The Hastings Bronco Forensics team was the second overall place team at the Nebraska Interstate Forensics Association (NIFA) State Tournament held at Hastings College.

The second place overall honor was backed by a third place trophy in Individual Events and Debate Sweepstakes. The team had 12 awards including two State Championships. Junior Mike Dvorak, Muskogee, Okla., was a State Champion in Impromptu Speaking. Senior Curt Casper, Lexington, Neb., was a State Champion in Persuasive Speaking. Casper will be competing at the Interstate Oratory National Tournament in Virginia. The Debate team of junior Aaron Geringer, Wheatland, Wyo., and sophomore Trevor Brass, Lincoln, Neb., were awarded semi-finalists in debate, leading to a third place award in Debate Sweepstakes.

Nebraska is one of the toughest state competitions in the nation, four teams are consistently ranked in the top 20.

Saturday, February 19
Senior Curt Casper, Lexington, Neb. 1st in Persuasive
 4th in Communication Analysis
 5th Extemporaneous Speaking

Junior Mike Dvorak, Muskogee, Okla. 1st in Impromptu Speaking

Junior Corey Reutlinger, Lexington, Neb. 4th in Informative Speaking
  5th in Poetry

Junior Aaron Geringer, Wheatland, Wyo., Semi-finalist in Parliamentary Debate
  (w/Brass)
  3rd in Speaker Points (Debate)

Sophomore Trevor Brass, Lincoln, Neb. 4th in Extemporaneous Speaking
  6th in After-Dinner Speaking
  Semi-finalist in Parliamentary Debate
  (w/Geringer)

First-year Jose Jimenez, Lexington, Neb. Top Novice* in Informative Speaking

First-year Jared Buskirk, Holdrege, Neb. Top Novice* in Impromptu Speaking

The team was ranked third in Individual Sweepstakes, third in Debate Sweepstakes and second in Combined Sweepstakes.

*=The top-ranked first-year in each event.

The Bronco Forensics team has always seen national success at the American Forensics Association-National Individual Events Tournament (AFA-NIET). The team has been ranked in the Top 20 for 11 of the last 12 years and in the Top 15 for five of the last six years. The team has had 11 Individual Sweepstakes Award Winners since 1990. Since 1998, 43 students have achieved a quarterfinal at the AFA-NIET, 21 students have advanced to semifinals, 13 students have placed in finals at nationals and four speeches have achieved championships. Six students have been named to the AFA-All American Team placing Hastings College third in the nation for number of students with this honor. The team is ranked as the number one undergraduate college for the last decade at the AFA-NIET (Sternhagen, 2010).

The AFA-NIET will be held at the University of Nebraska-Kearney on April 1-3, 2011.

Hastings College, founded in 1882, is a private, four-year liberal arts institution affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). A total of 64 majors in 32 areas of study and 12 pre-professional programs are offered to more than 1,190 students. Hastings College was named among “America’s Best National Liberal Arts Colleges” by U.S. News & World Report, a “Best in the Midwest” by The Princeton Review, and a “Best Buy in College Education” by Barron’s. Visit www.hastings.edu for more information.

For more information, contact Kittie Grace at (402) 461-461-7385.