College of DuPage forensics team continues winning season at state and national tournaments
Featuring five state champions, the College of DuPage Forensics Team placed second at the 2019 Illinois Intercollegiate Forensics Association State Tournament hosted by Northern Illinois University.
Individual winners include Amy Ayyad, second place in Informative Speaking, sixth place in Speech to Entertain; Jake Fondel, second place in Parliamentary Debate; Rachael Johnson, fourth place in Dramatic Duet Acting (with Anita Kuchlewski), fourth place in Dramatic interpretation; Johanna Kando, fifth place in Dramatic Duet Acting (with Jacob Trzeciak); Anita Kuchlewski, third place in Prose Reading, third place in Dramatic Duet Acting, sixth place in Informative Speaking; Djimon Lewis, first place in Dramatic Interpretation, first place in Persuasive Speaking, second place in Poetry Interpretation, second place in Parliamentary Debate, quarterfinalist in Parliamentary Debate; Gavin McDonnell, first place in Dramatic Duet Acting (with Brooke Morenz), fifth place in Informative Speaking; Jennalyn Mendiola, Top Novice in Speech to Entertain, second place in Program Oral Interpretation, fourth place in Poetry Interpretation; Brooke Morenz, first place in Communication Analysis, first place in Dramatic Duet Acting, third place in Dramatic Interpretation, sixth place in Poetry (two-year division); Kelsey Peters, second place in Persuasive Speaking, fourth place in Communication Analysis, fourth place in Prose Interpretation; Jacob Trzeciak, fifth place in Dramatic Duet Acting, fifth place in Poetry Interpretation; Alexandra Weston, first place in Program Oral Interpretation, second place Extemporaneous Speaking, fourth place in Parliamentary Debate, fifth place in IDPA Debate, quarterfinalist in Parliamentary Debate, quarterfinalist in International Public Debate.
Additional team members competing included MacKenzie Lancor, Samantha Powers and Stephanie Tagudar.
The team also earned a first place in Quality Award, as well as third place in Division 1, and third place in the open division at the Novice National Tournament at Bowling Green State University.
Individual winners at the Novice Nationals include Fondel, first in International Public Debate, second place in Speech to Entertain, third place in Extemporaneous Speaking; Kando, first place in Dramatic Duet Acting (with Trzeciak), sixth place in Speech to Entertain; Kuchlewski, third place in Informative Speaking, third place in Prose Reading; Morenz, second place in Dramatic Interpretation, second place in Communication Analysis; Stephanie Tagudar, first place in Persuasive Speaking, fifth place in Communication Analysis; Trzeciak, first place in Dramatic Duet Acting, third place in poetry; Stephanie Weidman, third place in Speech to Entertain.
The COD Forensics Team is led by full-time speech faculty members Kacy Abeln-Stevens, Lauren Morgan and Brandon Wood, adjunct faculty member Matt Beifuss, alumni Heidi Bajek, Tia Collins, Zoya Khan, Rocky Roque, Jim Snyder and Mahera Suhail.
For more information about the Forensics teams, contact Forensics Director Lauren Morgan at morgan@cod.edu, (630) 942-2007, or visit the Forensics Team Web page at www.cod.edu/student_life/clubs_org/forensics/index.aspx.