Four Advance to Forensics Nationals

Bill HeinzeRipon College Senior Bill Heinze won the Kevin Heineman Award at the American Forensic Association (AFA) District IV National Qualifier at Minnesota State University, Mankato, March 8-9. The Heineman Award goes to the student in District IV (Iowa-Nebraska-North Dakota-South Dakota-Minnesota-Wisconsin) who best exemplifies leadership, team spirit, sportsmanship, and a true love of the activity of college forensics.

Six Ripon College students were invited to perform at the district qualifying tournament, and all six received recognition:

  • Sophomore Katie Biedler of Sauk Rapids, Minn., was the tournament champion in persuasion and also placed third in communication analysis.
  • Junior David Garcia of West Chicago, Ill., placed third in extemporaneous speaking.
  • First year Amber Atkinson of Chaska, Minn., and Heinze, of West Chicago., Ill., both were recognized with certificates for their at-large qualifications for nationals in dramatic interpretation, extemporaneous speaking, impromptu speaking and after-dinner speaking earlier this year.
  • First years Caroline “Carly” Lundt of Madison, Wis., and Katie Warczak of Oshkosh, Wis., also earned final-round placements, in extemporaneous speaking and impromptu speaking, respectively. Neither had participated in a final round of these events this year.

Heinze, Atkinson, Biedler and Garcia now advance to the AFA National Tournament held this year at Hutchinson Community College in Hutchinson, Kan., in early April.

Jeremy Johnson ’12, a graduate student at Penn State University, traveled with Ripon’s team as a judge. He was recognized as one of a handful of AFA All Americans in attendance at the awards ceremony. Johnson is the only Ripon College student to earn All American designation and was one of only 12 students in the entire country last year to earn that honor.

Learn more about Forensics at Ripon College here.


Related Posts

Image of a haunted house

Auditions to be held Wednesday for student-directed, one-act horror play

Auditions will be held Wednesday, March 27, for a new play written and directed by Pierce Reese-Grimm ’24 of Wautoma, Wisconsin. “Ties that Bind and […]

2023-2024 Ethics Bowl team

Ethics Bowl team represents Ripon at national competition

At the 28th annual National Ethics Bowl Competition held Feb. 25-26 in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Ripon College Ethics Bowl team won one preliminary round and […]

Student singers performing

Ripon College choirs will perform Sunday

A choral concert presented by the Ripon College Choirs — Concert Choir, Choral Union and Chamber Singers — will begin at 3:15 p.m. Sunday, Feb. […]

Meredith Thiessen ’26, left, and Hannah Brockman ’24

Conference attendance allows education students to share ideas with those in the field

Hannah Brockman ’24 of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, and Meredith Thiessen ’26 of Stoughton, Wisconsin, attended the 2023 Wisconsin Association for Language Teachers (WAFLT) conference in […]