Forensics Team Wins Second at Nationals

May 03, 2017 - 12:21 AM

The Mt. SAC Forensics Team took second place overall at the 2017 Phi Rho Pi National Speech and Debate Tournament held recently in Washington, D.C., with students winning 10 gold medals, four silver medals, and four bronze medals. More than 400 students from 59 colleges throughout the nation competed.

Azzaam Siddiqi won gold medals in the impromptu speaking, informative speaking, and speech to entertain competitions. Shannon Martinez won a gold medal in prose interpretation; a gold medal as part of the duo interpretation team with Chris Robles; and a gold medal with the readers theater team of Robles, Kaylie Heyer, and Greyson McGee. McGee won a second gold medal in programmed oral interpretation.

Julian McDonald won a gold medal in persuasive speaking and bronze medals in drama interpretation and speech to entertain. Amir Freeman and Dawson Khoury each won gold medals in debate. Together Freeman and Khoury won a silver medal in another debate category. Khoury also took the bronze medal in impromptu speaking.

McGee and Aaron Evans won the silver medal in duo interpretation. Mimi Wu won silver medals in impromptu and informative speaking. Heyer took the bronze in persuasive speaking.

The Forensic Team has placed in the top three at the national tournament for the past eight years. The team is coached by faculty members Roxan Arntson, Danny Cantrell, and Roger Willis.