BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana State University Speech and Debate Team capped an exceptional national championship season with a strong showing at the National Forensics Association National Tournament, held April 16–20 at Tennessee State University in Nashville.
Competing against the nation’s top collegiate speech programs, LSU earned 2nd place in the Presidents I Division and 12th place overall in the Open Team Division, reflecting the team’s depth and sustained excellence across events.
LSU advanced multiple competitors into the tournament’s final elimination rounds. Landon Terro placed 7th in Program Oral Interpretation (POI) and added quarterfinal finishes in After Dinner Speaking (ADS) and Poetry Interpretation (POE). Cade Savoy placed 7th in Extemporaneous Speaking, along with quarterfinal appearances in Informative Speaking (INF) and Rhetorical Criticism (RC), and octafinals in Lincoln-Douglas debate and Persuasive Speaking.
Roan Guidry also earned a semifinal finish in Extemporaneous Speaking, in addition to advancing to quarterfinals in Duo Interpretation (with Landon Terro) and octafinals in Prose Interpretation and Program Oral Interpretation. Sam Theriot reached octafinals in Extemporaneous Speaking and Program Oral Interpretation and advanced in Duo Interpretation (with Roan Guidry). TJ Jones added a quarterfinal finish in Impromptu Speaking.
LSU’s success in interpretation events was further highlighted by multiple entries advancing in duo competition, including octafinal appearances for teams of Cade Savoy and Landon Terro, and Roan Guidry and Sam Theriot.
“The NFA National Tournament is one of the most competitive stages in collegiate forensics,” said the team’s director. “Our students demonstrated remarkable consistency and versatility across events. This performance reflects their dedication throughout the season and the strength of our program.”
The NFA National Tournament marked the final competition of the national championship season for LSU Speech & Debate, concluding a year that included multiple national titles, individual sweepstakes honors, and top team finishes across four major national tournaments.