SVSU forensics team performance in state tourney sends students to nationals in April

The Saginaw Valley State University forensics team won third place in the Team Sweepstakes category at the fall Michigan Intercollegiate Speech League Tournament on Saturday, Dec. 5. 

 

Six students earned individual awards in various categories at the tournament, which was hosted in an online setting. 

 

The students and their awards are as follows:

• Jessica Carpenter, a communication major from Saginaw, won third place in the Rhetorical Criticism category 
• Evangeline Cruz, a communication major from Detroit, won second place in the Persuasion category 
• Jessica Davis, an elementary education major from Saginaw, won third place in the Persuasion category 
• Claire Harris, a communication major from Delton, won second place in the Informative category 
• Isaiah Powell, a theatre major from Freeland, won fifth place in the Impromptu category 
• Austin Teeple, a communication major from Bay Mills, won fourth place in the Impromptu category 

Based on their performances in the competition, Cruz, Davis, Harris and Teeple qualified for the speech league’s national tournament in April. They will join Powell, who qualified for the nationals based on his performance in an earlier competition. 

 

Other SVSU students who qualified for the nationals based on competition earlier in the year are Mikayla Rigda, a communication major from Birch Run; Adam Stepanski, a graphic design major from West Bloomfield; and Brandon Stockwell, a biology major from Marine City. 

 

The National Forensic Association national tournament will be hosted virtually from April 16-20.