MOORPARK : Forensic Team Wins 7th National Title

The Moorpark College Forensic Team has won its seventh national title in 22 tries in the weeklong Phi Rho Pi National Junior College Forensic championships, which concluded Friday night in Odessa, Tex.

The 14-member team captured nine gold, nine silver and 16 bronze medals to earn 232 points and edge out Orange Coast College of Orange County by 6 1/2 points. Pamela Bartholomew, a Simi Valley mother of two, won three gold medals and a bronze.

Last year, the team was third in the nationals. Since fielding a team in 1971, Moorpark College has placed first, second or third every year except one.

Moorpark hosted the state championship last month, winning for the 10th time. In the tournaments, students compete in events ranging from debate, prose interpretation, persuasive speaking, poetry reading and drama interpretation.

Other gold medal finishers from Moorpark were Lynette Minson and Ron Minson of Thousand Oaks; Jason Naddell, Brandi Shearer and Allison Jenkins of Simi Valley; and Rena Vanderheide of Newbury Park.