Glacier wins Butte speech meet

A speech and debate tournament in Butte over the weekend turned into a fierce battle between the state’s top three teams.

Glacier High School pulled ahead of crosstown rival Flathead High and Bozeman High School, the defending state champions, to win the Butte Invitational Saturday. Glacier finished the weekend with 149.5 points.

Bozeman came in second with 139 points, followed closely by Flathead’s 135 points.

“This tournament just is another reminder of how close the state tournament could be. Everyone on our team is going to need to contribute if we are to hold off Bozeman and Flathead,” Glacier head coach Greg Adkins said.

“This was ridiculously close — and I expect the same in two weeks at the state tournament.”

Flathead head coach Karen Downes said she was pleased with her team’s performance over the weekend.

“Overall I feel ... that we are in a great place going into state,” she said. “The Butte tournament was down to the wire and [we] competed very well despite not having our full team.

“We are looking forward to [the] state tourney when we can compete with our full team. I think the Flathead, Bozeman and Glacier match-up will be a great one.”

The Class AA state tournament takes place Jan. 28 and 29 in Great Falls.

Local results from the Butte Invitational are as follows:

• Policy Debate — 2. Ashley Berger and Brandon Simpson, Glacier; 5. Mariah Gladstone and Levi Proctor, Glacier

• Lincoln-Douglas Debate — 2. Zak Parker, Flathead; 4. Hannah Wilson, Flathead; 7. Emily Stoick, Flathead

• Public Forum Debate — 4. Izaak Castren and Andy Walling, Glacier; 5. Tucker Connell and Logan Hendrix, Glacier; 6. Ian Hollander and Flint Martino, Glacier

• Legislative Debate — 1. Serena Brosten, Glacier; 3. Reese Erickson, Glacier; 4. Hunter Garbacz, Glacier; 5. Jeremy Zug, Flathead; 6. Andora Tutvedt, Glacier; 7. Matt Griffin, Flathead; 8. Barrie Sugarman, Flathead

• Extemporaneous Speaking — 2. Hannah Anderson, Flathead; 3. Elena Musz, Flathead; 7. JonAlan Osborne, Flathead

• Impromptu Speaking — 1. Hannah Anderson, Flathead; 2. Elena Musz, Flathead; 3. JonAlan Osborne, Flathead; 5. Quinn Maroney, Glacier; 8. Brandon Books, Glacier

• Duo Interpretation — 2. Clayton McDougall and Tanner Maroney, Glacier; 3. Jesse Davis and Draylen Askvig, Glacier

• Humorous Oral Interpretation — 2. Danny Power, Flathead; 7. Tanner Maroney, Glacier

• Serious Oral Interpretation — 1. Caroline Houser, Glacier; 2. Natalie Griffin, Flathead; 3. Brianna Boozel, Flathead

• Memorized Public Address — 1. Tierney Strandberg, Flathead; 2. Accacia Gardner, Flathead; 3. Brandon Books, Glacier; 4. Caroline Houser, Glacier; 5. Brianna Boozel, Flathead

• Original Oratory — 1. Quinn Maroney, Glacier; 8. Megan Larsen, Flathead

• Expository Speaking — 1. Dakota Light-Smith, Flathead; 2. Sonya Brosten, Glacier; 5. Katie Brown, Flathead; 6. Tessa King, Glacier