Col. Falls pursuing fifth straight speech title

If last weekend’s divisional tournament is any indication, Columbia Falls High School’s speech and debate team isn’t feeling much pressure as it pursues a fifth straight Class A state title.

At the Northwest divisional meet in Whitefish, Columbia Falls swept the top three spots in all seven speech events, an unprecedented feat in head coach Michael Christensen’s 21 years at the helm. Winning five state championships in a row would be another first; no Class A team has won that many consecutive titles.

But Christensen has urged his team not to think about the legacy at the Class A state championship in Corvallis today and Saturday.

“What we’re trying to achieve is what we try to achieve every year. If we win state this year, the championship belongs to this group of kids, and this group of kids is not last year’s group,” Christensen said. “It’s an entirely different dynamic each year for us.”

This year’s dynamic has been good to Columbia Falls.

The team’s only losses this year have come to Loyola Sacred Heart, the Class B high school that has held the state title in its classification for more than two decades. No Class A team has defeated Columbia Falls.

But that doesn’t mean the team expects an easy victory this weekend, Christensen said.

The team’s biggest challenge at the state meet could come from Whitefish, which Columbia Falls hasn’t bested in debate all season. Josh Schott has four Lincoln-Douglas Debate wins this season and Whitefish’s top Policy Debate team, Jack Hyer and Joe Mazur, won three tournaments, including divisionals last weekend.

However, half the divisional champion team is sidelined for the state tournament.

Hyer will be replaced by Matt Danczyk, who was part of the fourth-place Policy Debate team at divisionals. The other Policy debater, Carl Kohnstamm, will get a new partner, Derek Janni, who competed in Lincoln-Douglas Debate all season but has two years’ experience in Policy Debate.

The last-minute change has added stress for those four competitors, but Whitefish head coach Pat McLaughlin was hopeful they could handle it.

“It’s going to be intense, but I think some of these kids thrive on that energy,” she said.

The shuffle adds a challenge to a team that has struggled all season with consistency. Illness, college prep tests and other events have conflicted with speech meets all season, and Whitefish was rarely able to field a full team.

The numbers could make a repeat of last year’s second-place performance difficult, McLaughlin said.

“This year, our expectations aren’t that high. Our hope is that our kids who have been consistent would do as well and surprise us by the end of the day on Saturday,” she said. “I like surprises on the good side.”

She also was hopeful that her speakers had used this week to tweak their speeches one last time.

Judges at the divisional meet offered the same comments McLaughlin has given her team members all season, she said; if the students listen to the comments, they will be better prepared for state.

The suggestions cover everything from passion to voice to organization to memorization, McLaughlin said.

“To me, those are the things that can change the position” in the crucial final round, she said.

If students make the adjustments, “maybe we can just really do something special before state,” she added.

Christensen’s team likewise spent the last week before state in frantic final preparation. Similar efforts have paid off all season, and Christensen was confident hard work would serve his team well in Corvallis.

“We try to be the best that we can be,” he said. “If we are, they’re going to give us a shiny trophy at the end of the day.”

Three of his team members are double divisional champions.

Stephanie Christensen, his daughter, took first in Original Oratory and Memorized Public Address. Jon Riffey is the divisional champ in Impromptu and Extemporaneous speaking. Keri Potter took first last weekend in Expository Speaking and Serious Oral Interpretation.

Their biggest competition at state may be from their own teammates. That has been the case all season long, Christensen said.

“If one doesn’t win it, I believe the other has every opportunity to,” he said.

If the team wins the Class A title, it will be Christensen’s 10th championship at Columbia Falls. The first came in 1995; that team remains Christensen’s favorite in more than two decades as a coach. Next in line for his affection is the 2006 state championship team, which put up a record number of points at the state meet.

This year’s team “ranks right behind those two,” Christensen said. “They’re one of the finest groups I’ve worked with. I’m really proud of them.”

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