The 2015 National Forensic Association collegiate national speech tournament was hosted April 16-20 at the University of Ohio in Athens, OH. The University of Texas Speech Team ranked second nationally out of the 79 colleges and universities entered in the contest, trailing eventual team champions Western Kentucky University. Texas Speech only began attending the NFA contest in 2004 and typically has not sent a full squad to the contest because of the time constraints. This is the first time that the team has placed 2nd overall.
Texas Speech Junior Farrah Bara tied for 2nd in the overall speaker standings, falling to 3rd on the tie breaker. Senior Lario Albarran placed 7th, with Senior Chelsea Sandlin tying for 8th and winning that tie-breaker.
UT Junior and Team Co-Captain Kevin King successfully defended his AFA national championship in Informative Speaking to win his 3rd national title of the year. Junior Farrah Bara also defended her AFA championship in Extemporaneous Speaking to win her 4th national title of the year. She also was the national runner-up in Rhetorical Criticism. Seniors Lario Albarran and Fernando Morales were the national runners-up in Duo Interpretation, missing the championship by one total rank. Morales also placed 4th in Dramatic Interpretation.
Senior and Team Co-Captain Chelsea Sandlin appeared in 3 national final rounds, placing 4th in After Dinner Speaking, 3rd in Prose Interpretation, and 4th in Duo Interpretation with Lario Albarran. Albarran was the only student to advance both of his duo entries to the NFA national final round.
Junior Alexa Thomas placed 5th in Dramatic Interpretation, and Freshman Abigail Onwunali placed 4th in Poetry Interpretation.
Complete results are available at: http://www.speechwire.com/nfa15.pdf
Between the two national contests hosted by the AFA & NFA, for the first time UT students advanced to the national final rounds in all 11 different genres of competition in the same year. The team also recorded a team record 7 individual national championships, with 3 national runners-up.
For more information about Texas Speech, contact Director Randy Cox, Moody College of Communication, at mrcox@austin.utexas.edu
Individual Honors Detail
Farrah Bara (Lib Arts – Economics & Global Studies Junior)
- National Champion, Extemporaneous Speaking
- National Runner-Up, Rhetorical Criticism
- 3rd place, Pentathlon (Overall Speaker)
- National Semi-Finalist (top 12), Informative Speaking
- National Semi-Finalist (top 12), Persuasive Speaking
- National Semi-Finalist (top 12), Impromptu Speaking
- National Quarter-Finalist (top 24), After Dinner Speaking
Kevin King (Lib Arts – Government Junior)
- National Champion, Informative Speaking
- 6th place, Rhetorical Criticism
- 17th place, Overall Speaker
- National Quarter-Finalist (top 24), Duo Interpretation with Chelsea Sandlin
Chelsea Sandlin (Comm – Public Relations Senior)
- 8th place, Pentathlon (Overall Speaker)
- 3rd place, Prose Interpretation
- 4th place, After Dinner Speaking
- 4th place, Duo Interpretation with Lario Albarran
- National Quarter-Finalist (top 24), Duo Interpretation with Kevin King
Lario Albarran (Lib Arts – Government Senior)
- 7th place, Pentathlon (Overall Speaker)
- National Runner-Up, Duo Interpretation with Fernando Morales
- 4th place, Duo Interpretation with Chelsea Sandlin
- National Semi-Finalist (top 12), Prose Interpretation
- National Semi-Finalist (top 12), Dramatic Interpretation
- National Quarter-Finalist (Top 24), Informative Speaking
Fernando Morales (Comm – Public Relations Senior)
- National Runner-Up, Duo Interpretation with Lario Albarran
- 4th place, Dramatic Interpretation
Abigail Onwunali (Undec Freshman)
- 4th place, Poetry Interpretation
- National Quarter-Finalist (top 24), Dramatic Interpretation
- National Quarter-Finalist (top 24), Prose Interpretation
Alexa Thomas (Comm – Public Relations Junior)
- 5th place, Dramatic Interpretation
Suchinder Kalyan (Nat Sci – Biochem Sophomore)
- National Semi-Finalist (top 12), Extemporaneous Speaking
- National Semi-Finalist (top 12), Persuasive Speaking
Yogashri Pradhan (Engr – Petroleum Senior)
- National Semi-Finalist (top 12), Rhetorical Criticism
- National Quarter-Finalist (top 24),, Informative Speaking
Arel Rende (Lib Arts – Plan II & Bus Unspec Freshman)
- National Quarter-Finalist (top 24), Extemporaneous Speaking
- National Quarter-Finalist (top 24), Impromptu Speaking
Derrek Chung (Lib Arts – Psychology Sophomore)
- National Semi-Finalist (top 12), Extemporaneous Speaking
Terran Duhon (Lib Arts – Rhetoric & Writing Junior)
- National Quarter-Finalist (top 24), Persuasive Speaking
- National Quarter-Finalist (top 24), After Dinner Speaking
Caroline Builta (Edu – Elem EC-6)
- National Quarter-Finalist (top 24), Prose Interpretation
- National Quarter-Finalist (top 24), After Dinner Speaking
Xavier Clark (Comm – Political Communication Junior)
- National Quarter-Finalist (top 24), Dramatic Interpretation
Lizzette Marrero (Lib Arts – Government & Global Studies Junior)
- National Quarter-finalist (top 24), After Dinner Speaking
Julio Gonzalez (Lib Arts – Plan II & Comm – Human Relations Sophomore)
- National Quarter-finalist (top 24), After Dinner Speaking
Congratulations to the following students who also qualified for the competition, but either were unable to attend or were not advanced to award rounds. They are part of the total team awards, though their contributions were not recognized with individual awards: Cimmiaron Alvarez, Macy Bayern, Alex Bergeron, Blake Bergeron, Thomas Hill, Patrick Lyons, Alex Meed, Cameron Smith, Steven Villescas, Ali Shan Ali Bhai, Marianna Garcia, Cole Hanzlicek, Mary Claire Phillips
Texas Speech is directed by Moody College of Communication/Communication Studies Senior Lecturer Martin R. Cox, assisted by Communication Studies graduate students Benjamin Gaddis and William Mickey Cox.
Additional travel and coaching assistance throughout the year has been provided by Mary Katherine Raffetto (UT Law School), Kevin Giffin (RTF alumnus), Matthew Whitman, Colin Malinak (College of Liberal Arts), Daniel Hatoum (UT Law School), Jason Warren (Communication Studies alumnus), Casimiro Garcia (Communication Studies alumnus), Karon Bowers (LBJ School of Public Affairs alumna), Joseph Faina (Communication Studies graduate program), Shannon Hicks (Communication Studies graduate program) and Jesus Valles.
Additional guidance has been offered by alumni spanning the last 27 years of involvement with Texas Speech. Thank you each and every one!