Glacier and Flathead finish second, third at state
Bozeman edged out Glacier High School by eight points to capture its second consecutive Class AA state title this weekend.
Glacier racked up 149.5 sweepstakes points to Bozeman’s 157.5, to take second at the Class AA State Speech and Debate Tournament Friday and Saturday in Bozeman. Flathead High School finished third with 87.5 points overall. The two-day tournament featured 14 Class AA schools.
“We knew it was going to be tough to win in Bozeman, against a great Bozeman team, and we nearly pulled it off,” Glacier Head Coach Greg Adkins said.
Bozeman slipped past Glacier with its performance in debate events according to Adkins.
Glacier returned to Kalispell with five state champions including: Brock Adkins, Original Oratory; Aleesha Hillis, Memorized Public Address; Natalie Krueger, Informative Speaking; and Te’a Mergenthaler and Zach Hill, Duo Interpretation.
“I am so proud of the character and grace of this team,” Adkins said.
Flathead’s Grace Cady was state champion in Impromptu Speaking.
Making it to the top three was an accomplishment for the young Flathead team.
“The state tournament was our best finish of the season,” Flathead Head Coach Shannon O’Donnell. “The kids worked hard, and I’m proud of them.”
In addition to competition, AA speech and debate coach of the year finalists were named.
The Anne Sullivan Award for AA debate coach of the year finalists are: Roy Antley, Flathead; Ivanna Fritz, Glacier; Steve McCartney, Billings West; and Josh Munro, Glacier.
The Steve Reardon Award for AA speech coach of the year finalists include: Kerry Gruizenga, Skyview; Sara Menssen, Glacier; and Aly Nordwall, Hellgate.
Team Sweepstakes
1. Bozeman, 157.5
2. Glacier, 149.5
3. Flathead, 87.5
Policy Debate
1. Brandyn Ulrich and Kye Burchard, Great Falls
2. Dale Hansen and Wilson McMakin, Bozeman
3. Rachel Schmidt and Devon Mahoney, Bozeman
4. Ava Snow and Althea Reichert, Bozeman
5. Christine Margaris and Turner Burchard, Great Falls
6. Coleman Good and Max Weissman, Great Falls
7. Matthew Lieb and Erin Sofianek, Bozeman
8. Emma Trunkle and Jenna McCrorie, Glacier
Lincoln-Douglas Debate
1. Emma Norton, Hellgate
2. Anja Wookey-Huffman, Bozeman
3. Kayla Slavik, Great Falls
4. Sierra Dilworth, Flathead
5. Emma Bowen, Bozeman
6. Kane Hickes, Senior
7. Jared Gibbs, Skyview
8. Katie Ellig, Bozeman
Public Forum
1. Marty Smith and Pushya Krishna, Bozeman
2. Estrella Pallis-Bonadurer and Madelaine Millar,Hellgate
3. Kelli Rosenquist and Jackson Petty, Sentinel
4. Keegan Siebenaler and Millie Espeseth, Glacier
5. Annabelle Pukas and Josh Wolf, Flathead
6. Drew Mammel and Lyric Horton, Senior
7. Rebecca Walker and Trevin Baker, Skyview
8. Augusta Reinhart and Michelle O’Shea, Bozeman
Legislative Debate
1. Christopher Malcomson, Sentinel
2. Taylor Gregory, Sentinel
3. Tristen Lang, Glacier
4. Abigail Roston, Glacier
5. Nick Brester, Glacier
6. Maddie Braun, Sentinel
7. Alden Drew, Glacier
8. Zach Tonnerre, Sentinel
Extemporaneous Speaking
1. Ella Currier, Helena High
2. Olivia Waterton, Bozeman
3. Sophia Skwarchuk, Flathead
4. Jacob Linfesty, West
5. Alex Moore, Skyview
6. Zoe Nelson, Hellgate
7. Carolina Sierra, Flathead
8. Reed Miller, Flathead
Impromptu Speaking
1. Grace Cady, Flathead
2. Trey Shields, Glacier
3. Alicia Boone, Big Sky
4. Sophia Skwarchuk, Flathead
5. Trevor Woodward, Glacier
6. Carolina Sierra, Flathead
7. Jacob Linfesty, West
8. Emma Sundeen, Bozeman
Duo Oral Interpretation
1. Te’a Mergenthaler and Zach Hill, Glacier
2. Nate Lorenc and Drew Lorenc, Glacier
3. Noah VanWetering and Caydance Wilson, Hellgate
4. Dillon Deschamps and Llwyn Clark-Gaynor, Hellgate
5. Shaciah Lee and Julien Harris, Bozeman
6. Mason Martin and Leia Behunin, Hellgate
7. Natalie Millar and Monroe Ayres, Hellgate
8. Toby Diegel and Anne Burtsfield, Flathead
Humorous Oral Interpretation
1. Alec Donald, Skyview
2. Drew Lorenc, Glacier
3. Tyler Shackelford, Skyview
4. Nate Lorenc, Glacier
5. Micah Donald, Skyview
6. Julien Harris, Bozeman
7. Caydance Wilson, Hellgate
8. Zach Hill, Glacier
Dramatic Oral Interpretation
1. Sage Crawford-Kahrl, Bozeman
2. Brock Adkins, Glacier
3. Jessica Brito, Bozeman
4. Aleesha Hillis, Glacier
5. Favour Bright, Bozeman
6. Whitley Odyk, Big Sky
7. Kayli Burback, Flathead
8. Rebecca Bryan, Helena High
Memorized Public Address
1. Aleesha Hillis, Glacier
2. Mary Helen Satrom, West
3. Favour Bright, Bozeman
4. Abigail Vanorny, Glacier
5. Nilla Swenson, Glacier
6. Helen Margaris, Great Falls High
7. Hanni Wiegand, Bozeman
8. Olivia Jenkinson, Sentinel
Original Oratory
1. Brock Adkins, Glacier
2. America Mason, Flathead
3. Rebecca Vance, Flathead
4. Abigail Vanorny, Glacier
5. Hareen Seerha, Great Falls High
6. Emma Thompson, Flathead
7. Garret Nielson, Bozeman
8. Aidan Fritz, Glacier
Informative Speaking
1. Natalie Krueger, Glacier
2. Maddy Kruse, Bozeman
3. Tristan Phillips, Flathead
4. Sienna Riley, Flathead
5. Julia Wynne, Flathead
6. Kiersten Spear, Sentinel
7. Douglas Stobie, Sentinel
8. Magnolia Chinn, Sentinel