Rachelle Kamrath
Department of Communications, 308-865-8705
Nearly 650 students from 84 schools across the nation will compete in the American Forensics Association National Individual Events Tournament, hosted by the University of Nebraska at Kearney, April 2 – 4.
Among the 84 universities competing are George Mason University, University of Texas at Austin and Arizona State University.
“When including coaching staff and judges, we expect around 800 guests,” said Rachelle Kamrath, UNK director of forensics and national conference chair. Students compete at tournaments throughout the year to qualify to compete in this main event.
“This particular national tournament is known as ‘The Tournament of Champions,’” said Kamrath. “It is the toughest one in the nation to qualify for, because it is the most selective. It draws the best talent.”
“Having this event in Kearney adds to the reputation of our program,” Kamrath said. The AFA-NIET committee chose UNK as the location for this year’s tournament in 2009, when the event was held at University of Akron. This is only the second time that the national tournament has taken place in Nebraska. The University of Nebraska – Lincoln hosted the event in 2000.
“We are using nearly every classroom and conference room in Bruner, Copeland, College of Education, Cushing, Fine Arts, Founders, Health and Sports Center, Memorial Student Affairs Building, Mitchell Center, Nebraskan Student Union, Otto Olsen and Thomas,” Kamrath said.
“Preliminary rounds will take place on campus all day Saturday and on Sunday morning,” she said. “After a day-and-a-half of competition, the top 24 competitors will compete in a quarterfinal round, which will take place at UNK on Sunday evening. The top 12 competitors in each event are then selected to compete in a semi-final round, which will take place on Monday at the Holiday Inn,” Kamrath said. “The top six competitors in each event are then selected to compete in a final round.”
The awards ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn. A list of winners will be available on the tournament website after the ceremony. (http://mcluhan.unk.edu/forensics/)
UNK began competing in this circuit in 2005 and has qualified a team every year since.
“Our nationally-qualified team includes four members who are competing eight events this year,” Kamrath said. Members of the team include: Brooke Alstrom of Bassett, Cassandra “Cassie” Larreau of Kearney, Robert Friedman ofPlattsmouth and Kara Loeffler of Shelton.
College and universities competing at UNK are listed below, by their respective districts:
DISTRICT ONE
AZUSA PACIFIC UNIVERSITY
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, CHICO
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERISTY, LONG BEACH
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LOS ANGELES
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE
CYPRESS COLLEGE
DIABLO VALLEY COLLEGE
SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY
SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY
DISTRICT TWO
BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY
CARROLL COLLEGE
LEWIS & CLARK COLLEGE
DISTRICT THREE
BARTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE
BETHEL COLLEGE
HUTCHINSON COMMUNITY COLLEGE
KANSAS CITY KANSAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
LONE STAR COLLEGE, KINGWOOD
LONE STAR COLLEGE, NORTH HARRIS
McNEESE STATE UNIVERSITY
RICE UNIVERSITY
STERLING COLLEGE
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY, KINGSVILLE
TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY
TYLER JUNIOR COLLEGE
UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
WEBSTER UNIVERSITY
WEST TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
DISTRICT FOUR
BETHEL UNIVERSITY
CONCORDIA COLLEGE
CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY
DOANE COLLEGE
GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS
HASTINGS COLLEGE
MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY, MANKATO
RIPON COLLEGE
SOUTH CENTRAL COLLEGE
SAINT CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY
SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY OF MARY
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT KEARNEY
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA- OMAHA
UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN, EAU CLAIRE
DISTRICT FIVE
BALL STATE UNIVERSITY
BRADLEY UNIVERSITY
EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY
KISHWAUKEE COLLEGE
NORTH CENTRAL COLLEGE
NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
THE UNIVERSITY OF AKRON
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
DISTRICT SIX
BELMONT UNIVERSITY
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY
FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY
TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI
WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY
DISTRICT SEVEN
CEDAR CREST COLLEGE
GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY
HOWARD UNIVERSITY
JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY
LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
OHIO UNIVERSITY
SAINT JOSEPH’S UNIVERSITY
SETON HALL UNIVERSITY
DISTRICT NINE
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF IDAHO
COLORADO COLLEGE
LARAMIE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
MESA STATE COLLEGE
METROPOLITAN STATE COLLEGE OF DENVER
NORTHWEST COLLEGE
UNIVERISTY OF TEXAS, EL PASO
