NEWS RELEASE

News Bureau . Schofield Hall 201 . Eau Claire, WI 54702
phone: (715) 836-4741
fax: (715) 836-2900

EAU CLAIRE — For the twelfth consecutive year, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire forensics team won the Wisconsin State Forensics Tournament, held Feb. 21 at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.

In addition to taking first in team sweepstakes, UW-Eau Claire placed first and second in oratory. Those top-two individual winners, juniors Kelly M. Bender, New London, and Andy Bevernitz, Clintonville, will represent Wisconsin at the Interstate Oratory Contest April 22-24 in Phoenix, Ariz. The IOC is the oldest speech contest in existence.

Following are the individual results from the state tournament:

In addition to the first in oratory, Bender took first place in individual sweepstakes and informative speaking, second in poetry and program oral interpretation and fourth place in prose interpretation.

In addition to the second in oratory, Bevernitz placed second in prose interpretation, fourth in communication analysis, and fifth in duo interpretation along with junior Dan
Mc Neely, Bloomington, Minn., who also took third place in poetry.

Junior Christopher Conklin, Green Bay, took second in after-dinner speaking and impromptu, fourth place in program oral interpretation, fifth in prose interpretation and individual sweepstakes, and sixth place in extemporaneous speaking.

Senior Brandon M. Buchanan, San Antonio, Texas, received first place in communication analysis, second place in extemporaneous speaking and third place in informative speaking.

Sophomore Abby Czeskleba, Middleton, took first place in after-dinner speaking.

Freshman Amy Oldakowski, Sobieski, placed second in communication analysis and informative speaking.

Freshman Christine Zani, Hurley, received third place in communication analysis and fourth place in informative speaking.

Sophomore Elizabeth Schroeder, Le Center, Minn., placed third in the oratory competition.

Freshman Michelle Farley, Chippewa Falls, received fourth place in after-dinner speaking, qualifying her for the National Forensics Association tournament. Farley also took sixth place in prose interpretation.

Junior Amanda Dolan, Greenfield, took fifth place in the poetry competition.

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XY/NW

Judy Berthiaume, Director
UW-Eau Claire News Bureau
Schofield 201
(715) 836-4741
newsbur@uwec.edu

Updated: March 2, 2004