Saturday’s Kalispell Kickoff Speech and Debate Tournament was a nail-biter as the two host teams battled to the last ballot with Flathead High School winning on a tiebreaker.
It was the fourth straight victory at the Kalispell Classic for Flathead.
Both the defending state champions of Flathead and the Glacier Wolfpack finished with 175.5 points.
The tournament title was decided by the number of first-place winners, with the Braves topping the Wolfpack in that category 6-5.
Sixteen teams from 11 schools competed in the tournament, which kicks off the speech and debate season.
In Class A-B-C competition, Loyola Sacred Heart was first, Whitefish second and Columbia Falls third.
Flathead’s first-place winners were senior Maija Hadwin in both Serious Interpretation and Original Oratory; her brother, freshman Tanis Hadwin, in Expository; senior Sarah Ward in Impromptu; sophomore Noah Love in Varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debate; and freshman Annabelle Pukas in Novice Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
Glacier first-place winners were Spencer Johnson & Josie Jolly in Public Forum Debate, Kyersten Siebenaler in Legislative Debate and Abby Van Allen and Brock Adkins in Duo Interpretation.
“It truly could have gone either way,” Flathead Head Coach Shannon O’Donnell said. “We are proud of our team’s remarkable finish in finals, but we are well aware that we won by just a hair. It is going to be an exciting season.”
Both Flathead and Glacier varsity teams are in action next weekend at the Ralph Y. McGinnis Kickoff Tournament at the University of Montana, while junior varsity teams will travel to the Ronan Invitational.
Following are individual results from Saturday’s tournament:
Varsity Policy Debate
1. Annabel Conger & Colin Norick, Columbia Falls
2. Ian Caltabiano & Zachary Kasselder, Whitefish
3. Maggie Miltko & Casey Cummins, Loyola
4. Jeremy Heng & Su Su Oo, Hellgate
5. Mason Devries & Tyler Hong, Flathead
6. Brendan Wathen & Ellen Myrhe, Hamilton
7. Sting-Ray Engel & Shelby Harness, Hamilton
8. Jenna McCrorie & Emma Trunkle, Glacier
Novice Policy Debate
1. Hellie Badarrudin & Stephanie Radcliff, Loyola
2. Elizabeth Klemann & Malea Bauer, Glacier
3. Ian McKenzie & Ruth Nelson, Columbia Falls
4. Jennifer Breese & Cora Tollerson, Glacier
5. Seth Lang & Tegan Schaper , Sentinel
6. Tristan Jennings & Jelisa Holmquist, Flathead
7. David Ramsey & Wyatt Hudson, Loyola
8. Makayla Robinson & Conrad Hedinger, Flathead
Varsity Lincoln Douglas
1. Noah Love, Flathead
2. Kennedy Bahm, Big Sky
3. Teigan Avery, Glacier
4. Emma Harrison, Hellgate
5. Tyler Hazeltine, Sentinel
6. Dexter Crago, Big Sky
7. Samantha Bruce, Flathead
8. Emma Norton, Hellgate
Novice Lincoln Douglas
1. Annabelle Pukas, Flathead
2. Ryan Sandau, Sentinel
3. Dakota Henson, Whitefish
4. Julie Quackebush, Sentinel
5. Keeley Holder, Libby
6. Oliver Chinn, Sentinel
7. Nathan MacGregor, Glacier
8. Chrissy Hartman, Sentinel
Public Forum
1. Spencer Johnson & Josie Jolly, Glacier
2. Millie Espeseth & Keegan Siebenaler, Glacier
3. Kelli Rosenquist & Jackson Petty, Sentinel
4. Matt Knuffke & Dillon Knuffke, Glacier
5. Anna Cecil & Graham Friedman, Glacier
6. Nick Zetterberg & Madelaine Millar, Hellgate
7. Stephanie Woodland & Sierra Dilworth, Flathead
8. Josh Crumpton & Aaron Palen, Hellgate
Legislative Debate
1. Kyersten Siebenaler, Glacier High
2. Taylor Gregory, Sentinel
3. Tristen Lang, Glacier
4. Nate Sager, Sentinel
5. Carolyn Brosten, Flathead
6. Peter Holman, Sentinel
7. Will Thompson, Hellgate
8. Fisher Johnson, Hellgate
Extemporaneous Speaking
1. Abbie Belcher, Whitefish
2. Nick Sundberg, Stevensville
3. Rosie McCormack, Loyola
4. Grace Cady, Flathead
5. Sarah Ward, Flathead
6. Kenzie Wells, Loyola
7. Dylan Crandell, Glacier
8. Zoe Nelson, Hellgate
Impromptu
1. Sarah Ward, Flathead
2. Dylan Crandell, Glacier
3. Grace Cady, Flathead
4. Abbie Belcher, Whitefish
5. Carolina Sierra, Flathead
6. Kaylee Peters, Hellgate
7. Rosie McCormack, Loyola
8. Nick Sundberg, Stevensville
Duo Interpretation
1. Abby Van Allen/Brock Adkins, Glacier
2. Wyatt Dykhuizen/Parker Kouns, Flathead
3. Easton Powell/Josh Smith, Corvallis
4. Sebastian Reed/Kim Bounds, Corvallis
5. Brenden Anderson/Trey Shields, Glacier
6. Sophia Therriault/Jalynn Nelson, Hellgate
7. Adam Habel/Josh Pitt, Glacier
8. Nate Lorenc/Drew Lorenc, Glacier
Humorous Interpretation
1. Haley Wilson, Hellgate
2. Wyatt Dykhuizen, Flathead
3. Annie Jones, Flathead
4. Ethan Hall, Flathead
5. Kayli Burback, Flathead
6. Jon Sorenson, Glacier
7. Kedryn McElderry, Glacier
8. Caleb Anderson, Loyola
Serious Interpretation
1. Maija Hadwin, Flathead
2. Charlotte Mack, Flathead
3. Anika Fritz, Glacier
4. Christine Giesen, Flathead
5. Kaylee Peters, Hellgate
6. Alyssa Seeber, Stevensville
7. Bria Anderson, Glacier
8. Jenna Cardenas, Stevensville
Memorized Public Address
1. Zach Ade, Whitefish
2. Payton Keltner, Flathead
3. Adam Habel, Glacier
4. Abby Van Allen, Glacier
5. Aaron Robinson, Glacier
6. Joey Chester, Columbia Falls
7. Savannah Cheff, Flathead
8. Nilla Swenson, Glacier
Original Oratory
1. Maija Hadwin, Flathead
2. Aaron Robinson, Glacier
3. Brock Adkins, Glacier
4. Kate Giffin, Glacier
5. Hunter Cripe, Whitefish
6. Sam Benkelman, Whitefish
7. Daniel Sierra, Flathead
8. Aidan Fritz, Glacier
Expository Speaking
1. Tanis Hadwin, Flathead
2. Anika Fritz, Glacier
3. Kodee Wagner, Flathead
4. Alec Willis, Glacier
5. Alex Healy, Corvallis
6. Natalie Krueger, Glacier
7. Emily Getts, Columbia Falls
8. Bailey Strader, Loyola
