Speech team takes top spot for Class A-C in Great Falls

The Columbia Falls speech and debate team ran into some tough competition at the Great Falls Uptown Optimist Speech and Debate Tournament on Nov. 11-12.

None of the Wildcat speakers made it to the winners podium, but the team did take first in points of the three schools in Class A, B and C. The Cats were up against 14 AA schools.

Meredith Stolte was the top placer for the team, taking eighth in oratory.

"We appreciate the strong level of competition at AA tournaments, as it really motivates us as a team to work harder," coach Tara Norick said. "This was an opportunity for our freshmen and sophomores to learn to manage their energy with competition spread over two days in the same format as our state tournament."

The Cats have more challenges ahead. They have two more AA tournaments on the schedule, with a meet in Kalispell this weekend.

"I was very pleased with the performance of our team, with 13 in semis and one in finals in speech and a novice policy debate team in the finals debate," Norick said.

Varsity Lincoln-Douglas debate

12th - Wolfie Dailing

14th - Kaitlin Barnes

Novice policy debate

2nd- Ada Brooks and Colter Norick

Impromptu

12th - Mason Gedlaman

Memorized

public address

13th - Olivia Ramstad

15th - Jinise Osborne

16th - Tristin Hennessey

Oratory

8th - Meredith Stolte

15th - Natalie Law

16th - Casey Shea

Extemporaneous

16th - Chance Morine

Humorous oral

interpretation

14th - Lexi Brunz

16th - Caylub Moon

Expository

9th - Baylee Brinton

10th - Yeo Chung

14th - Casey Bauer