Senior Raechel Zoellick won two first place spots in Communication Analysis and Program Oral Interpretation this weekend at the Back to the Nest Tournament hosted by Illinois State University. Sophomore Henry Davenport (Elk Grove Village) and sophomore Jedge Slothower (Ottawa) tied for second place in individual sweepstakes. Sophomore Michelle Ryan (Chicago Heights) won fourth in individual sweepstakes.
Senior Sarah Sanders (Marion) won first in Persuasion and third in Extemporaneous speaking. Slothower won second in Persuasion and third in Informative. Davenport won second in Communication Analysis, fourth in Extemporaneous Speaking, and sixth in Persuasion. Ryan won second in After Dinner Speaking and fifth in Prose. Freshman Braden Wall (Cary) won second in Impromptu and fifth in Extemporaneous. Senior Sarah Keller won third in Communication Analysis and fourth in Persuasion. Junior Faith Hincapie won thief in After Dinner Speaking and fourth in Communication Analysis. Junior Alyssa Conde (Joliet) won fifth in Dramatic Interpretation and sixth in After Dinner Speaking. Junior Emmalynne Shumard (Tolono) won sixth in Dramatic Interpretation. Senior Doniven Hill-Bush (Peoria) won fifth in Impromptu.
“It felt amazing being back in person! The energy is unmatched!” said Slothower.
“The highest point of the tournament for me was getting to create speeches I was proud of and be around my friends,” said Wall.
“These are my favorite people and being able to see everyone at once brightened my day with every interaction.”
Raechel Zoellick
Back to the Nest was the first tournament to attempt in-person and zoom rounds, making it the first true “hybrid” tournament on the circuit. Both judges and competitors had the option to compete live over zoom or travel to Illinois State to participate in classrooms. Illinois State Forensics team members assisted with technology throughout the tournament.
“I helped Tab decide which rooms were the best for finals, as well as responded to any camera issues throughout the tournament,” said Keller, “Overall, the tournament ran pretty smoothly for this being the first ever hybrid tournament!”
It’s expected other tournaments on the Forensics circuit will attempt similar strategies moving forward.
“I think that this will become more common as coaches become more familiar with the format,” said Sanders.
“I thought the hybrid format would feel weird but it felt fine. The webcam was just another set of eyes in the room…” said Zoellick, “I hope some schools consider it because it makes tournaments more accessible to schools that are farther away.”
The team enjoyed the convenience of being on the Illinois State campus for the event and enjoyed cheering one another on throughout the tournament.
“I loved spending time with the team, I was so happy to be able to do so in a tournament space. Being able to hang out with other teams alongside them was so much fun, a core memory for sure,” said Conde.
“These are my favorite people and being able to see everyone at once brightened my day with every interaction,” said Zoellick.
The team gave out birdhouses as trophies in the on the first day of the tournament, keeping with tradition. On the second day, hosted by Illinois State alumni, raffle tickets were awarded based on final placements that could then be exchanged for prizes such as fidget spinners, water bottles, and Starbucks gift cards. The grand prize, a giant stuffed dalmatian, was won by the Illinois State team, who enthusiastically pooled their tickets together to bring their new friend home.
The team intends to take their energy to Portland next weekend for the Steve Hunt Classic at Lewis and Clark University.
“This team is a family, we are always laughing, goofing off, and encouraging each other to be the best competitors we can be,” said Keller.
The ISU Forensics Union, the oldest and most successful registered student organization on campus, boasts over 80 individual national champions and 10 team national championships. The team competes at tournaments in Lincoln-Douglas debate, public speaking, and oral interpretation events.