Talkin’ Broncos finish season with new national championship title

The Boise State Speech and Debate team added a new national championship title at the International Public Debate Association national tournament held April 10-13 at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Cadence Marang (junior, Nampa) went undefeated through 14 rounds of Public Debate to take the national championship in junior division. Marang's win marks the first time a Talkin' Bronco has won an IPDA national championship. The Talkin' Broncos were also recognized in IPDA season-long awards as one of the top four open division squads in the country across a field of 136 schools. Out of this season-long competitive pool, Allie Hampton (senior, Boise) was recognized with the third-place speaker award and Adam Pendergrass (junior, Nampa) was recognized with the seventh-place speaker award. In season-long conference awards, the Talkin' Broncos enjoyed their second-consecutive undefeated Northwest Forensics Conference season, with Hampton awarded the Northup Award for top 2025-2026 NFC competitor.

In Open Division Public Debate Ari Ashbury (sophomore, Idaho Falls), Bridget Gibson (junior, Boise), Hampton and Chloe Sellers (senior, Twin Falls) finished as octo-finalists, with Hampton receiving the fifth-place speaker award. In Junior Division, Marang was the tournament champion and received the second-place speaker award while Colby Bond (sophomore, Meridian) received the third-place speaker award. In Novice Division, Ben Hobbs (freshman, Caldwell) received the sixth-place speaker award.

In Team Public Debate, Sellers and Anthony Thomas (senior, Meridian) finished as quarterfinalists and Marang and Aleigh Holmes (freshman, Garden City) finished as octo-finalists.

The Talkin' Broncos finish their extraordinary 2025-2026 season with a second-consecutive undefeated conference year, their seventh PKD National Championship in Speech and Debate, and a new national championship title in IPDA. The Talkin' Broncos are supported in part through the generosity of the Jeker Family Trust. For more information about the Talkin' Broncos, contact Manda Hicks, director of forensics at Boise State at [email protected].

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