SAC Speech Team Shines at Nationals, Brings Home Gold and Silver

The San Antonio College Speech Team has once again proven that powerfulvoices rise from the Alamo City. After six days of high-stakes competition at the 2025 Phi Rho Pi National Speech Tournament in Norfolk, Virginia, SAC walked away with Gold in Individual Events Sweepstakes and Silver in Overall Sweepstakes, competing against 52 colleges from across the country.

Led by coaches Justin Blacklock and Dillon McCoy, the team brought three students to the national stage: Sallie Urdialez, Alexa Palma, and Claire Lewis — each of whom earned national recognition in their respective events.

“Working with these three this year was an incredible experience,” said Blacklock, who has coached competitive speech for more than 15 years — 10 of those at SAC.

“This is a year I will always remember. Each of these ladies brought something truly unique to the team.” 

Student Highlights and Awards:

Sallie Urdialez 
Gold – After Dinner Speaking (Speech to Entertain)
GamerGate 2.0 – The Rise of Alt Right Misogyny in Gaming

Silver – Prose Interpretation
“The Containment Store” by Trevor Mackesy – A story about family trauma and mental health.

Alexa Palma
Bronze – Informative Speaking
Deathbots: The Digital Afterlife Industry

Claire Lewis
Bronze – Communication Analysis (Rhetorical Criticism)
Synthetic AI in Media: A Threat to American Democracy

Team Awards:
Gold – Individual Events School Sweepstakes
Silver – Overall School Sweepstakes

Blacklock emphasized the distinctive strengths each student brought to the team.

“Claire was our newest member — she only joined in December — but you wouldn’t know it by watching her perform,” he said. “She was the quickest to learn and one of the hardest workers I’ve ever coached. By her second tournament, you would’ve thought she’d been doing this for years.”

“Alexa was, without a doubt, our most improved competitor,” Blacklock added. “She was scouted from one of Professor McCoy’s Intro to Speech classes and had never competed before. But in just a few months, she was placing in the top three at major tournaments. Her intellect and discipline are remarkable.”

“And then there’s Sallie, who came to us with the most experience, having competed for Judson High School, and brought with her an undeniable talent for both public speaking and performance. This year, she grew tremendously in both skill and leadership. She naturally stepped into the role of team captain — even team mom — always checking on her teammates and keeping spirits high during long tournament weekends.”

Throughout the competition, the team not only showcased technical talent and storytelling prowess but also built lasting connections with peers and coaches from around the country — an important tradition of the Phi Rho Pi community.

“To say that I’m proud of these three is an understatement,” said Blacklock. “And the best part? All three are returning next year. We’re already looking forward to building on this incredible momentum.”

Congratulations to our Speech Team for another historic showing — and for continuing to make San Antonio College proud!

- SAC - 

Photo caption: Left to right — Alexa Palma, Sallie Urdialez, Claire Lewis