Record Number of National Forensics Qualifiers

A record-breaking number of Whitefish Bay forensics students qualified for a national tournament this weekend.

In a weekend tournament, 12 students on the Whitefish Bay High School Forensics and Debate team qualified to the National Catholic Forensic League Grand Nationals in Philadelphia. This is a new school record - beating last year's record of eight national qualifiers.

This is the most diverse team Whitefish Bay has brought to nationals, with students from both Debate and Forensic events, including several freshmen. The team is led by coaches Shawn Matson, Dedra Walls, Mary Wacker, Zack Vrana.

These students qualified for the NCFL tournament:

• Katie Plaster qualified in Oratory, but also won the tournament outright.
• Andrew Gegios double-qualified in Lincoln Douglas Debate and Congressional Debate but chose to compete in the Congress category.
• Megan Huckenpahler, Oratory
• Laura Yenchesky, Oratory
• Kelley Feuell, Dramatic Performance 
• Elizabeth Dean, Oratorical Declamation
• Kendall Gehrke, Extemporaneous Speaking
• John Misey, Extemporaneous Speaking 
• Jim Broomfield, Lincoln Douglas Debate
• Min Heo, Lincoln Douglas Debate
• Evan Jiancheng Zao, Congressional Debate
• Kat Thien, Congressional Debate

Alternates to nationals include:

• Jieun Heo, 1st Alternate in Oratorical Declamation
• Rose Misey and Erica Berndt, 2nd Alternates in Duo Interpretation