Boise State’s Talkin’ Broncos win speech and debate championship again
The Boise State University Talkin’ Broncos are the 2013-2014 Pi Kappa Delta National Champions in speech and debate. Boise State defended its 2011-2012 national championship title and took first place overall at the 48th annual Pi Kappa Delta National Speech and Debate biennial tournament in St. Louis, Mo., March 13-16. The Talkin’ Broncos beat out 88 other schools from 36 states to win the tournament championship.
Boise State also won the national championship in 2011 and 2005 and was runner-up in 2007 and 2009 at the biennial tournament.
“It is so gratifying to see their hard work pay off. With this kind of activity there are a lot of variables and it’s very difficult to make it all come together. They worked as a team and did the tedious, miserable stuff that’s necessary for success and they won. I couldn’t be more proud of them,” said Manda Hicks, director of forensics.
In British Parliamentary Debate, the team of Dalton Hellman, a junior from Canby, Ore., and KayCee Babb a sophomore from Weiser took home a Superior Award and finished second place overall in the tournament. In Legislative Debate, Fred Swanstrum, a freshman out of Kuna, received the Top Superior Award and Howie Long, a senior out of Orange Park, Fla., received an Excellent.
In Public Debate, Josh Watkins a senior from Kuna, and Long were both tournament quarter-finalists, with Long receiving a Superior award and Watkins receiving an Excellent. Other Excellent awards in Public Debate included: Lauren Bramwell, a junior from St. Anthony, Sabonn Dammarell, a senior from Boise, and Swanstrum.
In Discussion, Monica Cutler, a senior out of Fairfield, received a Superior award. In Public-Forum Debate, the team of Katharine Miller, a senior from Eagle, and Brittany Clark, a junior from Kuna, received an Excellent award.
In addition to the team success, Watkins was named to the 2013-2014 Pi Kappa Delta All-American team, an award bestowed biennially to seven competitors with exemplary academic records who demonstrate a history of community service and forensics success. Watkins also was awarded Top Student Paper in the student scholarship competition.
This win finishes up the Talkin’ Broncos regular season. Qualifying squads continue on to the National Parliamentary Debate Championship in Stockton, Calif., March 22-26 and the National Individual Event Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas, April 5-9.
For more information about the Talkin’ Broncos, contact Manda Hicks, director of forensics at Boise State, at mandahicks@boisestate.edu.
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