda J. (1984). "A Brief History of Individual Events Nationals" (PDF). National Forensic Journal. 2 (2): 73–83.</ref>