Speech & Debate team wins state championship

Posted by Jayme Blaschke
University News Service
February 5, 2009

The speech and debate teams at Texas State University-San Marcos took first place sweepstakes honors at the Texas Intercollegiate Forensics Association Championships, Jan. 30-Feb. 1. 

The Bobcats, hosting the event on campus, topped a field of 15 colleges and universities from across the state, including the University of Texas, Texas A&M and the University of Texas-El Paso. 

The LBJ Debate Society, the debate arm of Texas State’s team, took the first place debate sweepstakes and the Elton Abernathy Forensics Society, the individual events portion of the team, took second place individual events sweepstakes.

Individual standout performances by Texas State included: Laura Driver, a sophomore geography major from Portland, who was the top speaker in parliamentary debate; Luis Baez, a sophomore political science major from Houston, who was named the top novice speaker in parliamentary debate; Ojiyoma Pinnock, a sophomore communication studies major from San Antonio, who placed first in poetry interpretation; Jaysin Spradley, a sophomore communication studies major from Boling, who placed first in prose interpretation; the team of Ryan Reyes, a senior communication studies major from Austin, and Jonathan Stansbury, a junior communication studies major from Deer Park, took the top honors in duo dramatic interpretation; Stansbury and Jonathan Park, a sophomore from Beaumont, were the tournament’s first place debate team.