Hastings College Forensics team finds success at two tournaments 

The Hastings College Forensics Team had a strong showing at the Bulldog Swing was hosted by Concordia University October 5-6, as well as the Jackrabbit Joust hosted by South Dakota State University October 12-13.

The team placed second overall at the Bulldog Swing in Seward, Nebraska, with senior Alli Kennon, senior Nathan Navratil, junior Courtney Hanson, sophomore Chloe Carson and first-year Natalie Watson all qualifying events to the American Forensics Association’s National Speech Tournament held in Santa Ana, California, April 1-7, 2020.

Two members of the team then traveled to Brookings, South Dakota, for the Jackrabbit Joust, where sophomore Claire Nelson qualified two events to nationals.

The results from both weekends are below.

October 5, 2019
  • Natalie Watson, a first-year student from Franklin, Tennessee, placed third in Informative Speaking and fifth in Program Oral Interpretation.
  • Nikki DeSeriere, a first-year student from Westminster, Colorado, placed seventh in Poetry Interpretation.
  • Claire Nelson, a sophomore from Bagley, Minnesota, placed fourth in After Dinner Speaking.
  • Chloe Carson, a sophomore from Eagan, Minnesota, placed second in Dramatic Interpretation.
  • Courtney Hanson, a junior from Brookings, South Dakota, placed first in Duo Interpretation with Alli Kennon, a senior from Lakeville, Minnesota, first in After Dinner Speaking, and third in Prose Interpretation.
  • Sam Burke, a junior from Denver, Colorado, placed sixth in Poetry Interpretation.
  • Elizabeth Hansen, a senior from Fremont, Nebraska, placed first in Program Oral Interpretation.
  • Alli Kennon, a senior from Lakeville, Minnesota, placed first in Dramatic Interpretation, first in Persuasive Speaking, second in Prose Interpretation, and first in Duo Interpretation with Courtney Hanson, a junior from Brookings, South Dakota. Kennon also placed first in Individual Sweepstakes.
  • Nathan Navratil, a senior from Lino Lakes, Minnesota, placed first in Prose Interpretation and third in After Dinner Speaking.

The Hastings College team placed second in Team Sweepstakes for the day.

October 6, 2019
  • Natalie Watson, a first-year student from Franklin, Tennessee, placed first in Informative Speaking and fourth in Program Oral Interpretation.
  • Nikki DeSeriere, a first-year student from Westminster, Colorado, placed third in After Dinner Speaking and sixth in Poetry Interpretation.
  • Claire Nelson, a sophomore from Bagley, Minnesota, placed first in After Dinner Speaking and first in Persuasive Speaking.
  • Chloe Carson, a sophomore from Eagan, Minnesota, placed first in Dramatic Interpretation.
  • Courtney Hanson, a junior from Brookings, South Dakota, placed fourth in After Dinner Speaking and fifth in Prose Interpretation.
  • Sam Burke, a junior from Denver, Colorado, placed third in Informative Speaking.
  • Elizabeth Hansen, a senior from Fremont, Nebraska, placed fifth in Program Oral Interpretation.

The Hastings College team placed second in Team Sweepstakes for the day and for the overall tournament.

October 12, 2019
  • Claire Nelson, a sophomore from Bagley, Minnesota, placed second in After Dinner Speaking, second in Persuasive Speaking and sixth in Impromptu Speaking.
  • Alli Kennon, a senior from Lakeville, Minnesota, placed second in Prose Interpretation and second in Communication Analysis.
October 13, 2019
  • Claire Nelson, a sophomore from Bagley, Minnesota, placed first in Persuasive Speaking and fourth in After Dinner Speaking.
  • Alli Kennon, a senior from Lakeville, Minnesota, placed first in Dramatic Interpretation and third 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 9th at AFA-NIET 2019.

Nebraska’s premier private college, Hastings College is a four-year institution located in Hastings, Nebraska, that focuses on student academic and extracurricular achievement. 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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