Wildcat speakers roar into season
The Columbia Falls speech and debate team launched the 2018-19 season with strong performances over the last two weekends, taking first place in competitions in Hamilton and Kalispell.
About 30 team members competed in the first two of nine tournaments leading up to Divisionals on Jan. 19.
The Wildcats have begun their hunt for their 21st state championship, their 14th in a row. The program, under the direction of head coach Tara Norick, has built a reputation as a formidable powerhouse in the Class A division.
Competitors in both individual and team events did well in both tournaments. Individual standouts include Sophomore Emmalee Hellen, who took first place in Memorized Public Address in both Hamilton and Kalispell. In Hamilton, Junior Sam Lovering competed in two events and placed second in Extemporaneous Speaking and sixth in Impromptu – both short-prep events where students are required to prepare speeches on the spot on topics drawn at the beginning of each round.
In Policy Team Debate, two-person teams prepare complex and heavily researched cases about a specific current event topic, and then spend 90 minutes battling an opposing team on the validity of that plan. This repeats five times over the course of the day. In Hamilton, Columbia Falls swept all three top spots in this event, with Senior Ian McKenzie and Junior Maggie McKeon arguing their way to a first place finish by defeating their own teammates, Juniors Callie Jo Johnson and Tre Finley. Right behind them in third place were Junior Shyane Williams and Freshman Ava Foley.
In Kalispell, the three team also did well — McKenzie and Mckeon earned the third place spot, Williams and Foley finished second, and Johnson and Finley placed eighth.
In Public Forum Team Debate, a faster-paced format, with an emphasis on logical arguments and thinking on your feet, Columbia Falls also took the top honors in both cities. In Hamilton, Sophomore Lara Erickson and Junior Laney Conger took first place with a finals round win over teammate Freshman Emma Stephens and Griffin Conger. In Kalispell, the Wildcats also triumphed in this event. Seniors Cassidy Norick and Kelsey Wright argued their way to first place, with Conger and Erickson in third, and Stephens and Conger in eighth.
Columbia Falls will host its invitational tournament on Nov. 17. The team is seeking to sign up judges to help with the tournament. Anyone can participate, and they emphasize that you don’t have to be an expert to be a judge.
“One of the good things about high school speech and debate is that we use lay judges for all of our competitions, so it is a great way for the community to turn out and support the team and get an opportunity to see these amazingly talented kids in action,” Norick said.
Anytone interested in helping with the Nov. 17 tournament should email Norick at tnorick@gmail.com.
HAMILTON
Policy Debate
1st Ian McKenzie and Maggie McKeon
2nd Calie Jo Johnson and Tre Finley
3rd Shyane Williams and Ava Foley
Public Forum Debate
1st Lara Erickson & Laney Conger
2nd Emma Stephens & Griffin Conger
LD Debate
2nd Chloe Coberley
Impromptu
3rd Paige Moriarty
6th Sam Lovering
Extemporaneous
2nd Sam Lovering
Humorous Interpretation
4th Ave’ McDonald
Memorized Public Address
1st Emmalee Hellen
Informative
2nd Cassidy Norick
6th Katherine Macpherson
7th Anna Pickard
8th Aiden Judge
Original Oratory
2nd Paige Moriarty
Sweeps (team score)
1st Columbia Falls 170
2nd Polson 55
3rd Stevensville 47
KALISPELL KICKOFF
Policy Debate
2nd Shyane Williams and Ava Foley
3rd Ian McKenzie and Maggie McKeon
8th Calie Jo Johnson and Tre Finley
Public Forum Debate
1st Cassidy Norick and Kelsey Wright
3rd Lara Erickson & Laney Conger
8th Emma Stephens & Griffin Conger
Varsity LD Debate
5th Chloe Coberley
Novice LD Debate
6th Raphe Salmon
8th Jayden Webb
Humorous Interpretation
5th Ave’ McDonald
Memorized Public Address
1st Emmalee Hellen
Original Oratory
3rd Paige Moriarty
Sweeps (team score)
1st Columbia Falls - 106
2nd Whitefish - 31
3rd Loyola Sacred Heart - 30.5