MavForensics Continues Winning Tradition
Team continues to be among nations best with 14th place finish!
- published: 2024/04/10
- search keywords:
- Mavforensics
- UNO School of Communication
It was another strong finish on the national stage as the School of Communication's Mavforensics team finished 14th overall in the open division at the 2024 American Forensics Association National Speech Tournament (AFA-NST) hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
This year's competition had 58 different teams and more than 300 students with over 1100 individual event entries. Overall, the team placed 14th out of 58 Colleges & Universities from across the nation. The team had seven events advance to quarterfinals, and one event advance to semifinals. The team also had eight different students break into quarterfinal rounds, including five freshmen.
The AFA-NST is a historically one of the most challenging tournaments with a competitive qualification process and a high entry number. Despite every team being capped at 66 individual entries, it is extremely difficult to achieve an out round status of Quarterfinalist, Semifinalist, or Finalist in any of the 11 different speaking events as each preliminary round of competition is ranked by a 2-judge panel.
Overall, Mavforensics qualified 48 individual speaking events across all 11 event categories this year!
This year's team was one of the youngest in recent years as it was comprised of freshman, sophomores and juniors with the intent of returning next year for another run at a national championship.
This year's competition had 58 different teams and more than 300 students with over 1100 individual event entries. Overall, the team placed 14th out of 58 Colleges & Universities from across the nation. The team had seven events advance to quarterfinals, and one event advance to semifinals. The team also had eight different students break into quarterfinal rounds, including five freshmen.
The AFA-NST is a historically one of the most challenging tournaments with a competitive qualification process and a high entry number. Despite every team being capped at 66 individual entries, it is extremely difficult to achieve an out round status of Quarterfinalist, Semifinalist, or Finalist in any of the 11 different speaking events as each preliminary round of competition is ranked by a 2-judge panel.
Overall, Mavforensics qualified 48 individual speaking events across all 11 event categories this year!
This year's team was one of the youngest in recent years as it was comprised of freshman, sophomores and juniors with the intent of returning next year for another run at a national championship.
2024 Team Breakdown Results
Keith Allen, junior | Semifinalist in Poetry Interpretation(top 12 out of 91 entries)
Keith Allen, junior | Quarterfinalist in Dramatic Interpretation
Keith Allen, junior | Quarterfinalist in Dramatic Interpretation
(top 25 out of 107 entries)
Keith Allen, junior & Yasmin Monroy, freshman | Quarterfinalists in DUO Interpretation
Keith Allen, junior & Yasmin Monroy, freshman | Quarterfinalists in DUO Interpretation
(top 25 out of 55 entries)
Brooklynn Schmidt, junior & Dylan Harris, sophomore | Quarterfinalists in DUO Interpretation
Brooklynn Schmidt, junior & Dylan Harris, sophomore | Quarterfinalists in DUO Interpretation
(top 25 out of 55 entries)
Caden Whelan, freshman & Sara Micanek, freshman | Quarterfinalists in DUO Interpretation
Caden Whelan, freshman & Sara Micanek, freshman | Quarterfinalists in DUO Interpretation
(top 25 out of 55 entries)
Shelby Benson, freshman & Colin Gibbons, freshman | Quarterfinalists in DUO Interpretation
Shelby Benson, freshman & Colin Gibbons, freshman | Quarterfinalists in DUO Interpretation
(top 25 out of 55 entries)
Colin Gibbons, freshman | Quarterfinalists in Poetry Interpretation
Colin Gibbons, freshman | Quarterfinalists in Poetry Interpretation
(top 25 out of 91 entries)
Team Photo
Team Photo
Back Row L-R: Devyn Halvorson, Graduate Teaching Assistant, Chloe Ellison, sophomore, Keira Miller, sophomore, Caden Whelan, freshman, Colin Gibbons, freshman, Mak Ruffing, freshman, Sara Micanek, freshman, Keith Allen, junior
Front Row L-R: Trae Medero Graham, Co-Director, Brooklynn Schmidt, junior, Dylan Harris, sophomore, Abigail Faris, junior, Yasmin Monroy, freshman, Amanda VonGoodrich, Co-Director, Shelby Benson, freshman, Kadance McDonnell, junior
The UNO Mavforensics teams have a rich history of being one of the top programs in the country. The team has finished in the Top 20 each of the last 13 years and finsihed in the Top 10 from 2011 to 2019.
The UNO Mavforensics teams have a rich history of being one of the top programs in the country. The team has finished in the Top 20 each of the last 13 years and finsihed in the Top 10 from 2011 to 2019.
Learn more about the School of Communication
- 2024 – 14th
- 2023 – 18th
- 2022 – 15th
- 2021 – 11th
- 2020 – Canceled/Covid19
- 2019 – 6th
- 2018 – 6th
- 2017 – 6th
- 2016 – 5th
- 2015 – 5th
- 2014 – 8th
- 2013 – 6th
- 2012 – 5th
- 2011 – 5th