Speech Team Begins Winning Season

The Northwood University Michigan Competitive Speech Team began a winning season as they participated in four tournaments over the course of just two weekends. Comprised of the members below, the team now reports 37 wins.

• Kirk Longuski, Team Captain and a senior from Bay City, Michigan
• Joshua Gammon, Co-Assistant Captain and a senior from Midland, Michigan
• McKenzie Terwillegar, Co-Assistant Captain and a senior from Highland, Michigan
• Cherell Granger, Head of Speech Recruitment and a junior  from Gaylord, Michigan

Thankful for the support and mentoring provided by Head Coach Andy Rapp, and Assistant Coach Mark Marciniak, as well as Competitive Speech Team Alumni, for their continued dedication and support, the group went head-to-head against some of the nation’s best teams. Having recently competed in Bowling Green, Ohio, at the Falcon Classic and Birds of a Feather Swing, hosted by Bowling Green University, they resumed competition the following weekend, in Akron, Ohio, at the A-K Rowdy and Akron Alumni Invitational Swing, hosted by the University of Akron.

At the recent Bowling Green, Ohio competition several team members made it to finals with Kirk Longuski placing 5^th in Extemporaneous Speaking and 3^rd in Long Form Impromptu, Joshua Gammon placing 6^th in Informative Speech and Cherell Granger placing 6^th in Long Form Impromptu. The following day competitors Kirk Longuski, placing 4^th in Long Form Impromptu and 6^th in Persuasion; Cherell Granger placed 6^th in Long Form Impromptu and Rhetorical Criticism; and McKenzie Terwillegar, placed 6^th in Programmed Oral Interpretation, all making it to finals.

The team stepped up their game the following weekend, competing in Akron, Ohio. The following team members made it to finals: Kirk Longuski placed 3^rd in Impromptu, 4^th in Extemporaneous Speaking and 5^th in After Dinner Speaking; Cherell Granger placed 2^nd in Impromptu, Persuasion, and Rhetorical Criticism; Joshua Gammon placed 3^rd in Extemporaneous Speaking and 4^th in Rhetorical Criticism and Persuasion; and McKenzie Terwillegar placed 2^nd in Programmed Oral Interpretation, 3^rd in Rhetorical Criticism, and 5^th in Extemporaneous Speaking. There were also two top individual speaker awards won by team members Cherell Granger (2^nd place) and Kirk Longuski, (5^th place).

The group returned the next day to even better results, with all team members making it to finals once again. Cherell Granger had one of the best competitions of her speech career, placing 1^st in Persuasion, 2^nd in Rhetorical Criticism, and 5^th in Impromptu. Kirk Longuski placed 2^nd in Impromptu, 5^th in Persuasion, After Dinner Speaking, and Extemporaneous Speaking, and 6^th in Informative. Joshua Gammon placed 3^rd in Extemporaneous Speaking, 5^th in Informative, and 6^th in Persuasion and Rhetorical Criticism. McKenzie Terwillegar placed 2^nd in Programmed Oral Interpretation, 3^rd in Rhetorical Criticism, and 4^th in Extemporaneous Speaking. The team also swept individual top speaker awards, with Cherell Granger taking 1^st place, as highest point earner of the tournament, Kirk Longuski taking 2^nd place, McKenzie Terwillegar taking 3^rd place, and Joshua Gammon taking 4^th place.

The Timberwolves will head out once again in December to compete at the Fall Michigan Intercollegiate Speech League tournament hosted by Oakland University, in Detroit, Michigan.