Local teams vie for state supremacy

Columbia Falls is hunting for its fourth-straight state title this weekend, but first it will have to get past Whitefish.

The two Flathead Valley schools are the primary contenders for the championship at the State Class A Speech, Debate and Drama Tournament in Butte today and Saturday. Columbia Falls is coming off victories at its last four tournaments, including the divisional tournament in Ronan last weekend.

The goal this weekend is another first-place finish, Columbia Falls head coach Michael Christensen said.

"If we were to win it, it will be our fourth-consecutive and eighth state title in the past 10 years," he said. "That's what we're aiming for."

Just as it has all season, Whitefish likely will be Columbia Falls' biggest competition at state, but Christensen also anticipates strong showings from Hamilton, Billings Central and Havre.

"Those are the five teams competing for the state championship," he said.

Whitefish hasn't yet squared off against Montana's eastern schools, head coach Pat McLaughlin said.

"We really don't know what they have in store for us," she said. "It's going to be a surprise, but I'm sure we will be ready."

While Whitefish's team isn't as large as other schools', it has strong competitors in several events, McLaughlin said.

"Whitefish will compete as well as it can to better current divisional champions in Policy Debate, Original Oratory" and Serious Oral Interpretation, she said. "We took second through fourth in Lincoln-Douglas and are prepared to hold down the Bulldog fort for those places and better at state."

Columbia Falls' strengths are in Impromptu Speaking, Expository Speaking and Humorous Oral Interpretation, Christensen said.

"We're strong in most of our speech events - frankly in all of them," he said.

But the team also has strong debaters. Patrick Ingham, who competes in Lincoln-Douglas Debate, has been a solid competitor all year, Christensen said, and the Policy Debate teams have improved steadily throughout the season.

"We hope to be competitive in all nine events," he said. "That's always been the key to winning state: a balanced team where you can get points from anywhere."

Bigfork High School, which finished third at the divisional meet, will compete in its last Class A state tournament this weekend. Because of declining enrollment, the district will drop down to Class B next fall.

"I am anticipating that our team has a good showing at state," head coach Charlie Appleby said. "Though I don't know if we will have any state champions or finish high as a team, we do have eight underclassmen going to state, and it will be great for them to compete at the A level."

Bigfork has had at least one individual state champion each year since Appleby started coaching four years ago, a streak he hopes will continue this year.

The team's best chance is in Humorous Duo, a drama event; the team of Jerry Gaiser and Jacob Sefcak has won more than one tournament this season. But competition in that event is fierce, Appleby said, and a state title won't be won easily.

Bigfork's divisional champion in Memorized Public Address, Kayla Carlson, also has a good chance at a state title, Appleby said.

Whatever happens at state, the team already is a success, he said. Bigfork has exceeded all the goals it set at the beginning of the season.

"This is all frosting on the cake," he said.

The state meet's first round begins at 3 p.m. today at Butte Central Catholic High School and Montana Tech. Finals are at 3 p.m. Saturday.

The tournament will conclude with an awards ceremony, scheduled for 5 p.m. Saturday in Butte Central's Maroon Activity Center.

Reporter Kristi Albertson may be reached at 758-4438 or by e-mail at kalbertson@dailyinterlake.com