Speech grabs second at state meet
Whitefish High School speech and debate team: Danika Tintzman, Ali Hirsch, Josh Harvey, Stacia Tremper, Abigail Bowden, Elizabeth Campbell, Hayden Brandt, Ella Shaw, Tyler Dunnagan, Brendan Gibson, Seth Carmichael, Logan Mercer, Rally Belcher, Ian Lacey, Luca Welle, Sophie Tabor, Regan Tintzman, Abby Lowry, Josie Johnson, Zach Ade, Zoe Dugan, Lucy Schindler, Dani Mayeaux, Lilly Butts, Grace Benkelman, Josephine Brown, Douglas Mercer, Naya Brigette, Aidan Reid, Faith Askew, Bethany Barnes, Lauren MacDonald, Gillian Broughton, Kelsey MacDonald, Ella Van Vlack and Jasmine Reese. Not pictured: Ia…
Whitefish speech and debate capped off their stellar season led by a couple golds at the state championship.
Mary Hooks and Hayden Brandt took first in public forum debate and Naya Brigette won dramatic interpretation at the State Speech and Debate Tournament in Corvallis on Saturday.
As a team, Whitefish took second overall in sweepstakes points behind Columbia Falls. Laurel took third place.
Adding to the points total were second-place performances by Ian Caltabiano and Zach Ade (policy debate), Lucy Schindler (dramatic interpretation) and Anna Cook (original oratory).
Head coach Sara Mueller said the work put in by her students paid off at state.
“I was proud to bring this group of students to the state tournament. We met our ultimate goal of connecting and supporting each other,” she said. “We went into this tournament firing on all cylinders. This team is young, talented, and will only gather strength in the coming seasons. These students put in significant work all year and the pay off came at the state tournament for them.”
Policy debate: 2. Ian Caltabiano and Zach Ade
Public forum debate: 1. Mary Hooks and Hayden Brandt
Lincoln-Douglas debate: 4. Lilly Butts
Extemporaneous: 5. Abigail Bowden
Humorous interp: 4. Danika Tintzman, 8. Jasmine Reese
Dramatic interp: 1. Naya Brigette, 2. Lucy Schindler, 8. Ella Shaw
Memorized public address: 3. Grace Benkelman, 7. Aidan Reid
Original oratory: 2. Anna Cook, 5. Libby Goldhirsch, 8. Josephine Brown
Informative: 3. Regan Tintzman, 6. Brendan Gibson, 7. Elizabeth Campbell
Sweepstakes: 1. Columbia Falls, 2. Whitefish, 3. Laurel