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The Simpson College Speech & Debate Team captured its first Speech and Debate Overall Team Championship while earning its fifth National Debate Team Championship in the last six years at the Pi Kappa Delta National Tournament hosted in March by the University of Central Florida.
Several Storm team members also earned individual national titles and many others received high honors. The country’s largest speech and debate competition featured 70 colleges and universities of all sizes.
“I am so impressed with how hard all 36 members of our nationals team worked,” said Spencer Waugh, director of Simpson’s speech and debate program. “Our team really wanted to make it five out of six in terms of a team championship in debate. The overall team championship was a bit of a surprise — something we had hoped to accomplish in the next five years — but it is a testament to how well our speech team has done this year.”
Simpson College tallied 222 points in winning the overall national title—besting second place Boise State by 24 points. Simpson and Boise State also finished one-two in debate team points.
Individually, Danielle Blake ’22, Blaine, Minn., and Drake Wood ’21, Blue Springs, Mo., were crowned national champions in Public Forum Debate. Teagan Townsend ’25, Olathe, Kan., took the national title for Varsity NFA LD. Mo Marks ’22, Des Moines, earned the national championship (top superior) in After Dinner Speaking. Ryan Magalhaes ’25, Indianola, received national champion honors in Novice NFA LD.
Simpson also produced a pair of National Runners-Up: Ethan Humble ’23, Stewartville, Minn., in Broadcast Journalism and Ryan Corcoran ’25, Sioux Falls, S.D., in Impromptu Speaking.
Here is a complete rundown of team and individual results:
Combined Speech & Debate Team Points
(1) Simpson College 222
(2) Boise State University 198
(3) Ohio University 190
(4) Marian University 164
(5) University Of Central Florida 150
(6) University of Alabama 138
(7) Tennessee State University 112
(8) Casper College 104
(9) Seton Hall University 098
(10) Morehouse College 098
Debate Team Points
(1) Simpson College
(2) Boise State University
(3) Morehouse College
(4) University of Central Florida
(5) The College of Idaho
(6) Ohio University
(7) Point Loma Nazarene University
(8) Marian University
(9) Idaho State University
(10) Kansas Wesleyan University
Individual Events - Speech Team Points
(1) Boise State University
(2) University of Alabama
(3) Ohio University
(4) Simpson College
(5) Seton Hall University
(6) Marian University
(7) Tennessee State University
(8) Truman State University
(9) Rice University
(10) Casper College
Debate Results:
Public Forum Debate
National Champions: Danielle Blake & Drake Wood
Semi-Finalists: Monserrat Saucedo & Dylan Seibel
Quarterfinalists: Scott Krueger & Foxx Harrington
Quarterfinalists: Triniti Krauss & Kylie Doupnik
Junior Varsity Public Forum
National Runner-Up: Abby Fry & Ryan Corcoran
Varsity Parliamentary Debate:
Semifinalists: Danielle Blake & Drake Wood
Quarterfinalists: Triniti Krauss & Teagan Townsend
Quarterfinalists: Andrew Flory & Sam Porter
Junior Varsity Parliamentary Debate:
Semifinalists: Abby Fry & Ryan Corcoran
Quarterfinalists: Malcolm Smart & Scott Krueger
IPDA Debate:
Quarterfinalist: Mo Marks
Varsity NFA LD:
National Champion: Teagan Townsend
Quarterfinalist: Andrew Flory
Quarterfinalist: Scout Perry
Novice NFA LD:
National Champion: Ryan Magalhaes
Individual Events Results:
Elise Sturgeon:
Pi Kappa All American
Excellence in Prose Interpretation
Superior in After Dinner Speaking
Superior in Interviewing
Kylie Doupnik:
Pi Kappa Delta All American
Excellence in Prose Interpretation
Excellence in Program of Oral Interpretation
Excellence in Communication Analysis
Danielle Blake:
Excellence in Broadcast Journalism
Triniti Krauss:
Superior in Broadcast Journalism
Drake Wood:
Excellence in Extemporaneous Speaking
Mo Marks:
National Champion (top superior) in After Dinner Speaking
Third Place/Top Superior in Extemp Commentary
Superior in Impromptu Speaking
Superior in Extemporaneous Speaking
Superior in Persuasive Speaking
Excellence in Communication Analysis
Excellence in Informative Speaking
Ethan Humble:
National Runner-Up/Top Superior in Broadcast Journalism
Scout Perry:
Top Superior in Congress
Excellence in Extemp Commentary
Excellence in Discussion
Top Presiding Officer Award
Ryan Corcoran:
National-Runner -Up/Top Superior in Impromptu Speaking
Superior in Extemporaneous Speaking
Monserrat Saucedo:
Superior in Interviewing
Alyssa Beckwith:
Excellence in Extemp Commentary
Andrew Flory:
Excellence in Extemporaneous Commentary
Excellence in Broadcast Journalism
Excellence in Extemporaneous Speaking
Faithyna Leonard:
Pi Kappa Delta All American
Excellence in Discussion
Ryan Magalhaes:
Excellence in Impromptu Speaking
Abby Fry:
Excellence in Broadcast Journalism
Excellence in Extemporaneous Speaking
Excellence in Interviewing
Will Keck:
Excellence in Broadcast Journalism
Excellence in Interviewing
Tempest Allred:
Excellence in Interviewing
Excellence in Junior Varsity IPDA
Sam Porter:
Excellence in Interviewing
Malcolm Smart:
Excellence in Interviewing