C. Falls wins first tournament

Defending Class A state champions Columbia Falls started their speech and debate season with a bang Saturday with a first-place finish at the Polson Invitational Speech, Debate and Drama Tournament.

The team ended the tournament with 71 points and three individual events champions. Keri Potter, Stephanie Christensen and Chance Morine all took first in their events.

“It felt good to get the season under way,” head coach Tara Norick said. “We have a lot of room for improvement and will be working hard this week.”

Every Whitefish competitor at the tournament was brand new to speech and debate, head coach Gary Carmichael said. One competitor, Emily Morison, made it to finals.

Only two Class B schools competed at the tournament, Bigfork and Loyola Sacred Heart from Missoula. Predictably Loyola, which has won 27 consecutive state championships, was the Class B winner, with 155 points. Bigfork finished the meet with 11 points.

Bigfork head coach Charlie Appleby was pleased with his team’s results.

“We only brought 11 kids, so just a small group,” he said. “And seven of them were brand new [to speech and debate]. We had a lot of fun, though.”

Bigfork is the only local school to compete in drama events. Two of its competitors, Seth Anderson and Rebecca Sewell, made it to finals — an impressive feat considering both are speech and debate novices, Appleby said.

Junior varsity squads from Glacier and Flathead high schools competed at the tournament as well. Glacier managed to defeat its crosstown rival by one point in the Class AA sweepstakes. The Wolfpack finished with 32 points, the Braves, 31.

“I am very pleased with our results in Polson,” head coach Greg Adkins said. “Those kids in Polson competed against some of the best competition in the West.”

Results from Flathead High School were unavailable at press time Sunday.

Individual local results are as follows:

n Lincoln-Douglas Debate — 5. Ariel Ramstad, Columbia Falls; 6. Kaitlin Barnes, Columbia Falls

n Humorous Oral Interpretation — 1. Jacob Sefcak, Bigfork; 2. Hannah Brinton, Columbia Falls; 4. Emily Morison, Whitefish; 6. Zoe Gaiser, Bigfork; 7. Demaris Gemmer, Glacier; 8. Draylen Askvig, Glacier

n Serious Oral Interpretation — 1. Keri Potter, Columbia Falls; 5. Kelsey Reese, Columbia Falls; 6. Aiyana Martino, Glacier

n Memorized Public Address — 1. Kaitlyn Turner, Glacier; 4. Stephanie Christensen, Columbia Falls; 6. Blake Ladenburg, Columbia Falls; 7. Nathan Trinatstich, Columbia Falls

n Expository Speaking — 3. Sonya Brosten, Glacier, and Leah Cook, Glacier (tie); 7. Sarah Christensen, Glacier; 8. Cassidy Madison, Glacier

n Original Oratory — 1. Stephanie Christensen, Columbia Falls; 5. Angela Merrill, Glacier; 6. Yeo Chung, Columbia Falls; 7. Deirdra Sago, Columbia Falls

n Extemporaneous Speaking — 5. Jesse Flickinger, Columbia Falls; 6. Marissa Getts, Columbia Falls; 7. Anna Deleray, Glacier

n Impromptu Speaking — 1. Chance Morine, Columbia Falls; 3. Jesse Flickinger, Columbia Falls; 4. Marissa Getts, Columbia Falls; 7. Danika Martin, Glacier

n Humorous Solo — 3. Gwendolyn Fratt, Bigfork; 5. Seth Anderson, Bigfork; 7. Rebecca Sewell, Bigfork