Havre hosts successful state speech tournament

Despite some hiccups and problems along the way, with the support of the north-central Montana community and the Havre Public Schools administration, teachers and staff, the Havre High School speech and debate team held the Class A state speech, debate and drama tournament over the weekend that was complimented by coaches from other schools.

Havre hosted the state tournament, the first times since January 2002, which brought competitors, coaches and family members from 20 Class A schools around the state.

The tournament started Friday and ran late Saturday, with the awards assembly finishing at 9 p. m., less than an hour after the last competitions finished. Competition was held in both Havre High School and Havre Middle School.

Havre Public Schools Superintendent Andy Carlson said the work of all of the local volunteers, and the faculty and staff at Havre High School and Havre Middle School, was tremendous.

"I would like to thank the community for all of their help and support in making this happen, " he said.

The tournaments ran into problems, with scheduled judges unable to come in to rank competitors due to a wide range of issues, but the residents of the area responded when the school district called for help Friday and Saturday. Judges volunteered, some showing up less than 30 minutes after hearing public service announcements or receiving a call from speech team staff or other judges. Tbey came from across the Hi-Line and the Golden Triangle to listen to the speakers.

Head coach Kevin Shellenberger also thanked the community volunteers, saying the tournament was set as well as it could be and he and the other tournament administrators and volunteers did all that they could to deal with unforeseen problems.

More than 600 hours of judging took place, with speakers competing in 15 events in three or more sections per event during the preliminary rounds Friday and Saturday, followed by the single-elimination outrounds Saturday with a panel of three judges in each event.

Havre High Principal Craig Mueller oversaw the awards ceremony at the Havre High School auditorium late Saturday night, calling out the names and schools of the top eight placers in the events, Carlson, Shellenberger and Havre Middle School teacher Emylee Fiesel presented the awards to the students.

Class A powerhouse Columbia Falls High School once again took first in the speech sweepstakes awards, with Columbia Falls students scoring 153 points. Perennial threat Billings Central Catholic High School took second with 130 points, followed by Hamilton High School with 108 points.

In the drama competition, fellow Havre High Central A Division competitor Belgrade High School took first with 89 points, followed by Corvallis High School with 78 points and Hamilton High School with 60 points.

Havre's team, working through a building season while planning and putting together the state tournament, didn't see the results they had hoped for.

Third-year veteran Paige Schwartz, a junior, led the way for the Blue Ponies, breaking into semifinals in original oratory, but failed to advance to the finals round.

Carlee Klimas, also a third-year veteran and a junior, scored well for Havre in preliminary rounds but failed to break into semifinals in stiff competition.

Veteran debater Aaron Gales, a senior, defeated some high-ranked debaters in the first rounds then fell to stiff competition in the last rounds, including the Columbia Falls debater who went on to win first place. Gales failed to break into the quarterfinals round on speaker ranking points.

Jacob Bachmeier, a freshman, qualified for the state tourney but fell to top-ranked debaters in the preliminaries and also failed to break into quarterfinals.

2013 Montana Class A speech, debate and drama tournament results

The last names of some competitors were not available. Students with an asterisk by their name placed in more than one event

Drama sweepstakes

First place: Belgrade High School, 89 points

Second place: Corvallis High School, 78 points

Third place: Hamilton High School, 60 points

Speech sweepstakes

First place: Columbia Falls High School, 153 points

Second place: Billings Central Catholic High School, 130 points

Third place: Hamilton, 108 points

Drama

Pantomime

First place: Megan Grosso, Billings Central

Second place: Camila Graff, Polson High School

Third place: Zannelle Iwen, Dawson County High School

Fourth place: Alexis Zent, Hardin High School

Fifth place: Logan Betts, Belgrade

Sixth place: Mary Roberts, Hamilton

Seventh place: Marina Layman, Belgrade

Eighth place: Patrick Faulkner, Libby High School

Humorous solo acting

First place: Nathan Kennedy*, Fergus County High School

Second place: Raechel Haverstick, Belgrade

Third place: Whitney Cleveland*, Hamilton

Fourth place: Patrick Pollock*, Laurel

Fifth place: Weston Erickson, Corvallis

Sixth place: Shane Murphy, Stevensville High School

Seventh place: Michaela Sevier, Dawson County

Eighth place: Jacob Rogers, Hamilton

Serious solo acting

First place: Whitney Cleveland*, Hamilton

Second place: Josey Creger, Beaverhead County High School

Third place: Nora Bartley, Hamilton

Fourth place: Elizabeth Ostler, Beaverhead County

Fifth place: Patrick Pollock*, Laurel

Sixth place: Anthony Dewey*, Libby

Seventh place: Jordan Broussard, Polson

Eighth place: Jordan Stephenson*, Libby

Serious duo acting

First place: Carissa Lund and Blake Watson, Belgrade

Second place: Shayla Hansen and Edward Ryan, Corvallis

Third place: Karl and Kenzie, Billlings Central

Fourth place: Elizabeth Finn and Heather Weigert, Fergus County

Fifth place: Seth Henderson and Mariah Ancell, Corvallis

Sixth place: Nora Bartley and Hollie Ostler, Hamilton

Seventh place: Anthony Dewey* and Jordan Stephenson*, Libby

Eighth place: Shandara Mansfield and Nathon Peterson, Hamilton

Humorous duo acting

First place: Weston Erickson and Mitchell Marks, Corvallis

Second place: Bob Visscher and John Smith, Belgrade

Third place: Nathan Kennedy* and Johnny Skipper, Fergus County

Fourth place: Krysta Seville and Rosie Stanfield, Polson

Fifth place: Mac Palin and Brooks Palin, Belgrade

Sixth place: Curen Feliciani and Jennifer Womack, Beaverhead County

Seventh place: Matt Grosso* and Connor McDonnell, Billings Central

Eighth place: Cassidy Pearson and Mariah Morton, Stevensville

Classical theatre

First place: Rachel Pankratz and Matt Grosso*, Billings Central

Second place: Carissa Lund and Jake Dickson, Belgrade

Third place: Tyrel Stoker, Eli Carmona, Corvallis

Fourth place: Faith Barry, Ben Peterson, Hamilton

Fifth place: Lynn Martyn and Kelsie Gingell, Frenchtown High School

Sixth place: Cash Sisler and Clara Siegelin, Polson

Seventh place: Celia Walters and Wes Smith, Belgrade

Eighth place: Sarah Foster and Maida Walters, Fergus County

Speech

Original oratory

First place: E.J. Hanson*, Stevensville

Second place: Tannar Crossman, Hamilton

Third place: Matthew Selasky, Billings Central

Fourth place: Naatoosi Fish, Browning High School

Fifth place: Kelly Gifford, Corvallis

Sixth place: Lexi Bagnell*, Polson

Seventh place: Jonathan Sutton, Custer County High School

Eighth place: James Morgan, Billings Central

Memorized public address

First place: Zoi Martin, Hamilton

Second place: Kiah Goettlich, Laurel

Third place: Brandon Decarla, Browning

Fourth place: Rachel Devine*, Corvallis

Fifth place: Kylie Koberg, Polson

Sixth place: Tiffany Hatrell, Billings Central

Seventh place: Heather McDonald, Sidney High School

Eighth place: Lauren Griffin, Billings Central

Expository speaking

First place: Tommy Pankratz, Billings Central

Second place: Casey Bauer, Beaverhead County

Third place: Lynn Davis, Corvallis

Fourth place: Baylee Brinton, Columbia Falls

Fifth place: Colbey Robinson, Billings Central

Sixth place: Shaily Lafleur, Butte Central Catholic High School

Seventh place: Yeo Chung, Columbia Falls

Eighth place: Jacque Reed, Stevensville

Humorous oral interpretation of literature

First place: Mason Gedlaman*, Columbia Falls

Second place: Karissa Choinard*, Hamilton

Third place: E.J. Hanson*, Stevensville

Fourth place: Hannah Gale, Corvallis

Fifth place: Lexi Corbett, Columbia Falls

Sixth place: Sloan Ellis, Whitefish High School

Seventh place: Jenna Smith, Columbia Falls

Eighth place: Claire Stepanek*, Billings Central

Serious oral interpretation of literature

First place: Claire Stepanek*, Billings Central

Second place: Karissa Chouinard*, Hamilton

Third place: Bailey Duke, Columbia Falls

Fourth place: Lexi Bagnell*, Polson

Fifth place: Jenna Lockman, Stevensville

Sixth place: Rachel Devine*, Corvallis

Seventh place: Meredith Stolte, Columbia Falls

Eighth place: Tannar Crossman, Hamilton

Impromptu speaking

First place: Mason Gedlaman*, Columbia Falls

Second place: Mary Brooks*, Frenchtown

Third place: Blake Ladenburg*, Columbia Falls

Fourth place: Shelby Murphy, Stevensville

Fifth place: Antara Mason, Hamilton

Sixth place: Missy Burns, Frenchtown

Seventh place: Curtis Schiwal, Stevensville

Eighth place: Jacob O'Neill, Belgrade

Extemporaneous speaking

First place: Kalen Hance, Sidney

Second place: Sharidan Russell, Polson

Third place: Blake Ladenburg*, Columbia Falls

Fourth place: Luke Muskett, Billings Central

Fifth place: Michael Tummarello, Stevensville

Sixth place: Mary Brooks*, Frenchtown

Seventh place: Cody Phillips, Columbia Falls

Eighth place: Mary Gross, Columbia Falls

Lincoln-Douglas debate

First place: Allison Forst, Columbia Falls

Second place: Kaitlin Barnes, Columbia Falls

Third place: Sam Parker, Hamilton

Fourth place: Esack Petersen, Polson

Fifth place: Charlie Umhigh, Stevensville

Sixth place: Kara McDonald, Billings Central

Seventh place: Kyra Sorli, Billings Central

Eighth place: Ada Brooks, Columbia Falls

Team policy debate

First place: Libby Hadris and Maya Arce, Billings Central

Second place: Iony Chin and Millesa Dowdy, Hamilton

Third place: Mara Barnes and Monique Schoech, Columbia Falls

Fourth place: James Dilts and Ben Schnitz, Billings Central

Fifth place: Ian Powell-Palm and Jenn Nolan, Belgrade

Sixth place: Joseph Fecteau and Luke Kendel, Stevensville

Seventh place: Emily Getts and Maddie Mantell, Columbia Falls

Eighth place: Madison Grady and Saje Jackson, Whitefish