Jackrabbits Forensics records historic season

Jackrabbits Forensics has just wrapped up a historic season, with several “firsts” achieved by one of South Dakota State University’s longest-running cocurricular teams. 

The group competed in its first international tournament this year, and for the second year in a row, it sent South Dakota’s only two representatives to the annual tournament of the nation’s oldest competitive collegiate speaking association. 

But the icing on the cake for the team was its first-ever top-20 finish at the American Forensic Association National Speech Tournament, the culmination of months of hard work and years of building a foundation for SDSU’s competitive speech and debate team. 

“I couldn’t be more proud of our Jackrabbits Forensics team and their success this year,” said Joshua Westwick, director of the School of Communication and Journalism. “I am excited about the program’s future and know that they will find continued success under Dr. Andrea Carlile’s leadership.” 

Carlile, director of forensics and assistant professor of communication studies in the School of Communication and Journalism, said everyone’s performance and hard work contributed to Jackrabbits Forensics’ 20th-place finish in the field of 60 teams at nationals. 

“It really was a culmination of everyone’s efforts. … What it really reflects is all our preliminary rounds were really strong. Everyone was earning firsts, seconds and thirds, and that’s what it takes to earn team points,” she said. 

Twelve members, having qualified for a team-record 33 individual events, participated in the national tournament, held April 5-8 at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Those participants included Jacob Ramp, Meara McIntyre, Abby Gilk, Hannah Dayaget, Kara Vetch, Rachael Guler, Sam Pappas, Emma Arneson, Taylor Sutton, Raegan Modlin, Grace Kleinschmit and Courtnie Forcier. 

“That hard work they put in really paid off toward that team sweepstakes award,” Carlile said. “We just needed one team to break the top 20. Those who are returning (likely eight to nine students) are very motivated and excited about the opportunities they have, where they see their potential as individuals and a team.” 

Arneson was also elected as one of two national student representatives for the American Forensics Association National Speech Tournament. 

Earlier in the semester, 11 students traveled to Dublin, Ireland, March 8-14 to compete in the International Forensics Association contest, which hosted more than 40 schools. 

“It was a totally new environment, so we didn’t know what to expect. … We were really thrilled to have semifinalists at that tournament, two of which were first-year students. It’s always great to get that exposure in a high-stakes tournament elimination round experience,” Carlile said. 

The five semifinalists included: Ramp, extemporaneous speaking; McIntyre, impromptu speaking; Gilk, after-dinner speaking; Dayaget, informative speaking and fourth place in prose interpretation; and Vetch, after-dinner speaking and seventh place in impromptu speaking. 

And in their last competition of the season, two team members, Guler and Vetch, competed at the 150th annual Interstate Oratorical Association National Tournament, held April 26-28 at the University of Illinois Chicago. SDSU has sent at least one South Dakota representative to the nation’s oldest public speaking contest for at least the past 30 years. 

Guler finished as a semifinalist this year, and Vetch was a semifinalist the previous year. The event is only for persuasive speaking, and their orations are published afterward. 

Guler, a junior from Pelican Rapids, Minnesota, who has been on the team for the past three years, called this most recent season remarkable. 

“From getting to compete over in Dublin to taking 20th in the nation, my team and I set these goals at the beginning of the season and worked hard to achieve them,” Guler said. “I think the highlight of my season was getting to compete at the 150th Interstate Oratory competition and being a semifinalist at that tournament. I can’t express how proud I am of all that my teammates and I achieved this year, and I look forward to next season.” 

Carlile attributes the team’s successful year to a little bit of “magic” that made everyone click, and getting the right people in the right room. She also cited “the grid,” where every student going to nationals had to perform all their events for every single team member and coach, totaling over 400 performance repetitions in a two-week period. 

Jackrabbits Forensics also moved to an upgraded team room in Pugsley Center this year, which served as a place to accommodate all members for team meetings, practice rounds or just hanging out. 

“It was a culmination of their energy and excitement, their willingness to put in the work, and their willingness to believe it was possible, to believe in themselves. … Sometimes you’ve just got to take that leap of faith to be great,” Carlile said.