MavForensics Returns to National Top Five

OMAHA – The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) forensics team, MavForensics, is one of the top five teams in the country for the third time in team history.

On Monday, April 6, MavForensics earned a fifth-place ranking at the American Forensics Association (AFA) national tournmanet as one of the best competitive speech teams in the country and was the top of three Nebraska schools in the Top 10. The ranking also makes it the third time in the past four years that MavForensics is the top-ranked program in the state of Nebraska.

Also in this year’s Top 10 was UNO’s sister university, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, in seventh place and Doane College placing 10th. In total, 86 teams from across the country competed at this year’s American Forensics Association national tournament.

This is the sixth consecutive year UNO has made it in the Top 10, which makes UNO one of the most historically successful among all collegiate forensics programs who have competed in the AFA tournament during its 40-plus-year history.

Following a three-day tournament (April 4-6) featuring competitions in categories such as Dramatic Interpretation, Impromptu Speaking, Poetry Interpretation and more, UNO also came away with two All-American competitors and four finalists: an individual national champion, two second-place finalists and a quarterfinalist.

UNO’s two All Americans, which is the highest individual honor the tournament can provide to a competitor, are Seniors Karlee Currin and Natalie Schneier-Brooks. The All-American recognition takes into consideration academic prowess and community service as well as a student’s speech abilities.

This is the first year that UNO has had two students recognized as All-Americans with just one other All-American recognition, which was earned in 2012 by Niveditha Rajagopalan.

Currin also finished first in the Dramatic Interpretation competition while Zaleski finished second in Poetry Interpretion and freshman T’eyrr Bynum finished second in Prose Interpretation. UNO’s other finalist was senior Dan Cutter, who finished fourth in Persuasive Speaking.

Three UNO students also placed in the Top 20 of overall speakers with Schneider-Brooks finishing 17th, Currin finishing 15th and Zaleski finishing in 11th place.

The full list of Top 10 schools includes:

• 10th - Doane College
• Ninth - University of Northern Iowa
• Eighth - University of Alabama
• Seventh - University of Nebraska Lincoln
• Sixth - Illinois State University
• Fifth - University of Nebraska at Omaha
• Fourth - Bradley University
• Third - George Mason University
• Second - University of Texas-Austin
• First - Western Kentucky University

Earlier in the year, MavForensics won the Nebraska Intercollegiate Forensics Association tournament. The title was the second for the team in its history.

For more information about MavForensics or the AFA tournament, please contact Abbie Syrek at 402.554.2520.

For media requests, please contact Charley Reed, UNO Association Director of Media Relations, at 402.554.2129 or unonews@unomaha.edu.

About the University of Nebraska at Omaha
Located in one of America’s best cities to live, work and learn, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is Nebraska’s premier metropolitan university. With more than 15,000 students enrolled in 200-plus programs of study, UNO is recognized nationally for its online education, graduate education, military friendliness and community engagement efforts. Founded in 1908, UNO has served learners of all backgrounds for more than 100 years and is dedicated to another century of excellence both in the classroom and in the community.

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