The Boise State Speech and Debate team continue their undefeated 2024-25 season with a first-place overall sweepstakes finish at the Dugaw Smelt Classic hosted by Lower Columbia College in Longview, WA, Jan. 31 – Feb. 2. The tournament featured competitors from all over the Northwest Forensics Conference including Carroll College, Oregon State University, Linfield University, Lewis & Clark College, Whitman University and University of Washington.
Boise State University was named the Division I conference champion, and several Talkin’ Broncos received season-long conference awards.
Allie Hampton (junior, Meridian) was recognized as the second-place overall conference champion in open division, while Angel Dang (sophomore, Idaho Falls) was award first-place overall in conference for junior division events. Other junior division awards recipients included Jesse Madison (freshman, Meridian), Ryan Wind (sophomore, Meridian), and Arianna Ashby (freshman, Idaho Falls).
In novice public debate, Cadence Marang (sophomore, Nampa) was the tournament champion, advancing through three single-elimination outrounds for the win and receiving the third-place speaker award. Madison finished as a quarter-finalist and received the first-place speaker award.
In open public debate, Adam Pendergrass (sophomore, Nampa) was second-place overall and won the second-place speaker award. Anthony Thomas (junior, Meridian) finished as a semi-finalist and received the eight-place speaker award. Hampton finished as an octo-finalist and received the fourth-place speaker award. Kiryn Willett (junior, Boise) received the tenth-place speaker award.
In junior public debate, Jaxon Holmes (sophomore, Garden City) was second-place overall and won the third-place speaker award. Bridget Gibson (sophomore, Boise) finished as a semi-finalist. Chloe Sellers (junior, Twin Falls) finished as a quarter finalist, and both Sam Kleman (freshman, Boise) and Ashby finished as octo-finalists, with Ashby receiving the first-place speaker award. Ivan Markevych (sophomore, Kremenchuk, Poltava region, Ukraine) received the seventh-place speaker award.
In individual events, Hampton led the Talkin’ Broncos with first-place finishes in persuasive speaking and impromptu speaking, second-place in prose interpretation and informative speaking, and fifth-place in extemporaneous speaking. In novice division, Madison took first-place in prose interpretation, impromptu speaking, and informative speaking and second-place in extemporaneous speaking. In junior division, Ashby took first-place in informative speaking and impromptu speaking, and fourth-place in extemporaneous speaking.
Other top competitors included: Pendergrass, who took second-place in persuasive speaking, duo interpretation, and extemporaneous speaking; Holmes, who took second-place in duo interpretation, and third-place in both junior prose interpretation and junior extemporaneous speaking; Markevych, who took second-place in junior prose interpretation and fourth-place in both dramatic interpretation and junior after dinner speaking; Kleman, who took second-place in junior extemporaneous speaking and fourth-place in communication analysis; Thomas, who took third-place in both persuasive speaking and impromptu speaking; Sellers, who took third-place in both program oral interpretation and junior after-dinner speaking, and fourth-place in editorial commentary; Willett, who took fourth-place in persuasive speaking; Gibson, who took fourth-place in junior extemporaneous speaking; and Marang, who took fifth-place in novice prose interpretation.
The Talkin’ Broncos continue their season at Northwest Nazarene University in February 2025. The Talkin’ Broncos are supported in part through the generosity of the Jeker Family Trust. For more information about the Talkin’ Broncos, contact Manda Hicks, director of forensics at Boise State at mandahicks@boisestate.edu