Bigfork High School takes second at state speech, debate, drama meet

Bigfork Eagle

The Bigfork High School speech, debate and drama team captured second place at the state tournament last weekend in Glasgow, Mont.

Danny McVay was the state champion in impromptu speaking, a division in which the competitors are given a speech topic a few minutes before the event and must come up with a speech.

Bigfork also had two individual second-places. Madeline Lorang was state runner up in memorized public address, and Mielle Hubbard was state runner up in expository speaking.

Hubbard and Lorang were favorites going into the state tournament and both took second by only a few points. Lorang won the event last year and is a four-time divisional champion. Hubbard was the favorite going into to the meet as a divisional champion who had beaten most of the competition at earlier meets this year.

“We had a ‘good news, bad news’ type of weekend on Glasgow,” coach Charlie Appleby said. “While we are very happy that Danny won an individual state championship and we are pleased to have taken second in the state to Loyola again, we had a few seniors fall just short of their championship dreams.”

Alex Hider was on a four-meet winning streak, including a first in divisionals, but lost to a Loyola debater who she had beaten twice before in semifinals.  

“In the end, though, two second-places and a fourth-place finish for those seniors is really special,” Appleby said. “We will proudly place our divisional championship trophy and our state second-place trophy in the case, though!”

Appleby added that there is good news for the program going forward, as two sophomores made it to finals. Shannon Frizzell placed third in original oratory and Sierra Curtis finished eighth in original oratory.

Bigfork brings a top-level team each year to speech, debate and drama, and Appleby said with seven seniors graduating, “We have a lot of recruiting to do. We are losing a lot of experience and graduating two state champions.”  

Results from the 2014 state championship in speech, debate and drama:

Danny McVay, state champion in impromptu speaking

Madeline Lorang, state runner up memorized public address

Mielle Hubbard, state runner up, expository speaking

Shannon Frizzell, third place, original oratory

Alexandra Hider, 4th place, Lincoln-Douglas debate

Gunnar Boose, 5th place, extemporaneous speaking

Sierra Curtis, 8th place, original oratory