Thundering Word sees fruitful year despite loss of coach

Following the loss of Director of Forensics Danny Ray on March 2, Marshall University’s Thundering Word speech and debate team struggled to regain its footing before traveling to their first national tournament a mere two weeks later.

Victoria Ledford, a graduate assistant who has helped lead the team following the loss of Ray, said the season was the most competitive season the Thundering Word has experienced since its revival.

“With only eight regularly competing students, the Word brought home an 8^th place national title out of 87 schools at 2016 Pi Kappa Delta National Tournament, the first of two national tournaments hosted March 17-20 at the University of Kentucky,” Ledford said. “In addition to the team’s esteemed national ranking, six out of eight members of the Word advanced to elimination rounds at the tournament.”

After the Pi Kappa Delta National Tournament, the team continued to break barriers at their final national showing at the 2016 National Forensic Association National Tournament hosted by Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Though division trophies are awarded by school size, placing in the overall top 15 at this tournament is what gives teams their national recognition.

The speech and debate team brought home a 7^th place team trophy in President’s Division I, the largest school division. The achievement marked the second consecutive year the Thundering Word has achieved national ranking, and the first year that three students have advanced to elimination rounds.

“As the largest and most competitive tournament the Word attends, few Marshall students have ever advanced to elimination rounds,” Ledford said. “This year, of the 28 events the team took to the national tournament, 6 advanced to quarterfinals and beyond.”

Students contributing to the team’s national recognition include Taryss Mandt, DeVan Sample, Alyssa Hager, Logan Spence, Sarah Hagan, Eli Tilley, Hunter Barclay and Lanette Hunter.

Ray’s death came days after the team brought home their 6^th consecutive state championship title. In his 7 years at Marshall, Ray coached the team to national recognition.

“Even in his absence this spring, the Word has excelled on the national front,” Ledford said.

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Photo: Members of Marshall University’s Thundering Word hold trophies from the 2016 National Forensic Association National Tournament.