Whitefish speech places third in two-day regional invite

The Whitefish speech and debate team competed in a western regional competition in Kalispell on Friday and Saturday.

After two days of competition, the Bulldogs placed third in the sweepstakes, coming in behind Columbia Falls in first and Frenchtown in second place.

Leading Whitefish was the team of Addie Blackaby and Zoe Tremper who placed third in the public forum debate. In the novice policy debate category, Mathew Rohrmand and Autumn Moulton took fourth overall. And in original oratory, Bulldog Lauren Rossi placed eighth.

“This is always a great tournament to get a feel for two days of competition prior to state. As the majority of Class A tournaments are one day, we always look for the opportunity to practice the skills necessary to compete in a format very similar to our state tournament,” said Whitefish coach Sara Mueller. “Keeping the competitive edge for two days is a challenge. We really enjoy and hope to take advantage of every opportunity to speak alongside the best in the state.”

The Kalispell Invite was the final competition before winter break. The speech team will be back in action on Jan. 6-7 in Corvallis.

Whitefish Results:

Public Forum Debate - 3. Addie Blackaby and Zoe Tremper

Novice Policy Debate - 4. Mathew Rohrman and Autumn Moulton

Original Oratory - 8. Lauren Rossi

Semi-finalists: Iona Saraille (MPA), Scarlet Burke (Humorous Interp)

Sweepstakes: 1. Columbia Falls, 2. Frenchtown, 3. Whitefish