UA Student Wins National Poetry Interpretation Championship

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Tuscaloosa native Thaddeus Fitzpatrick can officially lay claim to The University of Alabama’s most recent national championship trophy.

The senior communication studies major brought home first place in Poetry Interpretation at the American Forensic Association-National Individual Events Tournament this month and also finished ninth in the individual sweepstakes out of 198 total students.

It marked back-to-back championships for Fitzpatrick, who was national champion in prose interpretation in 2012.

Fitzpatrick’s performance led the Alabama Forensic Council, UA’s speech and debate team, to its first top-5 finish in the AFA-NIET since 2006. The team finished fifth.

“This was a total team effort. Everyone associated with the team, from the students, graduate student coaches and UA administrators, brought us to this goal,” said Bobby Imbody, UA director of forensics. “These students and their accomplishments make me very proud.”

Full results are listed below:

5th Place Team Sweepstakes

Thaddeus Fitzpatrick, senior, Tuscaloosa

National champion, Poetry Interpretation
9th Place Individual Sweepstakes
4th place, Prose Interpretation (finalist)
8th place, Dramatic Interpretation
(semi-finalist)
17th place, Duo Interpretation with Taylor McDonald

Kalyn Lee, freshman, Hoover

19th place, Persuasive Speaking (quarter-finalist)

Collin Metcalf, junior, Cantonment, Fla.
4th place Extemporaneous Speaking (finalist)
9th place, Impromptu Speaking 
(semi-finalist)

Davis Vaughn, junior, Montgomery

19th place, Extemporaneous Speaking 
(quarter-finalist)
15th place, Persuasive Speaking (quarter-finalist)

Kevin Pabst, junior, Niceville, Fla.

19th place, Communication Analysis (quarter-finalist)

Taylor McDonald, senior, Prattville

4th place, Dramatic Interpretation (finalist)
7th place, Prose Interpretation
(semi-finalist)
17th place, Duo Interpretation with Thaddeus Fitzpatrick (quarter-finalist)