Bigfork triumphs in divisional speech

 Bigfork High School brought home two divisional titles last weekend during the Montana Class B/C North Speech and Drama tournament Jan. 18 and 19.

 The Bigfork Vikings and Valkyries took first place in both speech and drama at the 16-school tournament. In speech the team racked up 87 points to Conrad’s second place finish of 31 points. In drama, Bigfork earned 70 points; Cut Bank was second with 67.

“I’m not sure if things could have gone better,” said head coach Charlie Appleby in an email to The Daily Inter Lake.

Bigfork will take 22 students to state Friday and Saturday at Huntley Project.

“The best part about our team this year is our diversity. We have kids in almost every event, which means that each group, or kid, has the chance to win,” Appleby said.

Bigfork is the only Class B team in Flathead County.

“[During] the early season we struggled, and all season we went up against A and AA schools with the intent to be ready for the B-C schools when it came to divisionals,” Appleby said. “It’s been a long road.”

Giving equal focus on both speech and drama has made a strong team, Appleby said. Last year at state, Bigfork placed second in drama and third place in speech overall.

“Usually schools focus on one or the other, Loyola [Sacred Heart High School] who wins each year in speech, doesn’t have a drama team. Some traditional drama powerhouses don’t have speech. We are truly diverse and balanced,” Appleby said.

Loyola is definitely Bigfork’s top competition in speech. Loyola is going for its 30th consecutive state title.

Now, Bigfork students are polishing each word statement and gesture, Appleby said.

“We are also practicing for the things that could go wrong at state. Time seems to go faster there, so we have kids with bailout points in their pieces in case their time is almost up, we look at comments from the whole season and find anything that we can make better,” Appleby said.

The top competitors going to state are three-time divisional champion Maddie Lorang, junior, in Memorized Public Address; Mielle Hubbard, junior, Expository; Olivia Witt and Camas Garnett, seniors, Humorous Duo and Alex Hider, junior, Lincoln Douglas Debate.

Following are Bigfork’s results from the divisional tournament:

Lincoln Douglas Debate: 1. Alex Hider; 5. Abe Malley.

Impromptu Speaking: 2. Isaac Reichner.

Extemporaneous Speaking: 2. Shannon Frizzell.

Humorous Oral Interpretation: 2. Brett Bradstreet.

Serious Oral Interpretation: 3. Jazzmyn Musser; 6. Alex Dillon.

Memorized Public Address: 1. Maddie Lorang.

Expository Speaking: 1. Mielle Hubbard; 4. Gus DiPaulo; 5. Seth Anderson.

Humorous Duo: 1. Olivia Witt and Camas Garnett; 3. Gunnar Boose and Ashley Hauss; 5. Mack Paine and Rosalie Lander.

Classical Duo: 3. Sarah Abbott and Emily Pataky.

Humorous Solo: 3. Danny McVay; 8. Elizabeth Kalenak.

Serious Solo: 4. Faith Malley; 6. Melody McHaley.