The NDSU Lincoln Speech and Debate team excelled in competitions Dec. 5-6 in Marshall, Minnesota. The team brought home a total of 37 awards.
The team took second place at the Pony Express #1 competition Dec. 5. Mariah Spillers-Taylor, a freshman theater arts major from Anoka, Minnesota, placed first in the drama category, third in poetry and fifth in the individual sweepstakes, earning her first leg to qualify for the American Forensic Association nationals in drama.
Austin Breuer, a freshman chemistry major from Chanhassen, Minnesota, placed first in the extemporaneous speaking category and top novice, earning his final leg to AFA nationals in extemporaneous speaking. Hannah Keogh, a freshman majoring in strategic communication from Fargo, and Christian Weber, a junior philosophy major from Bismarck, North Dakota, placed first in the duo category, earning their first leg for the AFA nationals in that event. Jared Melville, a freshman majoring in business administration from Fargo, placed second in the informative category and Gabriel Eronmosele, a sophomore nursing major from Abuja, Nigeria, placed fifth in the persuasion event.
The team won top honors overall at Pony Express #2 Dec. 6. Spillers-Taylor placed third in individual sweepstakes, first in poetry, second in drama and third in extemporaneous interpretation. Keogh placed fourth in individual sweepstakes, first in the duo division with Weber, second in parliamentary debate with Breuer and third in after-dinner speaking. Weber placed fifth in individual sweepstakes, first in duo with Keogh, second in prose and semi-finalist in parliamentary debate with Eronmosele. Breuer placed second in parliamentary debate with Keogh, second in editorial impromptu and fifth in extemporaneous interpretation. Eronmosele was a semi-finalist in parliamentary debate with Weber, fourth in editorial impromptu and fifth in persuasion. Melville placed fourth in extemporaneous speaking, earning a leg for AFA nationals, and fourth in extemporaneous Interpretation.
To date, Melville has qualified for the national competition in informative speaking and has earned one leg for extemporaneous speaking. Breuer has qualified in extemporaneous speaking. Taylor has earned two of three legs for national qualification in drama and two in poetry. Keogh and Weber have earned two legs for duo. Weber has earned one leg for prose.
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