Speech team does well against AAs in Bozeman

Columbia Falls traveled to Bozeman High School for the biggest speech and debate tournament of the season. More than 800 competitors from all over the state - most from Class AA schools, came for an intense two-day matchup of words and wills.

The Wildcats brought 26 competitors to the meet, with several key seniors still missing in this third tournament of the season, going head-to-head against AA teams with nearly 100 members. Columbia Falls demonstrated their solid skills and had speakers and debaters advance to finals rounds in every event.

Although total team sweeps are battled out by class, individual competitions are mixed, so Wildcat speakers were matched up against top orators from the big schools. The team demonstrated once again the breadth of talent on the squad with placings in multiple events. Columbia Falls achieved 37.5 tournament points to place first in the Class ABC sweeps competition, with Whitefish garnering 11 points to take second.

“We are amazed with our team this season. We came into this tournament with very simple expectations: Observe, learn, practice. We really did not feel we would be progressing into out-rounds in multiple events. I am intensely proud of these kids and the extent of talent we are seeing this year,” Columbia Falls coach Tara Norick said.

Speech was led by Seniors Jordyn King taking fifth in memorized public address and Lizzy Olsen taking eighth in dramatic interpretation. Wildcat debaters scored points in all three debate events. Juniors Cassidy Norick and Kelsey Wright fought an extensive field of AA public form teams to take eighth out of 30 competitors. Freshmen Tre Finley and Callie Jo Johnson advanced to octa-finals in novice policy debate to finish in the top 16 and Ella Hutcheson and Ian McKenzie also finished in the top 16 for varsity policy debate.

In varsity Lincoln-Douglas debate, senior Gabrielle Merrill argued her way to a sixth place finish among 45 competitors in the varsity competition, and junior JJ Boles placed 16th in that category. Policy team debaters Danielle Schwalk and Shyane Williams pushed all the way to the semi-final round to place third behind two Bozeman top teams.

“This tournament really helped us demonstrate our strengths across multiple events,” Norick said. “And it allowed us to identify some areas to work on, of course. Next week we return to the Class A circuit with a trip to Loyola Sacred Heart in Missoula. Loyola has a strong team, and we are looking forward to the competition.”

Individual Results:

Varsity Policy Debate

3rd Shyane Williams & Danielle Schwalk

16th Ella Hutcheson & Ian McKenzie

Novice Policy Debate

12th Calie Jo Johnson & Tre Finley

Varsity LD Debate

6th Gabby Merrell

16th JJ Boles

PF Debate

8th Cassidy Norick & Kelsey Wright

MPA

5th Jordyn King

10th Emmalee Hellen

Dramatic Interp

8th Lizzy Olsen

Humorous Interp

9th Danielle Rosenbaum

14th Jacob Hohman

Informative

9th Jacob Hohman

Extemp

12th Noah Golan