Bronco Bash connects forensics competitors with Hastings College history, legacy

The Hastings College Broncos Forensics team hosted its annual Bronco Bash tournament in the Morrison-Reeves Science Center on February 17-18. Hastings College placed fourth overall in team sweepstakes for the weekend.

The first day of the tournament was dubbed the “Kool-Aid Classic,” honoring Hastings’ historical ties to the flavored drink mix. Sunday featured an alumni-themed tournament ran by 2004 Hastings College alumnus Darren Epping. Other Hastings College alumni returned as judges for the tournament.  

The Broncos look forward to the Battle for The Capitol hosted by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the University of Nebraska–Omaha in Lincoln, Nebraska on February 24-25.

Individual results from the Bronco Bash tournament are as follows:

Saturday, February 17 Results

  • Samantha Burke, a first year student from Denver, Colorado, placed first in Extemporaneous Speaking, fifth in After Dinner Speaking and sixth in Program Oral Interpretation.
  • Elizabeth Hansen, a sophomore from Fremont, Nebraska, placed fourth in Program Oral Interpretation and qualified for the American Forensics Association National Individual Events Tournament in April.
  • Brooke McCurdy, a sophomore from Hastings, Nebraska, placed second in Extemporaneous Speaking.

Sunday, February 18 Results

  • Samantha Burke, a first-year student from Denver, Colorado, placed second in Extemporaneous Speaking.
  • Maggie Rogers, a first-year student from Birmingham, Alabama, placed third in Program Oral Interpretation.
  • Melissa Loney, a sophomore from Omaha, Nebraska, placed first in Extemporaneous Speaking.
  • Elizabeth Hansen, a sophomore from Fremont, Nebraska, placed fourth in Communication Analysis.
  • Alli Kennon, a sophomore from Elko, Minnesota, placed third in Dramatic Interpretation.
  • Nathan Navratil, a sophomore from Lino Lakes, Minnesota, placed third in Prose Interpretation and third in Impromptu Speaking.
  • Kenzie Shofner, a senior from Orono, Minnesota, placed second in After Dinner Speaking and fifth in Communication Analysis.

The Hastings College forensics team continues a long-running tradition of national competitive success, placing in the top 20 at the American Forensics Association National Individual Events Tournament (AFA-NIET) for many of the past ten years. Most recently, Hastings College placed 12th at AFA-NIET 2017.

Hastings College is a private, four-year institution located in Hastings, Nebraska, that focuses on student academic and extracurricular achievement. With more than 60 majors and 15 pre-professional programs, Hastings College has been named among “Great Schools, Great Prices” by U.S. News & World Report and a “Best in the Midwest” by The Princeton Review. For more, go to hastings.edu.

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