Carroll College Forensics Team Secures 20 Awards
The Talking Saints forensics team earned top honors at recent tournaments held in Canada and Oregon.
Updated on Oct. 16, 2026 in Rodeo
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The Carroll College Talking Saints forensics team earned 20 total awards across two major competitions. The team achieved success at tournaments held in Calgary, Alberta, and Portland, Oregon.
Why it matters
These achievements reflect the competitive strength of the Carroll College forensics program on both international and regional stages. Consistent performance across diverse speech and debate events highlights the depth of the student roster.
The team secured 18 awards at the Steve Hunt Classic in Portland, where six upperclass students participated. Additionally, nine first-year students competed at the Fall Open in Calgary.
The players
Emilio Rodriguez-Holloway
He is a member of the Talking Saints forensics team who reached the debate championship round in Calgary.
Jude Sherman
He is a Talking Saints student competitor who reached the BP debate championship round.
Kate Wilkins
She is a student who qualified for national forensics competition during the Steve Hunt Classic.
The details
At the Fall Open in Calgary, Emilio Rodriguez-Holloway and Jude Sherman reached the championship round in BP debate, with Rodriguez-Holloway named top speaker. Meanwhile, all six students attending the Steve Hunt Classic in Portland won awards, including Kate Wilkins who qualified for nationals.
Timeline
September 20, 2026: Rodriguez-Holloway and Sherman won the Carroll Teaching Tournament.
October 10-11, 2026: First-year students competed at the Fall Open in Calgary.
October 11, 2026: Upperclass students competed at the Steve Hunt Classic.
Season Trajectory
This performance reinforces the Talking Saints program as a primary contender in regional and international circuits. The success across multiple age groups suggests a strong developmental pipeline for upcoming national events.
Kate Wilkins has successfully secured a qualification for the national tournament. The program demonstrated its competitive versatility by placing students in both high-level debate rounds and individual speech events.
The takeaway
Student success in competitive speech and debate provides valuable experience in critical thinking and public performance. These tournaments serve as essential preparation for larger national competitions throughout the academic year.
Further reading
For more updates on local competitive teams, see the Rodeo section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Independent Record.
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