January 21, 2019 at 5:14 pm | By HILARY MATHESON Daily Inter Lake

Whitefish High School Speech and Debate turned the tide on rival Columbia Falls with a first-place finish on home turf at the Class A divisionals over the weekend.

Amassing 227 overall sweepstakes points, it marked Whitefish’s first victory over Columbia Falls High Schools this season. Columbia Falls finished in second place with 170 overall points.

Aiding the team’s success were five champions and four runner-ups. Whitefish Head Coach Sara Mueller said the team was “pretty besides themselves” following the win.

“It was fully a team effort, as every entry on the team scored points toward our sweepstakes total,” Mueller said. “We look forward to taking this momentum into the state tournament next week where I am sure all teams will come ready to compete at a high level.”

The win is a boost for the Whitefish team as they prepare to once again face Columbia Falls, which defends its Class A state championship title on Friday and Saturday in Belgrade.

Following are individual results from divisionals and competitors qualifying to compete at state.

Policy Debate

1. Ian McKenzie and Maggie McKeon, Columbia Falls

3. Calie Jo Johnson and Tre Finley, Columbia Falls

4. Abby Lowry and Ivan Cline, Whitefish

6. Aidan McMahan and Dani Mayeaux, Whitefish

7. Rally Belcher and Jordan Hayes, Whitefish

10. Shyane Williams and Ava Foley, Columbia Falls

Public Forum Debate

1. Andrew Brozek and Mary Hooks, Whitefish

2. Cassidy Norick and Kelsey Wright, Columbia Falls

4. Stacia Tremper and Sophie Tabor, Whitefish

5. Emma Stephens and Griffin Conger, Columbia Falls

6. Lara Erickson and Laney Conger, Columbia Falls

12. Gavin Carmichael and Sydney Garcia, Whitefish

Lincoln-Douglas Debate

3. Raphe Salmon, Columbia Falls

6. Lilly Butts, Whitefish

10. Luca Welle, Whitefish

Extemporaneous Speaking

1. Abigail Bowden, Whitefish

4. Sam Lovering, Columbia Falls

6. Grayson Butler, Whitefish

9. Aiden Judge, Columbia Falls

11. Bethany Barnes, Whitefish

14. Konner Heindl, Columbia Falls

Impromptu Speaking

2. Regan Tintzman, Whitefish

4. Sam Lovering, Columbia Falls

5. Paige Moriarty, Columbia Falls

9. Adrienne Healy, Whitefish

Memorized Public Address

1. Grace Benkelman, Whitefish

2. Emmalee Hellen, Columbia Falls

4. Maile Vine, Whitefish

5. Haileigh Bayee, Columbia Falls

6. Suzanna Rosalez, Columbia Falls

10. Lucy Lowry, Whitefish

Original Oratory

2. Aidan Reid, Whitefish

3. Libby Goldhirsch, Whitefish

5. Paige Moriarty, Columbia Falls

6. Haileigh Bayee, Columbia Falls

7. Rachel Bowland, Whitefish

13. Suzanna Rosalez, Columbia Falls

Informative Speaking

1. Elizabeth Campbell, Whitefish

2. Bethany Barnes, Whitefish

3. Regan Tintzman, Whitefish

6. Anna Pickard, Columbia Falls

9. Aiden Judge, Columbia Falls

11. Katherine MacPherson, Columbia Falls

Humorous Interpretation

1. Danika Tintzman, Whitefish

5. Logan Mercer, Whitefish

6. Ave’ McDonald, Columbia Falls

7. Lucy Shindler, Whitefish

9. Isaac Adams, Columbia Falls

Dramatic Interpretation

3. Emmalee Hellen, Columbia Falls

2. Naya Brigette, Whitefish

7. Lucy Schindler, Whitefish

9. Gabby Pickert, Whitefish

10. Isaac Adams, Columbia Falls

14. Ave’ McDonald, Columbia Falls

Havre speech qualifies entire team for state

Courtesy photo/Tim Leeds

The Havre High School speech and debate divisionals team, Grace Crantz, from left, Kaleb Gardner, Melanie Veith, Elaine Atkinson, Joram Randolph, Tristan Molyneaux, coach Jared Smith, Noah Teasley, Dartanion Kaftan and LillieAnn Mecklenburg pose for a photograph in Laurel High School Saturday after the Class A speech, debate and drama eastern divisional tournament.

Havre High School speech and debate saw a successful run at the Class A eastern divisional tournament in Laurel this weekend, qualifying the entire team for state competition with one Blue Pony just missing bringing home a divisional champion medal.

Veteran Lincoln Douglas debater Kaleb Gardner, a senior, went undefeated in the four preliminary rounds to break into the finals round. In a tough debate against a varsity Sidney debater, Gardner lost on a 1-2 split and ended in second place.

First-year speaker Elaine Atkinson, a sophomore, broke into finals in humorous oral interpretation of literature and ended with a seventh-place medal.

Freshman Melanie Veith, competing in informative speaking, just missed bringing home a divisional medal in her first year competing. Veith was tied for eighth place after five rounds of competition, but lost a tie-breaker that could have put her in finals to compete for a top-eight finish. She ended in ninth place.

Havre policy debate teams LillieAnn Mecklenburg and Dartanion Kaftan and Grace Crantz and Tristan Molyneaux earned medals by ending in fourth place and fifth place, respectively, and the public forum debate team of Joram Randolph and Noah Teasley brought home eighth-place medals.

The team now heads to Belgrade for the state Class A tournament Friday and Saturday.