Havre speech brings home trophy from Great Falls

Press release

The Havre High School speech and debate team faced tough competition from all of Montana’s Class AA schools at the two-day Great Falls invitational, but the competitors pulled through and earned a first-place finish in the Class A team sweepstakes competition.

“I am happy with how our students did,” said head coach Tim Leeds. “I was hoping more students would advance further — we have the talent to do that — but things didn’t go our way in many rounds. Still, the Havre competitors did well and scored a first-place finish for the team, and I think they learned a lot at the meet.”

Junior Ethan Smith led the way for the Blue Ponies, earning high marks — including one first-place ranking — in the five preliminary rounds in dramatic oral interpretation of literature and winning his way into the semifinals round. Smith scored well in semis, but did not make the cut to the top eight to compete in the finals round.

The Havre debate squad — senior Jacob Bachmeier in varsity Lincoln-Douglas debate, senior Trenton Parrotte and junior Trenton Smith in team policy debate and freshman Kaleb Gardner in novice Lincoln-Douglas debate — did not fare quite as well though all Blue Ponies won one round of competition in tough debates. Several judges assigning losses to the Havre students complimented the Blue Pony debaters’ performance, saying the rounds were extremely close.

All of the other Havre competitors earned good marks and compliments from judges in preliminary rounds, including Randi Ruhkamp in original oratory and Chris Steinmetz in memorized public address, both of whom just missed the cut to semifinals.

Also earning good marks and praise from judges were sophomore Lela Phillips in dramatic oral interpretation, Patrick Leeds in humorous oral interpretation of literature, Jesse Riska in memorized public address and Rory Everingham in original oratory.

The Blue Ponies next travel to compete at Choteau Dec. 19, against competition including from AA schools and Central Division rivals as well as Townsend and Three Forks high schools. They head south Jan. 9 for the Laurel Locomotive Invitational Tournament en route to divisionals in Hardin and the Class A state tournament in Belgrade.