BOLIVAR, Mo. — The Southwest Baptist University Speaking Bearcats dominated the field, sweeping all three sweepstakes categories (debate, speech and combined) at the Cameron University tournament on Dec. 2-3, in Lawton, Okla.
The tournament hosted 20 colleges and universities, including: University of Oklahoma,
Texas Southern University, Texas Christian University, Wayland Baptist University,
Kansas Wesleyan University and Northwest Missouri State University.
Four of SBU’s six parliamentary debate teams had winning records and qualified for elimination rounds. Those teams included:
- Freshman Michael Jenks (in his debut with the team) and junior Reece Tabor reached the octofinals in the varsity category
- Sophomores Yani McHugh and Sam Carr reached the quarterfinals in varsity
- Freshmen Jeffrey Metzler and Mariah Gilmore reached the semifinals in novice
- Sophomores Mikayla Throne and Caleb Rutledge reached the semifinals in varsity
The team also had successful showings in individual events. Those results included:
- Communication analysis – Kensey Slone (junior), first; Tabor, second; Tiana Brownen (junior) third
- Persuasive speaking – Tabor, first; Marisa Mayo (sophomore), second; Brownen, third
- Impromptu speaking – Slone, third; Brownen, fifth; Skyler Sanzotera (sophomore), sixth
- Extemporaneous speaking – Jenks and Brownen both were semifinalists; Rutledge placed sixth
- Informative speaking – Sanzotera, first; Mayo, fifth
- Duo Interpretation – Throne and Sanzotera, third
- Poetry interpretation – Throne, fifth
- Prose interpretation – Slone and Gilmore were semifinalists
- After-dinner speaking – Tabor, second; Metzler, third
The Speaking Bearcats will take a break before hitting the road again in February. The team has plans to compete in the Border Wars tournament at Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, Kan.
PHOTO CAPTION: (Front row, left to right): Skyler Sanzotera, Mikayla Throne, Marisa Mayo, Tiana Brownen, Mariah Gilmore, Kensey Slone, Jeffrey Metzler and Caleb Rutledge. (Back row, left to right) Reece Tabor, Yani McHugh, Sam Carr and Michael Jenks.