One more state title

| January 28, 2007 1:00 AM

Flathead wins state speech

The Daily Inter Lake

Flathead High School dominated this year's AA state speech and debate tournament, chalking up its fifth-straight championship title Saturday.

And Columbia Falls handily defended its Class A state speech championship. (See story on Page A2).

With 187 points, Flathead easily defeated second-place finisher Bozeman High, whose final score was 108. It's Flathead's ninth championship in 10 years.

Flathead captured seven individual titles.

Seniors Mara Mercer and Treza Hirsch each won two events, a first in school history. Other first-place finishers included seniors Jesse Brenneman and Josh Kelly, and junior Larkin Lane.

"Absolutely amazing! What a great time for this team to peak," head coach Greg Adkins said. "Everyone contributed to the victory. It was truly an all-out effort."

More than 500 students from all 13 AA schools competed in this year's tournament, which was held at Flathead.

Billings Skyview, Missoula Sentinel and Helena High rounded out the top five, with 74.5, 52.5 and 49 points, respectively.

Individual results:

. Lincoln-Douglas Debate: 3. Cailin Rogers

. Legislative Debate: 2. Annika Heinle; 5. Victoria Zimmer; 7. Ian Twamley

. Memorized Public Address: 1. Mara Mercer; 8. Sara Hyde

. Original Oratory: 1. Mara Mercer; 2. Katy Allen-Schmid; 3. Gaelyn Moore; 5. Evan Fricke

. Expository: 1. Larkin Lane; 2. Bethany Denton; 4. Katie Seidel; 8. Olivia Heinle

. Impromptu: 1. Treza Hirsch; 3. Neil Hilton; 4. Josh Henning

. Extemporaneous: 1. Treza Hirsch; 2. Neil Hilton; 3. Katie Hoag; 4. Dan Browne

. Humorous Oral Interpretation: 1. Jesse Brenneman; 2. Justin Mailman

. Serious Oral Interpretation: 1. Josh Kelly; 2. Ken Grinde; 8. Angie Foreman

. Duo Interpretation: 6. Ken Grinde and Jesse Brenneman