C. Falls continues winning season in Ronan

by The Daily Inter Lake
| January 17, 2011 2:00 AM

Columbia Falls High School continued its undefeated speech and debate season by dominating the Ronan Invitational on Saturday.

Columbia Falls finished the weekend with 130 points, far outdistancing second-place Stevensville’s 44 points. Hamilton finished in third place, and Polson came in fourth.

“With five first-place finishes and a solid showing by our debaters, we had a well-balanced victory in Ronan against seasoned competition,” Columbia Falls head coach Tara Norick said.

In Class A drama, Corvallis claimed top honors, followed by Polson, Ronan and Hamilton.

Only two Class B schools competed in Ronan, Bigfork and Loyola Sacred Heart. The Missoula school does not compete in drama; Bigfork therefore claimed the Class B title in those events. Loyola won the Class B speech meet.

Local teams compete next weekend in divisional tournaments to determine which competitors will qualify for state. Libby hosts the Northwest Class A Divisional Tournament; Bigfork will host the Northern B-C meet.

Local results from the Ronan Invitational are as follows:

• Policy Debate — 1. Logan Nutzman and Kelsey Koberg, Polson; 2. Becky Griffith and Mason Gedlaman, Columbia Falls; 5. Shelby Greene and Wolfie Dailing, Columbia Falls; 6. Eric DeLay and Reed Hovenkotter, Polson; 7. Mary Allison and Allison Foust, Columbia Falls

• Lincoln-Douglas Debate — 4. Kaitlin Barnes, Columbia Falls; 5. Ariel Ramstad, Columbia Falls; 6. Kevin Kuper, Columbia Falls

• Extemporaneous Speaking — 3. Jesse Flickinger, Columbia Falls; 8. Marissa Getts, Columbia Falls

• Impromptu Speaking — 1. Jesse Flickinger, Columbia Falls; 5. Marissa Getts, Columbia Falls; 6. Chance Morine, Columbia Falls

• Original Oratory — 1. Jinise Osborne, Columbia Falls; 2. Natalie Law, Columbia Falls; 5. Deirdra Sago, Columbia Falls; 8. Stephanie Christensen, Columbia Falls

• Expository Speaking — 1. Keri Potter, Columbia Falls; 2. Jennifer Jurva, Columbia Falls; 3. Casey Bauer, Columbia Falls; 5. Kate Donner, Columbia Falls

• Memorized Public Address — 1. Blake Ladenburg, Columbia Falls; 2. Stephanie Christensen, Columbia Falls; 4. Maddie Lorang, Bigfork; 7. Nathan Trinastich, Columbia Falls

• Humorous Oral Interpretation — 4. Zoe Gaiser, Bigfork; 6. Ashley Carlson, Columbia Falls; 7. Hannah Brinton, Columbia Falls

• Serious Oral Interpretation — 1. Keri Potter, Columbia Falls

• Humorous Duo — 4. Delaney Kohler and Jerry Wachel, Polson; 5. Nation Garza and Krysta Seville, Polson

• Serious Duo — 4. Becca Sewell and Amber McDaniel, Bigfork; 5. Isak Petersen and Jarrod Plant, Polson

• Classical Duo — 3. Laura Barta and Sydney Gambrel, Polson; 4. Isaac Reichner and Olivia Witt, Bigfork

• Humorous Solo — 3. Delaney Kohler, Polson; 4. James Vale, Bigfork; 8. Emmy Driscoll, Polson

• Serious Solo — 2. Nation Garza, Polson; 5. Amber McDaniel, Bigfork

• Pantomime — 1. Sierra Pete, Polson; 5. Larissa Hanson, Polson