Local students qualify for national speech and debate

Fifteen speech and debate competitors from three local high schools have qualified to compete nationally.

At the National Speech and Debate Association’s Montana qualifying tournament in Great Falls on Friday and Saturday, four Flathead students, 10 Glacier High School students, and one Columbia Falls student advanced to the national meet in June in Birmingham, Alabama, after competing against students from more than 20 other Montana schools.

Flathead’s Sophia Skwarchuk made the cut in International Extemporaneous Speaking, making her a four-time national qualifier. Two-time national qualifier Noah Love advances in Lincoln-Douglas Debate. First-time qualifiers include Tristan Phillips, Informative Speaking, and Rebecca Vance, Original Oratory.

Glacier had three competitors qualify for two events, including Brock Adkins, Original Oratory and Dramatic Interpretation, his third consecutive year qualifying to compete; Drew Lorenc, Duo Interpretation and Humorous Interpretation; and Nate Lorenc, Duo Interpretation and Humorous Interpretation.

Glacier’s other qualifiers are: Malea Bauer and Harrison Rennie, Policy Debate; Aleesha Hillis, Dramatic Interpretation; Tristen Lang, Congressional Debate-Senate; Izy Lyon, Lincoln-Douglas Debate; Abigail Roston, Congressional Debate-House; and Riley Wilton, Congressional Debate-House.

Columbia Falls’ Ava Chisholm qualified to compete in Program Oral Interpretation. This is her second consecutive year qualifying for nationals.

The three high schools also had several students finish as alternates, which means they will compete if any national qualifiers cannot attend the summer tournament.

Flathead’s first alternates are Vance and Conrad Hedinger in Duo Interpretation; second alternate America Mason in Original Oratory; and third alternates, Tanis Hadwin, Informative Speaking; Nikki Sauter, Program Oral Interpretation; and Carolina Sierra, International Extemporaneous Speaking.

First alternates from Glacier include: Nick Brester, Congressional Debate-House; Sierra Riley, Program Oral Interpretation; Amanda Wiersma, Dramatic Interpretation; and Alec Willis, Informative Speaking and U.S. Extemporaneous. Mercedes Altman is a second alternate in Congressional Debate-House.

Columbia Falls’ Jacob Hohman is a second alternate in Informative Speaking.

In team scoring, Glacier placed second overall, and Flathead third.

Flathead took second in speech sweepstakes. The team was also honored with the “Leading Chapter” award, recognizing its outstanding accomplishments and earned the cumulative points trophy, given to a school based on the number of entries and competitive performance.

Glacier placed first in speech and Congress sweepstakes and third in debate sweepstakes.

Reporter Hilary Matheson can be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.