The University of Northern Iowa Speech team worked hard at the American Forensics Association-National Individual Events Tournament in Hutchinson, Kan., earning a 10th-place finish nationally for the second year in a row. A total of 78 teams compete in the tournament.

“This team is almost completely different than it was four years ago. Every year since my freshman year the team has gotten bigger, qualified for more events and put up better results than the year before. It’s been amazing to be a part of that,” said Harrison Postler, senior communication studies major.

There are two different ways for a person to qualify for the tournament. The most common is an at-large qualification, which is calculated by adding up the placements at three different tournaments throughout the season. That number must be eight or lower. A person can also qualify by becoming one of the top three or four people in an event at the districts tournament, which consists of people who haven’t already qualified.

Postler found individual success at this year’s tournament. He was the champion in Impromptu Speaking, becoming the first event champion for UNI at AFA-NIET since 1988.

“It’s the culmination of a decade of practice, but it’s also something that I was prepared to not experience. Plenty of very talented individuals don’t win a national championship, so I’m still in the process of sorting out my own worthiness,” said Postler.

He was also second in Dramatic Interpretation and a semifinalist in After Dinner Speaking. This earned him an overall placement of sixth out of 198 in Individual Sweepstakes.

For both Postler and junior Zoe Russell, speech was something they became involved with in high school and wanted to continue in college.

“The past three years I have been on the team have been some of the best years of my life. I’ve met so many people, traveled across the country and learned so much,” said Russell, a communication studies major. “Speech provides you with so many opportunities and memories, and you make some really incredible friendships.”

After the success of the team as a whole at the tournament, Russell is excited to see what’s in store for the speech team during her final year at UNI.

“I was really excited to see so many people on our team qualify for nationals, because it is really encouraging for the future of our team. It was incredible to place 10th in the nation last year, but to repeat our 10th-place finish this year is an affirmation that our hard work is paying off. In my three years on the team we have grown substantially, so I’m really excited to see what our future holds,” said Russell.

This weekend, from April 18-22, seniors on the team will be competing in the National Forensic Association National Tournament. The team has qualified in 48 events for the tournament.