DeKALB | The NIU Forensics Team participated in the National Individual Events Tournament this past weekend.

The American Forensic Association-sponsored tournament, held in Mankato, Minn., featured the top-rated orators in the nation.

Though no NIU competitor cracked the top 25, coach Judy Santacaterina was proud of the team’s collective effort.

“It was a very difficult process in order to qualify for the tournament,” Santacaterina said. “Think of it like the NCAA Basketball Tournament – it’s an honor just to get in.”

Kerri Simons, a sophomore Spanish language and literature major, just missed placing in the top 25, which would have qualified her for the quarterfinal round.

“I did the best I could,” Simons said. “I’m happy with how I did and it was what I expected.”

Though the team didn’t finish on top, Santacaterina was honored at the tournament with an award for her 25 years of service to forensics.

“I’ve been doing this a long time, and this year was really special,” she said. “You would think that after 25 years you would get a bit jaded and tired, but they were such a delightful group of kids. Their enthusiasm just rekindled my joy of coaching.”