The WKU Forensics Team is more than just a club to full-time coach Ben Pyle.

Pyle, a WKU alumnus from Harrisburg, Ill., is now working as a second year full time coach for the team after being a member from 2004 to 2008.

"Forensics really gave me a future," Pyle said.

Read the original story below.

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WKU Forensics Team Prepares for the New Season

WKU Forensics Director Jace Lux has high hopes for the new season.

BOWLING GREEN, KY (wkyu) - Members of the WKU Forensics team will be hosting a major speech tournament at WKU this weekend. 29 university teams, including entrants from Ohio State, Clemson, and the University of Alabama will be competing. WKU Forensics Director Jace Lux says he has been impressed by what he has seen from the WKU team so far this year.

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Once again, the WKU forensics team will be holding open team auditions prior to the Sr. Hilltopper Classic on Friday, December 10.  This year, an extremely limited number of audition slots will be available, and they will be on a first come, first served basis.  The first audition will begin at 8:00am and the last audition will conclude at 1:00pm.  Due to the tight tournament schedule, this will be the only window of opportunity interested students will have to audition during that weekend.  Only seniors may audition at this time.  All auditions must be scheduled by Monday, Dec. 6.  All students auditioning must either mail ahead of time or bring with them a high school transcript and a list of forensics accomplishments.  If you choose to mail these items ahead of time (preferred), send them to:

Jace Lux
1906 College Heights Blvd.
Bowling Green, KY 42101

For more information, or to schedule an audition, please contact Jace Lux at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or call 270-745-6340.

We look forward to seeing you on the hill in December!

After nine years of coaching together on the WKU Forensic Team, Judy Woodring and Jace Lux are preparing for the coming change.

Woodring and Lux will still occupy the same offices in the Garrett Conference Center, but they’ll be in new positions.

After nine years of coaching together on the WKU Forensic Team, Judy Woodring and Jace Lux are preparing for the change coming.

Woodring and Lux will still occupy the same offices in the Garrett Conference Center, but they’ll be in new positions. After two decades of directing WKU’s award-winning speech and debate programs, Woodring is retiring as director. Lux, who has been associate director for the past three years, is taking over as director.

“I’m incredibly happy that Jace is going to stay here and take over this program,” Woodring said. “He’s the ideal person. It takes a special person to work with coaches and students and he’s that special person.”

Lux, a native of Evansville, Ind., was a member of WKU’s Forensic Team from 1998 to 2000 and was a team coach for six years before becoming associate director. “Judy has done everything she can to make sure I’m prepared for this role,” he said. “You don’t often get the chance to work with the person who is the best in the world at their position, but I’ve done that for the past nine years. I’ve learned from the best.”

The National Forensic League recently honored Woodring with the Brother Gregory “Rene” Sterner Alumni Lifetime Service Award at the NFL National Tournament Awards Assembly in Kansas City, Mo. Woodring received the award for her decades-long commitment to speech and debate at both the high school and college levels. The award was presented by one of her standout alumni, recording artist and daytime television star Kassie DePaiva.

“I was truly surprised,” Woodring said of the award. “I was very honored.”

“This award is yet another recognition of Mrs. Woodring’s exceptional leadership in building and advancing forensics program opportunities for students,” WKU Provost Barbara Burch said. “She is widely recognized for her talent, dedication and exceptional achievements in building the forensics program at WKU, and this award affirms the impact of her influence and leadership nationally as well.”

President Gary Ransdell agrees. “Judy Woodring has, as much anyone at WKU, helped us understand that WKU can indeed become a leading American university,” he said. “She has taken a good forensics program and turned it into the best in American higher education.”

Woodring, a 1965 WKU graduate, taught speech and debate at Webster County Union County high schools before returning to the Hill in 1988 as director of the Kentucky High School Speech League then becoming director of the forensic program in 1989.

In the past two decades, the program has built a tradition of state, national and international championships.

“If it hadn’t been for Dr. Burch and Dr. Ransdell, WKU would just be a regional forensic team,” Woodring said. “It takes money to compete and recruit nationally and to provide scholarships that attract the best students.”

WKU is the only team to win the American Forensic Association national title, National Forensic Association national title, NFA debate national title and the International Forensic Association title in the same year – and accomplished that feat five times.

WKU has won the Kentucky Forensic Association championship for 20 consecutive years as well as five Delta Sigma Rho-Tau Kappa Alpha national titles, nine NFA debate titles, seven NFA individual event titles and six AFA national titles.

“Judy is smart, tenacious and understands what it takes to compete against the best and win,” Dr. Ransdell said. “She has recruited bright, hard working students who were high school champions and molded them into collegiate national champions against students from the best universities in the nation and across the globe. She has put WKU in that category. She has earned a lofty place in the WKU history book.”

The team’s national and international success and the administrative support have boosted WKU’s profile in the past decade and allowed the program to recruit nationally, according to Lux, who was elected earlier this year to a position on the National Forensics Association’s Executive Council.

When recruits ask why WKU’s forensic program is different, Lux shares a story about how Dr. Ransdell left a basketball banquet early to attend the forensic team’s banquet. “The administrative support we have is unparalleled. Without their support, we wouldn’t be the team we are,” he said.

The program attracts top students in all academic disciplines. “One thing that is extremely important to Judy and me is the academic reputation of our team,” Lux said. “Our collective team GPA has been over a 3.3 for the past eight years, and most years it is higher than that. The majority of our graduates go on to earn an advanced degree, ranging from a master’s to a law degree. I would feel confident saying that more of our graduates go on to earn an advanced degree than graduates of any other program in the nation.”

Dr. Burch said Woodring “not only knows how to build the capacity of her students but also is superb at mentoring and growing the coaches and staff that are such an important of these programs. She has built on the traditions of WKU in ways that have transformed the program, ensuring that those elements that are critical to the continuing success of the programs are built into the fabric of her work.”

Even though Woodring is retiring as the program’s director, she’ll still be involved with speech and debate by developing a rural debate league, raising money for the forensic team, coaching the Sky Academy home school team and creating an online certificate program for forensic coaches.

Plus she’ll be right next door in case Lux needs anything, although she notes that “he knows every single aspect of this job.”Lux agreed. “There is not a better transition scenario,” he said. “We’ve had a real partnership for the past nine years and that’s going to continue. Outside of my family, no one has done more for me than Judy as far as making sure I’m prepared.”

Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University forensic team won its ninth National Forensic Association National Tournament championship in debate, as well as its seventh championship in individual events over the weekend of April 15 – 19, held in Athens, Ohio.

The National Forensic Association national tournament is the largest such national tournament in the nation, with 76 schools competing in individual events and twenty-two schools competing in Lincoln-Douglas debate.

Western set a few new records this year, sweeping both the NFA national debate tournament and the NFA national individual events tournament.  In debate, Western placed first by the widest margin in NFA history.  Lafayette College placed second and Central Michigan University placed third.  There were 84 debaters competing.  WKU is the first school in NFA history to advance 100% of its debaters from double-octofinals to octofinals, advancing a record seven debaters to elimination rounds.  The previous record was five.

In individual events, Western placed first with the widest margin in the history of NFA.  Bradley University placed second and Illinois State University placed third.  Finally, WKU also had more national championships (four) this year than any other team.

Individual results from the National Forensic Association National Tournament are as follows:

Kaleb Jessee, a senior from Garden City, Kansas, national champion in Lincoln-Douglas debate and second debate speaker (tied for first).

Seth Peckham, a senior from Alden, Kansas, national champion in extemporaneous speaking, fourth in impromptu speaking, seventh in pentathalon, quarterfinalist in after-dinner speaking and quarterfinalist in persuasive speaking.

Jerome Davis, a senior from Austell, Georgia, national champion in dramatic interpretation and quarterfinalist in duo interpretation (with Jamaka Young).

Todd Rainey, a junior from Indianapolis, Indiana, national champion in impromptu speaking and semifinalist in extemporaneous speaking.

Carrie Guggenmos, a senior from Fullerton, California, second in poetry interpretation, fourth in duo interpretation (with Ethan Millspaugh), fifth in pentathalon, fifth in dramatic interpretation and semifinalist in informative speaking.

Ganer Newman, a senior from Sherman Oaks, California, second in communication analysis, eighth in pentathalon, semifinalist in poetry interpretation, semifinalist in after-dinner speaking, quarterfinalist in duo interpretation (with Robert Whittley) and quarterfinalist in duo interpretation (with Ethan Millspaugh).

Chelsea Harman, a junior from Hickory, second in informative speaking.

Jessica Furgerson, a senior from San Antonio, Texas, fifth in impromptu speaking, sixth in persuasive speaking, seventh debate speaker, twelfth in pentathalon, quarterfinalist in Lincoln-Douglas debate and quarterfinalist in extemporaneous speaking.

Ethan Millspaugh, a junior from Coppell, Texas, fourth in duo interpretation (with Carrie Guggenmos) and quarterfinalist in duo interpretation (with Ganer Newman).

Tatiana Mackins-Burton, a freshman from Burnsville, Minnesota, fourth in informative speaking.

Samantha Harrison, a senior from Carrollton, Texas, sixth in communication analysis, quarterfinalist in after-dinner speaking and quarterfinalist in poetry interpretation.

Elizabeth Mullins, a senior from Plymouth, Massachusetts, fifth debate speaker and octofinalist in Lincoln-Douglas debate.

Adam Swanson, a senior from Rosemount, Minnesota, semifinalist in poetry interpretation, semifinalist in informative speaking, quarterfinalist in prose interpretation, quarterfinalist in after-dinner speaking, quarterfinalist in dramatic interpretation and quarterfinalist in duo interpretation (with Adam Bouchareb).

Mario Nguyen, a sophomore from Plano, Texas, semifinalist in impromptu speaking, semifinalist in informative speaking, quarterfinalist in communication analysis and quarterfinalist in duo interpretation (with Celena Allen).

Jamaka Young, a sophomore from Burnsville, Minnesota, semifinalist in poetry interpretation and quarterfinalist in duo interpretation (with Jerome Davis).

Celena Allen, a sophomore from Hayward, California, semifinalist in dramatic interpretation and quarterfinalist in duo interpretation (with Mario Nguyen).

Robert Whittley, a junior from Glenview, Illinois, quarterfinalist in informative speaking, quarterfinalist in dramatic interpretation and quarterfinalist in duo interpretation (with Ganer Newman).

Sarah Spiker, a junior from Snohomish, Washington, quarterfinalist in Lincoln-Douglas debate and quarterfinalist in informative speaking.

Hathaway: quarterfinalist in Lincoln-Douglas debate and quarterfinalist in persuasive speaking.

Adam Bouchareb, a freshman from Lakeville, Minnesota, quarterfinalist in prose interpretation and quarterfinalist in duo interpretation (with Adam Swanson).

Taron Grizzell, a sophomore from Union City, California, quarterfinalist in duo interpretation (with Alex Wozencraft).

Liz Owens, a junior from San Antonio, Texas, quarterfinalist in Lincoln-Douglas debate.

Matt Whitman, a sophomore from Austin, Texas, quarterfinalist in extemporaneous speaking.

Colby Holt, a junior from Paducah, quarterfinalist in communication analysis.

Desiree Guerrero, a junior from Fullerton, California, quarterfinalist in after-dinner speaking.

Maggie Woodward, a sophomore from Collierville, Tennessee, quarterfinalist in persuasive speaking.

Alexander Wozencraft, a sophomore from Tulsa, Oklahoma, quarterfinalist in duo interpretation (with Taron Grizzell).

Wilian Iralzabal, a sophomore from Union City, California, quarterfinalist in poetry interpretation.

Kelly Lootz, a junior from Plymouth, Massachusetts, quarterfinalist in poetry interpretation.

Frank Murdock, a sophomore from Kingston, Washington,octofinalist in Lincoln-Douglas debate.

WKU forensics would like to welcome our new students to the team for the 2010-2011 academic year.  We have some strong additions to the Hill!

Nick Gilyard-FL
Gabriella Devia-Allen-FL
Sarah Brazier-OH
Alexis Elliot-MO
Karson Crass-KY
Marshall Covert-MN
Darius Wilson-MO
Richard Heyne-FL
Lindsey White-MN
Spencer Orlowski-FL
Tyler Dailey-MO
Jordan Foster-KY
John Reynolds-TX
Layton Smith-Garlington-LA
Susan Taylor-MO
Emma Wilczynski-KY
Alex Owings-KY

We’re all excited about the upcoming season and all of our new additions!

WKU Forensics is the only team to win the National Forensic Association Championship in debate and individual events in the same year. WKU accomplished this feat multiple times. WKU Forensics is also the only team to win the National Forensic Association, American Forensic Association, and International Forensic Association Championships in the same year, which WKU accomplished multiple times.

WKU was the winner of the International Forensic Association World Championship every year in attendance and has been the Kentucky Forensics Association State Champions for over two decades.

WKU Forensics is recognized by the Kentucky Senate and House of Representatives as well as the United States Senate and House of Representatives for Excellence.  The Forensics program has also been designated as a Program of Distinction by thePost -Secondary Education Council.