Havre speaker brings home state medal

Press release

The Havre High School speech and debate team saw success at the Class A speech, drama and debate tournament in Laurel over the weekend, with senior Ethan Smith bringing home a second-place medal in dramatic oral interpretation of literature.

Eastern divisional champion Smith dominated the first six rounds of the event, with five preliminary judges and two of the three judges in the semifinals rounds giving him perfect marks, first-place rankings and the top speaker point ranking, 30 out of 30. One semifinals judge gave Smith first place and 29 out of 30 in speaker points.

In finals, up against the other seven top Class A speakers in dramatic interp, Smith earned a first-, a second- and a fifth-place ranking, putting him in a tie with the Columbia Falls speaker who entered finals in second place.

Smith lost a tie-breaking procedure and took second behind the Columbia Falls speaker, who had been winning tournaments in the west through the season and entered the state tournament as the west’s second-place divisional entry.

The Blue Pony debate squad was shut out of quarterfinals in Lincoln-Douglas Debate after losing — and winning — close rounds to many of the top debaters who placed at state.

Senior Trenton Smith went 2-3 in Laurel, losing the first round in a close debate to the Laurel competitor who went on to win the tournament.

The judges in all of the rounds Smith lost, including that first round, commented on the quality of the debates and the difficulty in coming to a decision.

Smith won the second and third rounds, both against Billings Central Catholic High School debaters, then lost the fourth round to the Columbia Falls debater who ended up in eighth place and the fifth round to the Laurel debater who finished in third.

Sophomore Kaleb Gardner also went 2-3, winning his first round against a Whitefish debater before losing a close second round to the Laurel debater who ended up in second at state.

Gardner won his third round, against a Dawson County High School debater from Glendive, before losing his fourth round to a Frenchtown High School debater and his fifth to the Polson debater who took fifth at state.

Junior Johnny Valadez, who switched in November to Lincoln-Douglas debate during his third year in impromptu speaking, went 1-4 at state. Valadez won his first round, against a Columbia Falls debater who ended up in fourth at state, but lost to two debaters from Whitefish and to competitors from Butte Central Catholic High School and from Polson.

Senior Jesse Riska, a third-year competitor for the Ponies in memorized public address, received good comments from judges in the five preliminary elimination rounds but did not break into semifinals.

First-year Havre speakers Brady Ophus, a junior, and Jayne Nelson, a sophomore, also received compliments from judges on their performances in impromptu speaking but did not break.

“I’m really proud of how Havre’s speakers made their mark at state this year,” Havre High head speech coach Tim Leeds said. “Ethan losing that tie-breaker was a heart-breaker, but he definitely impressed the judges at Laurel, and everyone did really well against the best competition in the state.

“We are losing some real talent in our graduating seniors when we head to state next year, and they will be missed, but we have more talent coming back,” Leeds added. “I think we will continue to impress judges around Montana with Havre’s program.”

Havre next travels to the National Speech and Debate Association national tournament qualifier set in Great Falls Feb. 10-11. The national tournament is set for June 18-23 in Birmingham, Alabama.