Wiley’s Great Debaters place in top four in mid-season tournaments

Moving into the heart of its 2018-2019 competition season, the Melvin B. Tolson/Denzel Washington Forensics Society of Wiley College continues to rack up impressive tournament results.  Most recently, Wiley’s Great Debaters placed fourth overall on November 2 in the historic 71^st LE Norton Invitational, its highest finish ever at this event, which is held each year  at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. With almost 30 schools in attendance, including the University of Alabama, University of Nebraska-Omaha, University of Illinois, Eastern Michigan University, and the University of Minnesota-Mankato, the LE Norton Invitational is one of the largest regular season tournaments in the nation.

On October 26, Wiley’s Great Debaters co-hosted the Rage on the Bayou Tournament with the University of Louisiana-LaFayette Speech Team, claiming third place behind the formidable squads from the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Alabama.  Other schools that competed at the tournament included University of Louisiana-Lafayette, Rice University, and Texas State University.

The results of each student  who competed at the tournaments are as follows:

71st LE Norton Invitational

Rahmane Dixon, a sophomore from Houston, placed 5^th in Persuasive Speaking, and 4^th in Impromptu Speaking.

Cardero Berryman, a junior from Houston, was the tournament champion in Duo Interpretation with Micah Williams, a sophomore from Houston.

Micah Williams placed 6^th in Poetry Interpretation as well as was tournament champion in Duo Interpretation with Cardero Berryman.

Fortune Onwunali and Danielle Jones, both juniors from Houston, placed 4^th in Duo Interpretation.

Omari Hawkins, a senior from Tyler, Texas, placed 6^th in Prose Interpretation and 3^rd in Poetry Interpretation.

Emmanuela Wade, a junior from Atlanta, Georgia, placed 5^th in Dramatic Interpretation, 5^th in Prose Interpretation, and was tournament champion in Poetry Interpretation.

Also contributing to Wiley’s success: Louis Mendez, a junior from Houston; Dimitri Brooks, a junior from Houston,; Maliq Wright, a senior from Houston; Zakeyus Pledger, a junior from Kansas City, Missouri; and Stephanie Cancel, a junior from Brooklyn, New York.

Rage on the Bayou

Curtis Milby, a senior from Hodgenville, Kentucky, placed 4^th in Dramatic Interpretation at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette portion, and 5^th in informative speaking as well as taking 1^st in Dramatic Interpretation at the Wiley College tournament.

Omari Hawkins, a senior from Tyler, Texas, placed 7^th in Prose Interpretation at the Wiley College tournament.

Nala Johnson, a senior from Camden, New Jersey, placed 6^th in Dramatic Interpretation, and 6^th in Program Oral Interpretation at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette portion, as well as placing 7^th in Dramatic Interpretation at the Wiley College tournament.

Fortune Onwunali, a junior from Houston, Texas, placed 5^th in Program Oral Interpretation and 4^th  in Duo Interpretation with Danielle Jones, a junior from Houston, at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette portion,  as well placing 4^th in Program Oral Interpretation and 4^th  in Duo Interpretation with Danielle Jones at the Wiley College tournament.

Danielle Jones  placed 6^th in Persuasive Speaking, 5^th in Poetry Interpretation, and 4^th  in  Duo Interpretation with Fortune Onwunali, and  she also placed 4^{th in}  Duo Interpretation with Fortune Onwunali at the Wiley College tournament.

Stephanie Cancel, a junior from Brooklyn, New York, placed 1^st in Dramatic Interpretation and 1^st in Poetry Interpretation at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette portion.

Also contributing to the team’s success was Zakeyus Pledger, a junior from Kansas City, Missouri.