Bradley University has a storied speech team – having won 40 team championships since 1980. Team members also have won more than 140 individual championships. The Speech Team is among the top once again with second-place finishes at the National Forensic Association and American Forensic Association championships this month.
The team, led by a strong core of underclassmen, finished behind Western Kentucky at both events and had one individual national champion.
Bradley scored 438 points at the April 4-7 American Forensic Association (AFA) championship tournament in Tempe, Ariz., led by Morgan Green ‘14, who tied for the Individual Championship but took second on a tiebreaker. In addition to Green’s top effort, Kaybee Brown ’14 finished sixth in the individual competition at AFA.
“We’ve established a tradition of excellence that puts us in a pretty good place to maintain,” said Forensics Director Ken Young ‘05. “It’s a challenge to stay on top.” Last year Bradley won both the AFA and NFA championships.
Bradley finished with 509 points at the April 17-21 NFA tournament in Ypsilanti, Michigan. In individual sweepstakes, Green finished fourth, followed by Kaybee Brown ’14 eighth and A.J. Curry ’14 ninth.
“No one expected us to do as well as we did because we have a young team,” said Bradley transfer student Adam Rayzor ’15. “I’m excited for next year and to see the success our team is going to have in the years to come.” Razor received 1st place in the Informative Speaking category at NFA.
Young credited his squad for meeting the demands of a competition schedule that is starting to resemble that of a college athletics program with heavy travel and practice demands added to students’ academic load.
“There is a high demand on team members to be traveling so extensively to bring recognition to the University and return home to face the demands as students,” he said. “It takes a huge toll, but these students are fierce competitors who come home to the obligations and take them in stride.”
Visit https://www.bradley.edu/offices/communications/pr/releases/article.dot?id=fdd443db-21c6-494c-a49c-164bab7a67ed for complete results from the two competitions.