University Communications - Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Contact: Dave Wellman, Director of Communications (304) 696-7153

Thundering Word performs well in recent tournaments

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - “ Marshall University's Thundering Word has had a very successful start in speech and debate competition this semester.

Recent performances included a sixth-place finish among 31 schools in a tournament at Butler University in Indianapolis. Three of those schools, Illinois State, Eastern Michigan and Ball State, were in the top 10 at nationals last year.

In the Gorlock Gala Tournament at Webster University in St. Louis, Marshall finished fourth among 48 schools. Boise State, Marion and Southwest Baptist University were the top three in that competition.

"We traveled to a region outside of our normal competition to better prepare ourselves for the national tournaments we will participate in this semester," Marshall Coach Danny Ray said of the tournament at Webster.

Here are the highlights from the tournament at Butler:

Finalists for Marshall were:

Victoria Ledford, a sophomore pre-med chemistry honors student from Braxton County, W.Va., who placed fourth in Persuasion and sixth in Rhetorical Criticism;
Erin Jorden, a freshman history education major from Wheeling, W.Va.,who placed sixth in Prose Interpretation;
Marji McCoy, a sophomore pre-med biology honors student from Beckley, W.Va., who placed fifth in Persuasion (competing in her second-ever tournament);
Joshua Gainer, a junior political science major from Parkersburg, W.Va., who was sixth in Poetry Interpretation;
Matt Osteen, a sophomore pre-med chemistry honors student from Jefferson, W.Va., who was second in Lincoln-Douglas Debate and the second-best speaker in debate at the tournament.

Ray said Marshall scored many points in the preliminary rounds of the tournament, which he described as "large and very competitive." Taryss Mandt, a freshman University College student from Arlington, Va., was seventh in Dramatic Interpretation. Only the top six make it to the final round.

At Webster University, Marshall won three events. Tournament champions were Ledford and Christian Adams, a junior pre-med psychology honors student from Culloden, W.Va., in Duo Interpretation, Mandt in Informative Speaking and Juliet Djietror, a sophomore pre-med biology major from Ghana, in Prose Interpretation.

Ledford was first in Duo Interpretation and sixth in Persuasion.

Adams was first in Duo Interpretation, sixth in After-Dinner Speaking and sixth with McCoy in Improv Duo.

Mandt was not only first in Informative Speaking but also the top novice in that category. She was top novice and third in Programmed Oral Interpretation, and received an award of excellence and top novice in Dramatic Interpretation.

Jorden was a semifinalist and an award of excellence recipient in Poetry Interpretation.

Djietror was the tournament champion and top novice speaker in Prose Interpretation. She also won an award of excellence in Persuasive Speaking and was third with Gainer in Improv Duo.

McCoy was sixth in Improv Duo and won an award of excellence in Persuasion.

For further information, contact:
Office of University Communications
Marshall University
213 Old Main | Huntington, WV 25755-1090
Fax: (304) 696-3197