Havre speakers qualify for state

Press release

Havre High School speech and debate did well at the divisional tournament at Park High School in Livingston Saturday, qualifying most of the team for the state tournament.

State starts Friday at Sidney High School. The top 12 in each event from the eastern divisionals and the top 12 from the western divisionals, held Saturday in Columbia Falls, qualify for state competition.

Head coach Tim Leeds said he was pleased with the results.

“I was hoping for all the students to qualify, but this was the biggest, most competitive divisional tournament I have seen on our side of the state for some time,” he said. “Our kids worked hard and did well, and we are fired up to head for Sidney this weekend.”

Senior Justin Lickfold, a third-year debater for Havre, led the way for the Ponies, taking third in Lincoln-Douglas debate.

Lickfold beat debaters from Lewistown and Billings Central High School debaters the first two rounds, then in the third round fell to a Lewistown debater, who went undefeated and ended up winning the tournament. He rebounded in the fourth round against another Lewistown debater, going 3-1 and just missing the finals round for a rematch of round three to debate for the divisional championship. Lickfold lost a tie-breaking procedure to end up in third.

Senior Sterling Shelton, a second-year Havre debater, went 2-2 to end in fifth place. Shelton lost to a Billings Central Debater in the first round. He came back to beat competitors from Lewistown and Billings Central but fell in a close fourth round match to the eventual champion from Lewistown.

Senior Page Bertelsen, a fourth-year Lincoln Douglas debater, went 1-3 in close matches to end up winning a seventh-place medal.

Sophomore Sienna Dennis, competing in her second year in impromptu speaking for Havre High, took 10th to earn a trip to Sidney.

Freshman Lyvia Little took 12th in humorous oral interpretation and earned a berth at state.

Junior Carinna Kline, a second-year Havre speaker competing in informative speaking, and sophomore Trinity Olsen, a first-year competitor in dramatic oral interpretation of literature, did not quite make the cut to place 12th or higher but did well. Both are positioned as potential alternates if students from other schools who qualified are unable to compete at Sidney.