Glacier rolls at Billings speech and debate tourney

By RYAN MURRAY

The Daily Inter Lake

Glacier held off a hard-charging Bozeman squad to win the Billings Olympiad Sweeps speech and debate tournament this weekend. Flathead High School took third overall, but was second in the speech category.

The Billings meet with be the last regular-season meeting between these top teams before state competition.

Glacier, with 132.5 points, swept the memorized public address category, Rachel Bjork won original oratory and Alexis Larson won serious interpretation for the Wolfpack. Flathead’s Sarah Ward took first place in the impromptu speaking category.

Billings Olympiad local results:

Policy debate: 2. Jaclyn Rensel and Erick Franklund, Glacier.

Lincoln-Douglas debate: 3. Ashlee Buller, Glacier; 5. Aryn Phillips, Flathead.

Public forum: 2. Noah Hill and Ruben Castren, Glacier; 5. Kelly Hendrix and Meredith Wilson, Flathead; 8. Connor Roettig and Sam Clarin, Flathead.

Legislative: 4. Eli Brown, Flathead; 5. Rebecca Bruce, Flathead; 6. Kyersten Siebenaler, Glacier; 8. Josie Jolly, Glacier.

Extemporaneous speaking: 2. Eli Cornell, Flathead; 5. Wyatt McGillen, Flathead; 6. Dylan Gibson, Glacier; 7. Katie Weed, Flathead; 8. Sarah Ward, Flathead.

Impromptu: 1. Sarah Ward, Flathead; 3. Rachel Bjork, Glacier; 7. Eli Cornell, Flathead; 8. Dylan Gibson, Glacier.

Duo interpretation: 3. Becca Konen and Abby VanAllen, Glacier; 4. Alexandra Zografos and Micah Moore, Flathead; 8. Wyatt Dykhuizen and Parker Kouns, Flathead.

Humorous interpretation: 4. Ben Habel, Glacier; 7. Brock Adkins, Glacier.

Serious interpretation: 1. Alexis Larson, Glacier; 5. Jahlen Salazar, Flathead; 7. Zack Timm, Flathead.

Memorized public address: 1. Harrison Kauffman, Glacier; 2. Hannah Halbur, Glacier; 3. Ben Habel, Glacier; 5. Brooke Wahlert, Flathead.

Original oratory: 1. Rachel Bjork, Glacier; 2. Hannah Halbur, Glacier; 5. Daniel Sierra, Flathead; 6. Payton Keltner, Flathead. 

Expository speaking: 5. Anika Fritz, Glacier; 6. Michael Rutledge, Flathead; 7. Jackie Culver, Glacier.

At the Bigfork Speech and Debate tournament Saturday, several local Class A teams battled for first place, with Columbia Falls topping Polson and Whitefish. Loyola took first in Class B speech results. Libby was first in Class A drama and Choteau first for Class B.

Columbia Falls’s Mark Hader took first in serious interpretation and Alex Damon won memorized public address. Sloan Ellis of Whitefish won both impromptu and original oratory while Elsa Dodds won extemporaneous speaking for the Bulldogs. Polson’s Haley Kennedy took expository speaking for the Pirates.

Policy debate: 2. Mara Barnes and Monique Schoech, Columbia Falls; 3. Meredith Stolte and Colter Norick, Columbia Falls; 4. Tommy Mercer and Sam Heutmaker, Polson; 5. Madison Grady and Jordan Reese, Whitefish; 6. Katie Stobie and Annabelle Smith, Polson; 8. Anna Nicosia and Colin Norick, Columbia Falls.

Lincoln-Douglas debate: 2. Mary Gross, Columbia Falls; 3. Jacob Raymond, Polson; 4. Maddie Mantell, Columbia Falls; 6. Cash Sisler, Polson; 8. Mikel Knutson, Columbia Falls.

Extemporaneous speaking: 1. Elsa Dodds, Whitefish; 5. Sharidan Russell, Polson; 8. Abigal Belcher, Whitefish; 

Impromptu: 1. Sloan Ellis, Whitefish; 3. Sharidan Russell, Polson; 8. Henry Chisholm, Columbia Falls.

Humorous interpretation: 2. Lexi Corbett, Columbia Falls; 3. Mark Hader, Columbia Falls; 5. Jenna Smith, Columbia Falls;

Serious interpretation: 1. Mark Hader, Columbia Falls; 2. Bailey Duke, Columbia Falls; 4. Breanna Friar, Columbia Falls;

Memorized public address: 1. Alex Damon, Columbia Falls; 3. Breanna Friar, Columbia Falls; 4. Bailey Duke, Columbia Falls; 8. Hannah Hodges, Polson.

Original oratory: 1. Sloan Ellis, Whitefish; 2. Lexi Corbett, Columbia Falls; 5. Casey Shea, Columbia Falls; 

Expository speaking: 1. Haley Kennedy, Polson; 2. Sam Benkelman, Whitefish; 3. Olivia Lewis-Peterson, Columbia Falls; 4. Baylee Brinton, Columbia Falls; 6. Samantha Gilk, Columbia Falls.

Bigfork High School had 11 students earn places Saturday in the Bigfork Speech and Debate tournament. 

Among Class B teams, Bigfork placed second in speech and third in drama sweepstakes.

Alex Hider in Lincoln-Douglas Debate and the team of Rosalie Lander and Alex Moore in Humorous Duo won championships in their events. 

Following are individual placewinners for Bigfork:

Emily Pataky: 2. Serious Solo.

Melody McHaley: 6. Serious Solo.

Danny McVay: 5. Impromptu.

Gunnar Boose: 6. Extemporaneous.

Rosalie Lander and Alex Moore: 1. Humorous Duo.

Maddie Lorang: 2. Memorized Public Address.

Alex Hider: 1. Lincoln Douglas Debate.

Shannon Frizzell: 3. Original Oratory.

Sierra Curtis: 7. Original Oratory.

Ellessa Henion: 8. Original Oratory.