Glacier takes first in regional speech and debate tournament
Brittany Cory speaks as Isabelle Lyon takes notes during the semifinals of the Lincoln-Douglas Debate of the Western Regional Speech and Debate Tournament at Glacier High School on Saturday. Both are students at Glacier High School. (Aaric Bryan photos/Daily Inter Lake)
Flathead High School’s Sierra Dilworth makes a point during the semifinals of the Lincoln-Douglas Debate of the Western Regional Speech and Debate Tournament at Glacier High School on Saturday.
At least six Class AA schools dropped out of the Western Regional Speech and Debate Tournament due to severe weather on Friday and Saturday. This left only Flathead and Glacier to compete in Class AA. Eight teams in Class A and Class B-C from as far as Corvallis braved frigid temperatures to compete in Kalispell this weekend.
Despite the freezing temperatures the Glacier team was on fire, taking first place in all but two individual events and bringing the team to a first-place finish overall in Class AA with 321 points. This was a school record for the Wolfpack according to Glacier Head Coach Greg Adkins.
“An absolutely phenomenal weekend for the Wolfpack,” Adkins said.
Flathead finished second with 123 points.
“Glacier’s strong, veteran team easily defeated ours, winning every speech event,” Flathead Head Coach Shannon O’Donnell said. “It was an opportunity for our young team to witness the results that come with experience and hard work.”
In Class A and Class B-C, Columbia Falls took first place with 69 sweepstakes points. Second went to Corvallis with 51.5 points and third to Loyola with 34 points. Whitefish placed fourth with 30.5 points.
Following are individual results.
Varsity Policy Debate — 1. Annabel Conger and Colin Norick, Columbia Falls; 2. Jenna McCrorie and Emma Trunkle, Glacier; 3. Malea Bauer and Harrison Rennie, Glacier; 4. Ashlyn Cleveland and Elizabeth Klemann, Glacier; 5. Ian Caltabino and Zachary Kasselder, Whitefish; 6. Abby Lawry and EJ Harnar, Whitefish; 7. David Ramsey and Wyatt Hudson, Loyola; 8. Jenn Breese and Cora Tollerson, Glacier.
Novice Policy Debate — 1. Mercedes Altman Rebich and Suzanne Loviska, Glacier; 2. Parker Davey and Hallie Massie, Glacier; 3. Trey Spalding and Shyane Williams, Columbia Falls; 4. Georgianna Tripp and Matthew Mason, Glacier.
Varsity Lincoln-Douglas — 1. Brittany Cory, Glacier; 2. Sierra Dilworth, Flathead; 3. Emmett Van Allen, Glacier; 4. Izy lyon, Glacier; 5. Katie Stobie, Flathead; 6. Noah Love, Flathead; 8. Mikel Knutson, Columbia Falls.
Novice Lincoln-Douglas — 1. Chris Oberling, Glacier; 2. James Stafford, Glacier; 3. Caitlin Franke, Glacier; 4. Robert Hurly, Glacier; 5. Jon Sorenson, Glacier; 6. Jonathan Gardner, Glacier; 7. Isaac Schroeder, Glacier; 8. Brigham Pitts, Glacier.
Public Forum Debate — 1. Keegan Siebenaler and Millie Espeseth, Glacier; 2. Maya Buckingham and Erin McHugh, Glacier; 3. Annabelle Pukas and Cain Roettig, Flathead; 5. Matthew Knuffke and Brendan Anderson, Glacier; 6. Michael Buls and Josh Wolf, Flathead; 7. Zach Hong and Clay Strickland, Flathead; 8. Austin Floyd and Tristan Jennings, Flathead.
Legislative Debate — 1. Abigail Roston, Glacier; 2. Alden Drew, Glacier; 3. Nick Brester, Glacier; 4. Tristen Lang, Glacier; 5. Riley Wilton, Glacier; 6. Melissa Roybal, Flathead; 7. Kenzie Griffin, Flathead; 8. Kaesha Mertes-Wright, Flathead.
Extemporaneous Speaking — 3. Sophia Skwarchuk, Flathead; 4. Carolina Sierra, Flathead; 5. Danny Morgan, Columbia Falls; 6. Alec Willis, Glacier; 7. Reed Miller, Flathead.
Impromptu Speaking — 1. Trey Shields, Glacier; 2. Teigen Tremper, Whitefish; 3. Sophia Skwarchuk, Flathead; 4. Sienna Riley, Flathead; 5. Carolina Sierra, Flathead; 6. Danny Morgan, Columbia Falls; 7. Alex Grate, Columbia Falls.
Duo Oral Interpretation — 1. Nate Lorenc and Drew Lorenc, Glacier; 3. Toby Diegel and Anne Burtsfield, Flathead; 5. Rebecca Vance and Conrad Hedinger, Flathead; 6. Zach Hill and Te’a Mergenthaler, Glacier; 7. Kenzie White and Jez Schussler, Glacier.
Humorous Oral Interpretation — 1. Drew Lorenc, Glacier; 2. Nate Lorenc, Glacier; 3. Zach Hill, Glacier; 4. Hunter Driear, Flathead; 5. Kayli Burback, Flathead; 6. Kedryn McElderry, Glacier; 7. Simon Hill, Glacier.
Dramatic Oral Interpretation — 1. Brock Adkins, Glacier; 3. Joel Stewart, Glacier; 4. Aleesha Hillis, Glacier; 6. Amanda Wiersma, Glacier; 7. Korbyn Howe, Flathead; 8. Moriah Schutt, Flathead.
Memorized Public Address — 1. Aleesha Hillis, Glacier; 2. Nilla Swenson, Glacier; 3. Nick Weaver, Flathead; 4. Riley Jochim, Flathead; 5. Riley Hoveland, Bigfork; 6. Abigail Vanorny, Glacier; 7. Emma Erickson, Columbia Falls; 8. Natalie Krueger, Glacier.
Original Oratory — 1. Brock Adkins, Glacier; 2. Rebecca Vance, Flathead; 3. Emma Thompson, Flathead; 4. Trey Shields, Glacier; 5. Abigail Vanorny, Glacier; 6. Aidan Fritz, Glacier; 7. America Mason, Flathead; 8. Kaitlyn Dittmer, Flathead.
Informative Speaking — 1. Alec Willis, Glacier; 2. Natalie Krueger, Glacier; 3. Jacob Hohman, Columbia Falls; 4. Tristan Phillips, Flathead; 5. Julia Wynne, Flathead; 6. Delaney Wilson, Glacier; 7. Galvin Ness, Glacier; 8. Teigen Tremper, Whitefish.
Program Oral Interpretation — 1. Sierra Riley, Glacier; 2. Nikki Sauter, Flathead; 3. Maggie Rudbach, Glacier; 7. Katie Lessmeier, Glacier; 8. Olivia Kalvig, Glacier.
Reporter Hilary Matheson can be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.