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Mavforensics 2022 National Tournament Results

Mavforensics' first in-person tournament season since 2019 brings top placements, awards, and well-deserved recognition for their hard work.

  • published: 2022/04/12
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BACK ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: Freshman Keith Allen, Junior Riley Smith, Sophomore Trinity Weers, Freshman Brooklynn Schmidt | FRONT ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT: Freshman Abbie Faris, Sophomore Veronica Peck, Senior Addison Parr, Freshman Kadance McDonnell

UNO’s nationally-ranked competitive speech team, Mavforensics, has competed in two national competitions this year, with one left to go in the season.

The team continues their tradition of excellence at the national level, placing in the top 10 at the first Asynchronous Speech Championship (ASC) and the top 15 at the American Forensic Association (AFA).

Asynchronous Speech Championship (ASC) 2022 Results

The ASC is a national tournament inspired by the popularity and success of asynchronous tournaments. Originally created as a way to increase and sustain competition during the pandemic, asynchronous competition became the third type of forensics format the students practice today. Students perform their events in front of a camera, record that performance, upload it to a secure YouTube link, and then submit to the tournament. Judges view, critique, and rank the filmed speeches, and this style of competition has been officially voted in as a permanent tournament style.

The first ever ASC had over 50 schools and 1,000 speaking videos entered. Three Mavericks were recognized at the ASC, and the team won two placements in the team sweepstakes:

  • Trinity Weers (Quarterfinalist, Impromptu Speaking)
  • Veronica Peck (Quarterfinalist, Persuasion)
  • Addison Parr (Semifinalist, Poetry)
  • Team Sweepstakes, Lake Division – 4th Place
  • Team Sweepstakes, Open Division – 10th Place

American Forensic Association (AFA) 2022 Results

EVENING TEAM PHOTOS WITH AWARDS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Freshman Kadance McDonnell, Sophomore Trinity Weers, Freshman Abbie Faris, Senior Addison Parr, Junior Riley Smith, Sophomore Veronica Peck, Freshman Brooklynn Schmidt, and Freshman Keith Allen

LEFT TO RIGHT: Freshman Kadance McDonnell, Sophomore Trinity Weers, Freshman Abbie Faris, Senior Addison Parr, Junior Riley Smith, Sophomore Veronica Peck, Freshman Brooklynn Schmidt, and Freshman Keith Allen

In their first in-person national tournament since 2019, Mavforensics continues to rank highly, placing 15th overall with only one senior, two other returning members, and five first-year students to the national state tournament.

Mavforensics took eight students to the AFA-NST 2022. Out of more than 50 schools across the country, Mavericks had two quarterfinalists, one semifinalist, and finished 15th overall in the nation in team sweepstakes:

  • Riley Smith (Quarterfinalist, Communication Analysis)
  • Addison Parr + Riley Smith (Quarterfinalists, Duo Interpretation)
  • Addison Parr (Semifinalist, Dramatic Interpretation)

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Senior Addison Parr and Junior Riley Smith holding individual and team trophies

Co-director Amanda vonGoodrich says, “This season was another one full of change and uncertainty, but this team showed they are driven, qualified, and are capable of creating amazing, important messages worth sharing.

“Thanks so much to the AFA-NST and University of Nebraska-Lincoln for creating a safe, organized, wonderful tournament. The covid protocol was thorough, organized, and handled with expert care.”

Interstate Oratory Qualifications

In addition to the results for these national tournaments, two UNO students have qualified for Interstate Oratory, the oldest public speaking competition in the country. The students qualify based on the top two placings at the state tournament. This would be an impressive accomplishment by itself, but Nebraska is also the most competitive state in the country for forensics (the only state with four teams in the top 20 nationally).

Freshman Brooklynn Schmidt (2nd place) and Sophomore Veronica Peck (1st place) will travel to Butler University in Indianapolis next weekend to represent Nebraska at the Interstate Oratory competition on April 22 and 23.

Interested in being a part of the Mavforensics team? Auditions have started for the 2022-2023 year, and we are excited to see new faces! Contact co-director Amanda vonGoodrich and/or Trae Graham at agoodrich@unomaha.edu and tgraham@unomaha.edu

Mavforensics team plus coaches

BACK ROW (left to right): Coach Trae Medero Graham, Coach Amanda VonGoodrich, Senior Addison Parr, Junior Riley Smith, Freshman Brooklynn Schmidt, Freshman Keith Allen, Freshman Kadance McDonnell (orange suit) Graduate Teaching Assistant Cheily Arreola, Graduate Teaching Assistant Elizabeth Hansen

FRONT ROW (left to right): Sophomore Trinity Weers, Freshman Abbie Faris, Sophomore Veronica Peck