Eastern Michigan University's forensics team placed second nationally to Western Kentucky University at the National Forensics
Association Tournament, which took place April 19-23 at
Berry College in Rome, Ga.
The performance was the best showing for EMU nationally
in more than a decade and exceeded expectations, said Ray
Quiel, director of EMU's forensics team, who, weeks prior,
had figured Western Kentucky and Bradley University as
the likely favorites, with EMU in the next tier of potential
champions with Illinois State University and Arizona State
University.
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WE'RE NO. 2: Senior Kyle Zrenchik proudly
displays the second-place trophy the EMU
forensics
team won at the recent National
Forensics Association
Tournament. It was
the team's highest national
placing in
more than a decade. |
"I never thought second place would taste so good!" Quiel
said.
Eastern Michigan's Chris Griesinger was a three-time national
champion, placing first in the categories of prose interpretation,
after dinner speaking and persuasive speaking. Griesinger,
a senior from Middletown, Ohio, placed second in informative
speaking. He also placed second in the pentathlon (top
speaker in the nation), for overall performance in five
or more events.
Senior teammate Kyle Zrenchik, from Westland, grabbed
second in persuasive speaking; placed third in poetry interpretation;
teamed with Vanessa Boatwright, of Shelby Twp., to take
another third in dramatic duo; and fourth in after dinner
speaking. Zrenchik also placed third in the pentathlon.
Overall, EMU had 24 students qualify in nine speaking
categories during the four-day tournament. After the quarterfinal
and semi-final rounds, EMU qualified nine finalists.
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Dodger |
"EMU is back!" said Judy Sturgis-Hill, an assistant professor
in communication and theatre arts and EMU's first-ever
forensics national champion in 1972 for after dinner speaking
and interstate oratory. "It has been a glorious day for
EMU forensics. Alums in Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Florida,
Texas and more have been in regular contact with the team
and the department."
Arizona State placed third, Bradley fourth and Illinois
State fifth.
Griesinger, Zrenchik excel at Interstate Oratorical
Association meet
Griesinger and Zrenchik took
first and third, respectively, at the 2007 Interstate Oratorical
Association competition April 26-29 in Sante Fe, New Mexico.
The two had qualified for the nation's oldest forensic
tournament by virtue of finishing first or second individually
at the Michigan Interscholastic Speech League competition,
which took place Feb. 23-24 at Wayne State University.
