Havre speech does well at Great Falls AA tournament

Press release

The Havre High School speech and debate team traveled to its largest meet of the year over the weekend, and did well at the AA Great Falls Electric City Optimists Invitational Tournament.

Havre competitors faced students from Montana’s AA schools at the meet, as well as from Class A rival Browning and Class B Great Falls Central High School.

Havre beat Browning in the Class A team points, with one debater making outrounds and another speaker just missing making finals and competing for the top eight.

The Havre speakers were competing against 30 to 40 students or more from other schools in most events, 

“This was great experience for the Blue Pony speakers,” Havre head coach Tim Leeds said. “All of our competitors had good rounds and got good comments from judges, and we can use this to build their abilities on the road to divisionals and state.”

Havre first-year competitor Paige Bertelsen, a freshman, went undefeated in the first three rounds of novice Lincoln-Douglas debate. She lost the next two rounds in close decisions, but her record and speaker points broke Bertelsen into the quarter final round in the event.

Bertelsen lost in a split decision, 1-2, in the quarterfinals to a debater from Billings and ended up in fifth place.

First-year Havre competitor Kate Hemmer also did well in the preliminary rounds of original oratory, earning first-place marks from judges in two rounds and a second-place rank from a third. That was enough to put Hemmer into the semifinals round in that event. She did not break into the finals round, and ended up in 10th place in oratory.

Leeds said that all of the Havre competitors received complimentary comments from judges, as well as helpful critiques and good scores in some rounds, but other than Bertelsen and Hemmer none ranked highly enough to break into the outrounds.

Havre travels to Choteau for the Frost and Flanne Filibuster invitational tournament Saturday, then heads next to the Great Falls Central High School invitational tournament Jan. 11.

The Havre team wraps up the regular season Jan. 18 in Simms at the Simms/Power-Dutton-Brady invitational before competing at the Eastern Class A Divisional Tournament in Miles City Jan. 24-25. 

Whitefish is hosting the Class A State Tournament Jan. 31-Feb. 1.