Sterling College’s forensics team returns from the National Pi Kappa Delta Tournament with a national champion, several elimination-round advancements, and a top-ten finish for the team.
For the third time in school history, Sterling College can proudly claim one of its own as a national champion in forensics. This past weekend at the Pi Kappa Delta National Tournament, held at Louisiana State University – Shreveport, in Shreveport, La., senior Jana Miller of Lyons, Kan., a Lyons High School graduate, captured first place and the national championship in Prose. Miller emerged from a field of more than 100 competitors, defeating students from Northwest Missouri State, Gustavus Adolphus and Texas State University in the final round of competition.
Miller also placed second in Program of Oral Interpretation and eighth in Dramatic Interpretation.
Teammates Taylor Libby, a sophomore from Ellinwood, Kan., and Lauren Rivard, a junior from Hutchinson, Kan., also advanced to elimination rounds, with Libby finishing sixth in Communication Analysis and Rivard finishing tenth in Extemporaneous Speaking.
In Lincoln-Douglas Debate, David Bowers, a sophomore from Hutchinson, Kan., and JD Smith, a senior from Hutchinson, Kan., advanced to the quarterfinal round of competition, ending the tournament in a tie for fifth overall.
Additional Sterling College competitors receiving recognition at the national awards ceremony included Jessica Brayton, a freshman from Lyons, Kan., a top-20 finisher in Impromptu Speaking, and Marcus Pitts, a senior from Sterling, Kan., a top-30 finisher in Broadcast Journalism, an event in which competitors have only a daily newspaper and 30 minutes to prepare a five-minute radio program. Pitts displayed his impromptu speaking ability by competing in Broadcast Journalism for the first time at this competition. Taylor Libby was also recognized for being a top-30 finisher in Discussion as well as in Informative Speaking.
In overall team competition, Sterling College ended the tournament in ninth place, the first time that Sterling College has completed the national tournament with a top 10 finish overall. Ohio University, Boise State University and Central Michigan University took the top three spots.
Head Coach Ken Troyer was thrilled with the finish. “Any time you compete at the national level and end with all your seniors bringing home hardware and the team finishing in the top 10, is a pretty good day.”