LC Speech/Debate racks up honors as Kenney wins prestigious award

Competing in both Washington and Missouri, Lewis & Clark’s speech and debate team racked up multiple championships over the January 27-29 weekend.

Lewis & Clark’s Speech, British Parliamentary, and IPDA debate teams competed at the Dugaw Smelt Classic, hosted by Lower Columbia College. Senior Eden Kenney was awarded both the individual championship of the tournament and the Brent Northup award for season-long outstanding individual competitor for the Northwest Forensics Conference in 2022-2023. Kenney earned these honors with a tour de force, winning three individual events (Communication Analysis, Informative Speaking, Impromptu Speaking) while reaching finals in three additional events (Persuasive Speaking, After Dinner Speaking, Prose Interpretation.) Kenney becomes the sixth Lewis & Clark student to win the Northup award in the past decade.

The speech team’s success was also evidenced by junior Syl Knauss’s winning performance in Prose Interpretation and JR Saling’s championship in Extemporaneous Speaking. Saling added a final round appearance in Impromptu Speaking and a semifinal appearance in IPDA debate, where she was recognized as the 2nd best IPDA varsity speaker at the tournament. Senior Molly Mahoney finaled three events, including 2nd place in Impromptu Speaking, while sophomore Lauren Evans took fourth in Poetry.

In British Parliamentary debate, junior Ivy Burt, who just joined the team in November and was competing for the first time ever, won the varsity division of  British Parliamentary debate with a partner from Carroll College. Burt was joined in finals by the LC team of sophomore Maltin Tocani and junior Fernando Dzul Fisher. Burt was also named the 2nd place junior speaker at the tournament.

Competing further from home was the Lincoln-Douglas squad, who traveled to St. Louis to compete in the Gorlok Gala hosted by Webster University. Senior Rose Thompson advanced to the quarterfinal round at this prestigious tournament that is often a preview of the national championship. Thompson was also honored as the 7th best individual speaker at the tournament. 

All told, the combined efforts of the Lewis & Clark team, both this weekend and at previous tournaments, resulted in the squad earning the highest season-long honor for a team in the Northwest Forensics Conference, a gold medal placing in Division I. It is the 6th time in the past seven years that LC has earned this placing. Additionally, the squad was named the top Division I speech school and the third place debate school. 

The LC team will take the weekend off before attending a number of tournaments later in February in preparation for national competition.