GMU Forensics Takes Second Place in National Speech Championships

by Dawn Lowry, Director of Forensics

GMU Forensics Takes Second Place in National Speech Championships

Credit: Tyler Watkins

Back row: Peter Figueroa, Nick Steinmetz, co-captain Jacob Thompson, co-captain Tom Murabito, Eleni Mercer, José Quinones. Front row: Emily Williams, Atta Gould, Natalie Cumming, Cheriaca Huntley, Cordelia Tran.

On March 20 and 21, the George Mason University forensics team competed in the National Speech Championships, an online tournament featuring many of top speech programs in the country. Mason placed second out of almost 40 schools, edging out teams from University of Illinois, Seton Hall, Yale, University of Texas at Austin, and Illinois State University. For the first time in our history, every Mason student advanced past preliminary rounds, culminating in three national champions in their respective events. Individual results are as follows, where semifinalists indicates top 12 in the country and quarterfinalist would be top 24:

  • Cheriaca Huntley, communication major from Illinois, 6th in Poetry Interpretation, and national champion in Program Oral Interpretation and Prose Interpretation.
  • Emily Williams, government major from Florida, and Cordelia Tran, government major from California, are national champions in Duo Interpretation. Williams is also a semifinalist in Persuasion, and Tran is a quarterfinalist in After Dinner Speaking.
  • Co-captain Jacob Thompson, government major from Iowa, placed 2nd in Communication Analysis, 3rd in Impromptu Speaking, is a semi-finalist in Extemporaneous Speaking, and quarterfinalist in Informative Speaking.
  • José Quinones, criminology major from Florida, placed 3rd in Extemporaneous Speaking and is a quarterfinalist in After Dinner Speaking.
  • Atta Gould, history major from New York, placed 3rd in Informative Speaking and is a semifinalist is Duo Interpretation with partner Steven Franklin, business major from Virginia.
  • Peter Figueroa, communication major from New York, placed 5th in Communication Analysis and is a semifinalist in Dramatic Interpretation.
  • Co-captain Tom Murabito, government major from Pennsylvania, is a national semifinalist in Dramatic Interpretation.
  • Nick Steinmetz, public administration major from Florida, is a semifinalist in Persuasion and a quarterfinalist in Impromptu Speaking.
  • Eleni Mercer, government major from Florida, is a semifinalist in Program Oral Interpretation and a quarterfinalist in Poetry Interpretation.
  • Natalie Cumming, musical theatre major from Minnesota, is a semifinalist in Prose Interpretation.

The team is coached by Dawn Lowry; Tyler Watkins, BA Political Communication '15, MA Health Communication '17; Brenna Fuhr; Melvin Richardson; Lucas Muratore, BA Film and Video Studies, Communication '18; Kate (Denardi) Polit, BS Public Administration '12, MA Communication '14; Stan Polit, MA Communication '12; Mernine Ameris; and John Henry, BA History '20.

March 24, 2021