TCU Speech and Debate concluded our 2025-2026 season at the Pi Kappa Delta national tournament in Springfield, Missouri. The team finished 9th in the nation for combined team sweepstakes and our Reader’s Theater team won Top Superior!🐸🗣️
Ellie Griffin
Podcasting - Top Superior
ADS - Superior
Impromptu - Excellent
Interviewing - Excellent
Ariana Leblanc
Podcasting - Superior
Student Scholarship - Superior
Interviewing - Excellent
Open IPDA - Excellent
Natalie Pelan
Student Scholarship - Top Superior
Podcasting - Top Superior
Extemporaneous - Excellent
Open IDPA - Excellent
Persuasive - Excellent
Communication Analysis - Excellent
Daniel Mitchell
Open IPDA Speaker - 3rd Place
Open IPDA - Octofinalist
Impromptu - Excellent
Extemporaneous— Excellent
Casey Caldwell
Novice IPDA - Octofinalist
Tyla Robinson
Novice IPDA - Excellent
POI - Excellent
"Why are we the only ones having fun?"
As we close out this month, TCU’s Pi Kappa Delta chapter is celebrating 100 years of speech and debate, and what a milestone it’s been. From reviving a program dormant for decades to achieving national championships, our Horned Frogs continue to carry forward a legacy of bold ideas, civic engagement and leadership.
Special shoutout to Dr. Amorette Hinderaker, Team President Ellie Griffin, and Vice President Natalie Pelan for guiding the team through a historic centennial year filled with growth, national recognition and unforgettable experiences.
Full story is linked in our bio!
Celebrating our seniors this Sunday!!! Thank you to our 3 seniors as we enter their final tournament week. We know you will do amazing things!!!
Ellie Griffin, Team President
Major: Theatre and Journalism
Favorite Event: After Dinner Speaking
Favorite Memory: Watching the team do yoga in the Memphis airport
Arianna Leblanc
Major: Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics
Favorite Event: Persuasion
Favorite Memory: Making it to semifinals at nationals in debate after barely breaking all season!
Natalie Pelan, Team Vice President
Major: Political Science and Communication Studies
Favorite Event: Editorial Impromptu
Favorite Memory: Watching the team try to change the van tire
TCU Speech and Debate had an excellent weekend at OIFA in Tulsa, Oklahoma! Thanks so much to TCC for hosting!
1st Place IE Sweepstakes🥇
1st Place Debate Sweepstakes 🥇
1st Place Team Sweepstakes🥇
Ellie Griffin:
After Dinner Speaking - 1st Place🥇
Impromptu Speaking - 1st Place🥇
Dramatic Interpretation - 4th Place
Landon Peugh:
Open IPDA - Quarterfinalist
Duo Interpretation - 1st Place🥇
Natalie Pelan:
Open IPDA- Finalist
Communication Analysis - 1st Place🥇
Persuasive Speaking - 1st Place🥇
Extemporaneous Speaking - 2nd Place🥈
Impromptu Speaking - 2nd Place🥈
Oliver Roberts:
Duo Interpretation - 4th Place
Casey Caldwell:
Duo Interpretation - 1st Place🥇
After Dinner Speaking - 5th Place
Daniel Mitchell:
Open IPDA - Quarterfinalist
Extemporaneous Speaking - 1st Place🥇
Impromptu Speaking - 3rd Place🥉
Duo Interpretation- 4th Place
Ellington Holkmann:
Novice IPDA - Champion🥇
Tyla Robinson:
Poetry Interpretation - 1st Place🥇
POI - 1st Place 🥇
After Dinner Speaking - 3rd Place🥉
The TCU Speech & Debate Team travelled to Tulsa, Oklahoma last weekend to compete at the Border Wars Swing at Tulsa Community College. Team members achieved many honors, including a third place team finish with just eight students competing from TCU.
We had an awesome weekend hosting the DFW Swing on our very own campus with @comet.speech . A huge thanks to our coaches, team members, and volunteers who kept this tournament running!!!
Day 1-2:
Alex Gaskell:
POI - 4th Place
Ellington Holkmann:
Novice IPDA - Champion🥇
After Dinner Speaking - 6th Place
Happy Herman:
Varsity IPDA - Quarterfinalist
Tyla Robinson:
POI - 3rd Place🥉
Poetry - 4th Place
After Dinner Speaking - 5th Place
Novice Debate Speaker - 6th Place
Day 3:
Alex Gaskell:
Impromptu Speaking - 6th Place
Arianna Leblanc:
Persuasive Speaking - 4th Place
Landon Peugh:
Prose - 3rd Place🥉
After Dinner Speaking - 3rd Place🥉
Communication Analysis - 3rd Place🥉
Natalie Pelan:
Communication Analysis - 1st Place 🥇
Impromptu Speaking - 1st Place 🥇
Extemporaneous Speaking - 6th Place
Oliver Roberts:
Informative Speaking - 2nd Place🥈
Tyla Robinson:
Poetry - 2nd Place🥈
POI - 2nd Place🥈
Tulsa 🔜
TCU Speech & Debate had a great first weekend of the season at the Hub City Swing in Hattiesburg, Mississippi! Thanks so much to USM for hosting and congrats to all of our new members for completing their first tournament!
2nd Place Team Individual Events🥈
5th Place Combined Sweepstakes
Arianna Leblanc:
Persuasive Speaking - 2nd Place🥈
Editorial Impromptu - 6th Place
Casey Caldwell:
After Dinner Speaking - 2nd Place🥈
Top Novice - After Dinner Speaking
Daniel Mitchell:
Varsity IPDA - 2nd Place🥈
Editorial Impromptu - 2nd Place🥈
Extemporaneous Speaking - 4th Place
Combined Speech & Debate Sweeps - 2nd Place🥈
Varsity IPDA Speaker - 3rd Place 🥉
Top Novice - Extemporaneous, Impromptu, Editorial Impromptu
Ellie Griffin:
Dramatic Interpretation - 2nd Place🥈
Ellington Holkmann:
After Dinner Speaking - 6th Place
Natalie Pelan:
Communication Analysis - 1st Place🥇
Editorial Impromptu - 4th Place
Combined Speech & Debate Sweeps - 3rd Place🥉
Oliver Roberts:
Editorial Impromptu - 5th Place
Tyla Robinson:
After Dinner Speaking - 4th Place
