Thirty-Nine Awards Earned in One Weekend by UARK Speech and Debate

The UARK Speech and Debate Society, led by Fulbright College employee Hannah Morris, attended the 14th Annual Southern Forensics Championship Tournament this past weekend, which serves as the state championship tournament for the states of Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.

The team, comprised of Hadley Adkison, Sophie Barrentine, Matthew Cook, Megan Dial, Jackson Dowler, Tristen Farris, Maddie Fritz, Max Green, Dylan Hall, Luke Hubbard, Jacob Hurbanek, James Jovicich, Austin Keefe, Molly Lay, Jennifer Lopez, Jacqueline Maldonado-Martinez, Gavin Michau, Rhea Neugebauer, Colten Nichols, Daisy Rehbock, Jaci Sabatini, Benjamin Shoptaw, Luke Thurmon and Aubree Watkins, brought home a total of 39 awards in one weekend, the largest number to date the team has earned at a single tournament.

This brings the season-long total of awards up to 85, far surpassing last year's total earned of 63. The UARK Speech and Debate Society was the top Arkansas Debate Program, the Top Arkansas Individual Events Program, and the 6th Place Program out of the 30 teams competing. 

Notable events of the tournament included Sophie Barrentine (sophomore, history/international and global studies, Fulbright College) being elected the student representative for the state of Arkansas. Jaci Sabatini (junior, psychology, Fulbright College) earned 13 awards in total, making up a third of the team's overall awards earned. Jackson Dowler (freshman, English, Fulbright College) went 5-1 in preliminary competition and ultimately became the Novice Division Champion for the debate side of competition, his first tournament win of his career.  This comes after Dowler has competed only twice before. Maddie Fritz (sophomore, drama education, College of Education and Health Professions) won the Radio Broadcasting event, beating out 16 others for the title. Coach Morris was also elected to another two-year term of service on the board of the Southern Forensics Championship Tournament.  

Full List of Awards

• Top Arkansas Program, IEs
• Top Arkansas Program, Debate
• Sixth Place Program, Sweepstakes
• Hadley Adkison (junior, psychology, Fulbright Honors): Arkansas Champion (Varsity Debate), Arkansas Champion (Team IPDA), Arkansas Champion (Varsity Speaking), Varsity Division Semifinalist 
• Megan Dial (senior, political science and international and global studies, Fulbright College): 5th Place (Radio Broadcasting) 
• Jackson Dowler: Arkansas Champion (Novice Debate), Champion/Tournament Winner (Novice Debate) 
• Maddie Fritz: Arkansas Champion (Radio Broadcast), Champion/Winner (Radio Broadcast)
• Max Green (junior, biomedical engineering, College of Engineering): 5th Place (Duo), Arkansas Champion (Duo), Arkansas Champion (Extemporaneous) 
• Austin Keefe (Spanish and political science, Fulbright College): Arkansas Champion (Team IPDA), Arkansas Champion (Team IPDA Speaking), Varsity Division Octofinalist 
• Molly Lay (junior, political science and criminology, Fulbright College): Arkansas Champion (Novice Speaker), Novice Champion (Radio Broadcasting), 2nd Place (Radio Broadcasting), Novice Division Quarterfinalist 
• Colten Nichols (sophomore, crop science and biochemistry, Bumper's College and Fulbright College): 7th Place Poetry, 5th Place Persuasive, Arkansas Champion (Informative), Arkansas Champion (Persuasive)
• Daisy Rehbock (senior, international and global studies, Fulbright Honors): Arkansas Champion (Junior Varsity Speaking)
• Jaci Sabatini: 6th Place (Poetry), 5th Place (Duo), 5th Place (Quadrathon), 5th Place (After Dinner Speaking), 3rd Place (Program of Oral Interpretation), Arkansas Champion (After Dinner Speaking), Arkansas Champion (Duo), Arkansas Champion (Poetry), Arkansas Champion (Program of Oral Interpretation), Arkansas Champion (Prose), Arkansas Champion (Quadrathon), Arkansas Champion (Professional Speaker), Arkansas Champion (Professional Debate)

The team will next travel to the University of Central Arkansas to attend the End of Hi-Bear-Nation Debate Tournament Feb. 2-4.

A special thanks to the U of A History Department for their continued support of the speech and debate program.