Marshall University News/Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Contact: Dave Wellman, Director of Communications (304) 696-7153

Marshall debate team finishes second in West Chester tournament

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall University finished in second place recently at the Carolyn Keefe Memorial Speech and Debate Tournament at West Chester University in Pennsylvania.

Ohio University, which finished in the top 10 at both the National Forensic Association (NFA) and American Forensic Association (AFA) tournaments last year, won the tournament, which took place Oct. 10-11. Schools finishing behind Marshall’s “Thundering Word” were third place, St. Joseph’s University; fourth place, Cedar Crest College; fifth place, Lafayette College; and sixth place, Creighton University.

Also competing were Bloomsburg University, James Madison University, Lincoln University, Loyola University-Md., Nassau Community College, Suffolk Community College, University of Pennsylvania, and West Chester University.

Finalists from Marshall University were:

Dramatic Interpretation

Ryan Jackson, a Huntington sophomore and Political Science major, first place

Mark Radford, a Huntington freshman and theatre major, third place

Kegan Angel, a Gallipolis, Ohio, sophomore and Biomedical Science major, fifth place

Kathleen Bartley, a Wheeling freshman and athletic training major, sixth place

Poetry Interpretation

Kendrick Vonderschmitt, a Louisville, Ky., sophomore and Political Science major
and John Marshall Scholar, second place

Kayla Johnson, a Gallipolis, Ohio sophomore and French/English education major and John Marshall Scholar, third place

Hannah McCargish, a Beckley sophomore and art major and honors student, fifth place

Informative Speaking

Zack Frame, a St. Albans senior and oral communication education major, third place

Dramatic Duo Interpretation

Zack Frame and Hannah McCargish, first place

Kayla Johnson and Kegan Angel, third place

“All of us at Marshall University are extremely proud of our team,” said Dr. David J. Pittenger, dean of MU’s College of Liberal Arts. “When I came to campus two years ago, there was no team, only the desire to rebuild the program to its former glory. Building from the ground up, the Department of Communication Studies has been able to create a new team that has achieved accomplishment typically seen in more mature programs.”

Marshall has now qualified 12 slots for the NFA nationals, which will take place in April at Ohio University. The Thundering Word travels to Berea College in Kentucky this weekend (Oct. 23-24) to compete in the UC Cumberlands / Berea College Invitational Swing Tournament. Marshall hosts the Chief Justice / Alumni Swing Tournament Oct. 30-Nov. 1 on the Huntington campus.

For more information, contact Danny Ray, Marshall’s coach, at 304-696-2807 or via e-mail at ray102@marshall.edu.

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