C. Falls wins home tournament

A four-week holiday hiatus didn’t seem to harm Columbia Falls High School’s speech and debate squad, which won its home tournament on Saturday.

The team finished the Columbia Falls Invitational with 139 points, followed by Whitefish High School’s 88 points. Stevensville finished in third place.

Three first-place finishes helped propel Columbia Falls to the top of the sweeps competition. Two Whitefish debate squads dominated their events. Flathead High School, the only Class AA team at the meet, secured one first-place slot, as did Class B Bigfork, which won the Class B tournament.

Bigfork finished first in the weekend’s Class B drama tournament. Polson took home Class A drama honors, followed by second-place Libby.

Local Class A and B teams’ next tournament is Saturday at the Bigfork Invitational, their last meet before the divisional tournament Jan. 23.

Class AA teams compete Friday and Saturday in Billings at the Magic City Olympiad. It will be Flathead and Glacier high schools’ final meet before the state tournament Jan. 29 and 30.

Local results from the Columbia Falls Invitational are:

Speech and debate events

n Lincoln-Douglas Debate — 1. Josh Schott, Whitefish; 2. Tanner Conrad, Whitefish; 5. Emily Stoick, Flathead; 6. Hannah Wilson, Flathead; 7. Logan Nutzman, Polson; 8. Kaitlin Barnes, Columbia Falls

n Policy Debate — 1. Joe Mazur and Jack Hyer, Whitefish; 2. Matt Danczyk and Carl Kohnstamm, Whitefish; 4. Marissa Getts and Ariel Ramstad, Columbia Falls; 5. Ellie Anderson and Kate Lapp, Flathead; 8. Aaron Gales and Philip Gales, Columbia Falls

n Memorized Public Address — 1. Kayla Carlson, Bigfork; 2, Accacia Gardner, Flathead; 3. Stephanie Christensen, Columbia Falls; 4. Melissa Carr, Columbia Falls; 5. John Joern, Whitefish; 6. Megan Larson, Flathead; 7. Ilene Terry, Flathead

n Serious Oral Interpretation — 2. Candance Ward-Shears, Columbia Falls; 3. Ashley Carlson, Columbia Falls; 4. Keri Potter, Columbia Falls; 5. Dani Hardison, Browning; 6. Bailey Johnson, Eureka; 7. Kristie Henderson, Bigfork

n Humorous Oral Interpretation — 2. Hannah Brinton, Columbia Falls; 3. Laura Burgess, Columbia Falls; 4. Candance Ward-Shears, Columbia Falls; 5. Jarette Baker, Flathead; 6. Kyle Decker, Flathead; 7. Ashley Carlson, Columbia Falls; 8. Zoe Gaiser, Bigfork

n Expository Speaking — 1. Danielle Bowen, Flathead; 2. Keri Potter, Columbia Falls; 3. Kate Donner, Columbia Falls; 4. Jennifer Jurva, Columbia Falls; 8. Randy Rivas, Browning

n Extemporaneous Speaking — 1. Jon Riffey, Columbia Falls; 2. Hannah Anderson, Flathead; 3. Haley Hill, Whitefish; 4. Natalie Law, Columbia Falls; 5. Jon Alan Osborne, Flathead; 6. Jesse Flickinger, Columbia Falls; 7. John Joern, Whitefish; 8. Jason Ritchie, Flathead

n Original Oratory — 1. Stephanie Christensen, Columbia Falls; 2. Danielle Bowen, Flathead; 3. Shiloh Knudsen, Columbia Falls; 4. Laura Burgess, Columbia Falls; 6. Julie Peterman, Whitefish

n Impromptu Speaking — 1. Jesse Flickinger, Columbia Falls; 2. Jon Riffey, Columbia Falls; 4. Jon Alan Osborne, Flathead; 5. Cailey Philmon, Columbia Falls; 6. Chance Morine, Columbia Falls; 8. Josiah Begay, Columbia Falls

Drama events

n Pantomime — 2. Natalia Arlint, Polson; 3. John Vinion, Libby; 4. Larissa Hanson, Polson

n Serious Duo — 3. Jolee Holder and Miranda Rabb, Libby; 6. Kelsey Koberg and Josie Benedetti, Polson; 8. Sydney Gambrel and Molly Whitewater, Polson

n Humorous Duo — 2. Paige Bothman and Jason Schikora, Libby; 3. James Vale and Jacob Seftshock, Bigfork; 6. Molly Rickets and Rob Rickets, Polson; 7. Ernie Cottle and Kenny Patrick, Bigfork; 8. Tia Luciano and Nicole Short, Eureka

n Classical Duo — 1. Mike Wise and Elizabeth Rogers, Libby; 2. Laura Barta and Kelsey Koberg, Polson; 5. Nation Garza and Josie Benedetti, Polson; 7. Delany Kohler and Katelynn Morgenthaler, Polson

n Serious Solo — 2. Danielle Smith, Eureka; 3. Logan Garcia, Polson; 8. Amber McDaniel, Bigfork

n Humorous Solo — 1. Barbara Kenmile, Polson; 4. Danielle Smith, Eureka; 5. Gwendolyn Fratt, Bigfork; 6. Acadia Reynolds, Eureka; 8. Mike Wise, Libby