VCSU Students Qualify for National Speech Competition

Grady Hornung and Anastasia Weber to represent Valley City State University at national tournament in Portland.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 9:20pm by Ben Kaplan

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Two students from Valley City State University, Grady Hornung and Anastasia Weber, have qualified to compete in the national collegiate speech tournament in Portland, Oregon on April 3. Hornung, a senior, will compete in Dramatic Interpretation and Prose, while Weber, a sophomore, will compete in Persuasive Speaking.

Why it matters

Competitive speech is an important extracurricular activity that helps college students develop critical communication skills essential for the workforce. VCSU's speech team has seen significant growth this season after a nearly 20-year hiatus, demonstrating the university's commitment to providing students with opportunities to hone these valuable skills.

The details

Hornung, a music education major, is active on campus in Residence Life and this will be his second year competing at the national tournament. Weber, an English major, is part of the award-winning Forge publication and this is her first year competing with the VCSU team. During the 2025-2026 school year, 11 VCSU speech team members competed in 11 tournaments across North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota.

  • The national collegiate speech tournament will take place on April 3, 2026 in Portland, Oregon.
  • Hornung and Weber qualified for the national competition earlier this year.

The players

Grady Hornung

A senior at Valley City State University majoring in music education. He will compete in Dramatic Interpretation and Prose at the national speech tournament.

Anastasia Weber

A sophomore at Valley City State University majoring in English. She will compete in Persuasive Speaking at the national speech tournament.

Tammy Jo A. Taft

Assistant professor of Communication Arts and VCSU speech team coach.

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What they’re saying

“I enjoy the opportunities speech and debate gives students to use their voice and advocate for something they feel is important.”

— Grady Hornung, VCSU Student

“Speech allows me to share about things important to me. It pushes me out of my comfort zone and offers opportunities to meet many awesome people. These are lifelong skills essential to the workforce.”

— Anastasia Weber, VCSU Student

“Competitive speech is one of the most workforce-driven extracurricular events offered for college students. Speech is a critical communication skill that our students get to hone as a strength through practice, competition and camaraderie.”

— Tammy Jo A. Taft, Assistant Professor of Communication Arts and VCSU Speech Team Coach

What’s next

The national collegiate speech tournament will take place on April 3, 2026 in Portland, Oregon, where Grady Hornung and Anastasia Weber will represent Valley City State University.

The takeaway

VCSU's speech team has made a strong comeback after a nearly 20-year hiatus, demonstrating the university's commitment to providing students with opportunities to develop critical communication skills that are essential for success in the workforce.