The Arguing Bucs Seize the National Crown on Home Turf

It was a bittersweet victory for the members of Whitworth’s forensics team as they walked away national champions on their own campus last weekend.

The Arguing Bucs won the National Christian College Forensics Association’s (NCCFA) tournament, which was held at Whitworth March 27-29. The team took first place in debate, second place in speech and first in combined sweepstakes. 

The competition was fierce. Fourteen teams from 13 states participated, including California Baptist University, Colorado Christian University and Grand Canyon University. 

Whitworth’s Minase Legesse ’26 was the top overall competitor out of nearly 140 students. In the speech category, he took first place in programmed oral interpretation and after-dinner speaking and second in the impromptu category. He also went on to win the open division in debate. He and his partner, Ahmed Amir ’26, took second place in the duo interpretation category. There were also several other top-10 finishers among Arguing Bucs team members. 

The team wanted to capture this national title in honor of their coach, Professor of Communication Studies Mike Ingram, Ph.D., who will retire this semester.  

“Early in the season, our team set a big goal to win the Christian colleges national championship as a way to honor head coach Dr. Mike Ingram,” says Rylee Walter ’19, assistant director of forensics. “Our students worked diligently all season with this goal in mind, so our win was a very emotional and sentimental achievement!” 

Ingram has coached the team for 24 of his 38 years at Whitworth and has led the team to 11 victories in 15 appearances at the NCFFA tournament.

“It was especially satisfying to win this tournament at home and in my final year of coaching,” Ingram says. “This team has worked hard all year, and I am proud of their excellent work."

The Arguing Bucs are headed to Tennessee, where they will compete in the International Public Debate Association’s national tournament at Middle Tennessee State University on April 10-13.

About Whitworth University:

Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private Christian liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian church. The university, which has an enrollment of about 2,500 students, offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. 

Contacts: 

Trisha Coder, associate director of media relations, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or tcoder@whitworth.edu.