Forensic Falcons Take First at Elgin

Southeastern Illinois College’s Forensic Falcons were named tournament champions at this weekend’s Gail Shadwell Invitational Tournament in Elgin, Illinois. The team advanced 29 out of 35 events to tournament final rounds to secure the top team prize. The Falcons also brought home individual championships in after dinner speaking, communication analysis, program oral interpretation, and persuasion.

The Falcons also earned the Quality Sweepstakes, which is determined by calculating the total number of team sweeps points divided by the number of events entered at the tournament. The Quality Sweepstakes award reflects consistent excellence across the entire team.

Dr. Tyler Billman, a coach for the Falcons, explains, “The students pushed themselves to put together a large entry, and as the results show, our quality was also in top form.”

Sophomore Tucker Murphy agrees. “We worked hard as a team before and during the tournament, and it paid off,” he explains. “We couldn’t have done it without the amazing support of our coaches and each other.”

The team will compete next at the College of DuPage Jan. 16-18 in Glenn Ellyn, Illinois. Each tournament serves as preparation for the 2020 Phi Rho Pi National Tournament in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The team is coached by Jenny Billman, Dr. Tyler Billman, and Paul Cummins.

Individual results from the tournament are as follows.

Tucker Murphy (Golconda): 1^st after dinner speaking, 2^nd program oral interpretation, 2^nd communication analysis, 2^nd individual sweepstakes

Addie Mays (Mount Vernon): 1^st communication analysis, 2^nd prose interpretation

Bradley Frailey (Harrisburg): 1^st program oral interpretation, 2^nd after dinner speaking

Kenzee Dycus (Mount Vernon): 1^st persuasion, 4^th informative speaking

Shainna Ralston (Eldorado): 2^rd persuasion, 2^nd dramatic interpretation

Jacob Rice (Marion): 2^nd impromptu speaking, 7^th extemporaneous speaking

Billy Lewis (Carrier Mills): 3^rd duo interpretation (with partner Kale Rister), 3^rd poetry interpretation, 5^th prose interpretation, 6^thdramatic interpretation

Jasmine Teston (Harrisburg): 3^nd communication analysis, 3^rd prose interpretation, 3^rd dramatic interpretation

Nick Triplett (Galatia): 3^rd informative speaking, 4^th impromptu speaking, 4^th extemporaneous speaking

Kale Rister (Carrier Mills): 3^rd duo interpretation (with Lewis), 4^th dramatic interpretation

William Pugsley (Carmi): 3^rd impromptu speaking

Alex Peebels (Carrier Mills): 5^th after dinner speaking

Tiffany Turner (Galatia): 6^th prose interpretation, 6^th poetry interpretation

Collin Sexton (Norris City): 6^th extemporaneous speaking