AFC Students Win Three Speech National Championships

Apr 8, 2021

Only two weeks after winning team national championships in speech and debate, student members of the Alabama Forensic Council (AFC) won three individual national championships at their most recent tournament, the American Forensics Association National Speech Tournament.

Emma Capitanelli won a national championship in informative speaking and was named to the All-American team. Anna Kutbay won a national championship in communication analysis and was named the overall individual sweepstakes national champion.

AFC brought home nearly 30 awards from this tournament. The awards are listed below:

All-American Team

Emma Capitanelli

After Dinner Speaking

Emma Capitanelli – 3rd Place

Anna Kutbay – Semifinalist

Cassidy Duncan – Quarterfinalist

Communication Analysis

Anna Kutbay – National Champion

Dramatic Interpretation

Cortland Stone – 3rd Place

Duo Interpretation

Cassidy Duncan & Sophie Akhtar – Semifinalists

Cortland Stone & Elizabeth Tagg – Quarterfinalists

Extemporaneous Speaking

Anna Kutbay – 2nd Place

Sandhu Aladuwaka – Quarterfinalist

Emma Capitanelli – Quarterfinalist

Impromptu Speaking

Anna Kutbay – 2nd Place

Sandhu Aladuwaka – Quarterfinalist

Informative Speaking

Emma Capitanelli – National Champion

Anna Kutbay – 3rd Place

Cassidy Duncan – Quarterfinalist

Persuasive Speaking

Anna Kutbay – 2nd Place

Emma Capitanelli – 6th Place

Sophie Akhtar – Quarterfinalist

Jessica Styres – Semifinalist

Poetry Interpretation

Cassidy Duncan – Quarterfinalist

Prose Interpretation

Cortland Stone – Semifinalist

Elizabeth Tagg – Quarterfinalist

Individual Sweepstakes

Anna Kutbay – National Champion

Emma Capitanelli – 5th Place

Cortland Stone – 14th Place

Cassidy Duncan – 20th Place

Team Sweepstakes

Alabama Forensic Council – 4th Place

The Alabama Forensic Council is The University of Alabama’s competitive speech team. As the oldest co-curricular organization on campus, the program aims to respect and build upon the successes of alumni and forge a path for current and future students. AFC provides students with skills and resources to engage in intellectual discovery, enable professional development, strengthen and utilize their unique voices, construct compelling messages, engage in interpersonal and rhetorical exploration, and foster community through advocacy and argumentation.