Forensic Falcons Win State Championship

Southeastern Illinois College Forensic Falcons stomped the competition March 4-5 to win the state championship speech tournament in the community college division at Illinois Central College in Peoria, Ill.

The competitors at the Illinois Intercollegiate Forensic Associate state tournament were no match for the southern Illinois team. Over 70 percent of the team’s speeches made the cut for the final round of competition, beating out much larger schools from the northern Illinois region. Nineteen Illinois schools competed at the tournament.

Southeastern not only snagged the state championship in team sweepstakes, but several of its members earned state championships for besting the competition in a specific event. Individual state champion titles went to Cassandra Watkins (Harrisburg), Alli Haley (Carmi), Cassidy Maynard (Harrisburg), and Preston Boone (Harrisburg).

Paul Cummins, SIC Director of Forensics, said that the state tournament only allows schools to bring four entries in each event, evening the playing field and making the level of competition exceptionally rigorous.

“The state tournament gives us an opportunity to see excellent competition from colleges and universities across Illinois,” noted Jenny Billman, coach. “We look forward to the tournament every year.”

Individual results from the tournament are as follows.

Cassandra Watkins, Harrisburg — Tournament Champion in extemporaneous speaking, tournament champion in informative speaking, second in individual sweepstakes, third in speech to entertain, sixth in impromptu speaking

Alli Haley, Carmi — Tournament champion in prose interpretation, second in duo interpretation (with partner Zeb Sanderson), fifth in individual sweepstakes, sixth in speech to entertain, sixth in dramatic interpretation

Cassidy Maynard, Harrisburg — Tournament champion in communication analysis, second in poetry interpretation, fifth in open informative speaking

Preston Boone, Harrisburg — Tournament champion in poetry interpretation, second in program oral interpretation

Carrice McDaniel, Harrisburg — Second in speech to entertain, second in communication analysis, third in informative speaking

Britta Suits, Broughton — Second in extemporaneous speaking, third in open impromptu speaking

Kelsey Bartok, Eldorado — Second in informative speaking, third in communication analysis

Zeb Sanderson, Harrisburg — Second in duo interpretation (with partner Alli Haley)

Gabe Motsinger, Carrier Mills — Third in program oral interpretation

Rachel Hooven, Harrisburg — Fifth in open prose interpretation

Adam Wasson, Herod — Fourth in dramatic interpretation

Shay Wood, Shawneetown — Third in dramatic interpretation, fifth in poetry interpretation

Haley Rushing, Marion — Fifth in communication analysis

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