2009-2010 Season

The Cobbers compete with the best in the nation at the AFA-NIET!

Concordia College speech competitors placed 18th in the overall school competition at the American Forensic Association’s National Individual Events tournament hosted April 2-4 by the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

The Concordia effort was spearheaded by four students who won individual awards.  Juniors Stephanie Villella, Fargo, N.D., and Jennifer Pagh, Apple Valley, Minn., and sophomores Andrew Eilola, Eveleth, Minn., and Alexander MacArthur, Marshall, Minn., all made the cut from the guaranteed preliminary round competition to single elimination finals. Villella reached the quarter-finals of the Program Oral Interpretation event while Pagh reached the quarter-finals of dramatic interpretation. Their quarter-final finish placed them among the top 24 competitors in the tournament. Eilola and MacArthur both advanced beyond the quarter-finals to reach the semi-finals of the tournament, placing among the top 12 individuals in the nation. Eilola’s semi-final finish came in Informative Speaking and MacArthur’s semi-final event was dramatic interpretation.

Additional Concordia students who qualified for the national tournament were freshmen Meg Henrickson, Yankton, S.D.; Cole Kantos, Wapaca, Wis.; Jenna Nypan, Cushing, Minn.; sophomores Justin Bertram, Milaca, Minn.; Tyler Dugger, Billings, Mont.; April Reino, Shakopee, Minn.; and juniors Kelsey Raasch, Morris, Minn.; Jessica Strending, Great Falls, Mont.; and Emaline Then, St. Cloud, Minn.

“This award is a testament to the work of all our speech competitors” says Concordia director of Forensics, Fred Sternhagen, “the overall school award is determined from the combined performance by all of a school’s competitors—not just a school’s top finishers. This finish is a tremendous accomplishment by a young group of competitors.”

A total of 76 institutions qualified students for the national tournament. The top five places at the tournament were taken by Bradley University, Peoria, Ill.; Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Ky.; Illinois State University, Normal, Ill.; George Mason University, Fairfax, Va.; and the University of Texas-Austin. 

DISTRICTS @ UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN - STOUT

The team finished out the season with qualifying several more events for the AFA-NIET to be held April 2-4, 2010 at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire!

Finalists in Individual Events

*AFA qualification 

Prose Interpretation:

  • April Reino*
Extemporaneous Speaking:
  • Andrew Eilola
Program Oral Interpretation:
  • Jenna Nypan*
Persuasive Speaking:
  • Cole Kantos*
  • Meg Henrickson*
After Dinner Speaking:
  • Meg Henrickson*
Informative Speaking:
  • Britt Aasmundstad
TOTAL AFA QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE SEASON: 39


SDSU Bunny Bop - Cobbers take 1st in Team Sweepstakes!

Impromptu Speaking

  • Steph Villella, 1st place
  • Kelsey Raasch, 2nd place

Informative Speaking:

  • Kelsey Raasch, 3rd place
  • Justin Bertram, 5th place

Prose Interpretation:

  • Alex MacArthur, 1st place
  • April Reino, 2nd place
  • Steph Villella, 3rd place
  • Jenna Nypan, 4th place
  • Jen Pagh, 5th place

Duo Interpretation:

  • Meg Henrickson & Jenna Nypan, 2nd place
  • Jen Pagh & Alex MacArthur, 5th place

Extemporaneous Speaking:

  • Jessica Strending, 6th place
  • Emma Then, 
Program Oral Interpretation:
  • Alex MacArthur, 1st place
  • Andrew Eilola, 4th place
After Dinner Speaking:
  • April Reino, 2nd place
  • Meg Henrickson, 4th place
Communication Analysis:
  • Meg Henrickson, 4th place
Drama Interpretation:
  • Alex MacArthur, 1st place
  • Jen Pagh, 2nd place
  • Kelsey Raasch, 3rd place
Poetry Interpretation:
  • Justin Bertram, 3rd place
  • Jessie Strending, 4th place
  • April Reino, 6th place

STATE TOURNAMENT - Cobbers take 2nd in Team Sweepstakes!

Concordia was the host for the Minnesota Collegiate Forensic Association state tournament held February 20-21, 2010.

Three Concordia students ended the weekend as state champions!

  • Justin Bertram (sophomore from Milaca, MN) won impromptu speaking
  • Alex MacArthur (sophomore from Marshall, MN) won poetry interpretation
  • Tyler Dugger (sophomore from Billings, MT) won extemporaneous speaking

Impromptu Speaking:

  • Justin Bertram, CHAMPION
  • Steph Villella, 2nd place
  • Tyler Dugger, 7th place

Informative Speaking:

  • Jen Pagh, 3rd place

Prose Interpretation:

  • Alex MacArthur, 3rd place

Duo Interpretation:

  • Emma Then & Justin Bertram, 2nd place
  • Jen Pagh & Alex MacArthur, 3rd place

Extemporaneous Speaking:

  • Tyler Dugger, CHAMPION

Persuasive Speaking:

  • Tyler Dugger, 7th place

After-Dinner Speaking:

  • Andrew Eilola, 2nd place
  • Steph Villella, 4th place
  • Meg Henrickson, 5th place

Communication Analysis:

  • Jen Pagh, 3rd place
  • Justin Bertram, 4th place
  • Kelsey Raasch, 5th place

Drama Interpretation:

  • Justin Bertram, 5th place
  • Jen Pagh, 6th place

Poetry Interpretation:

  • Alex MacArthur, CHAMPION
  • Andrew Eilola, 3rd place

Mini-Interpretation:

  • Jessica Strending, 3rd place
NICE WORK, COBBERS!


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