Seven finalists pace Bigfork speech

With one individual champion and six other place-winners, Bigfork took second overall in the Class B-C Speech, Drama and Debate Meet over the weekend.

At the state meet in Glasgow, Bigfork amassed 67 points to finish behind only perennial Class B powerhouse Loyola Sacred Heart.

Danny McVay’s state championship in Impromptu paced the Bigfork effort.

Other Bigfork standouts at state were:

Maddie Lorang, state runner-up in Memorized Public Address.

Mielle Hubbard, state runner-up in Expository Speaking.

Shannon Frizzell, third place in Original Oratory.

Alex Hider, fourth place in Lincoln-Douglas Debate.

Gunnar Boose, fifth place in Extemporaneous Speaking.

Sierra Curtis, eighth place in Original Oratory.

“We had a ‘good news, bad news’ type of weekend,” Bigfork coach Charlie Appleby said. “While we are very happy that Danny won an individual state championship and we are pleased to have taken second in the state to Loyola again, we had a few seniors fall just short of their championship dreams.”

Hider, for example was on a four-meet winning streak, including a first in divisionals, but lost in the semifinals to a Loyola debater she had beaten twice before.  

“In the end, though, two second-places and a fourth-place finish for those seniors is really special,” Appleby said. “We will proudly place our divisional championship trophy and our state second-place trophy in the case.”