Flathead County’s high school oratory excellence lives on.

All of the valley’s five speech and debate teams brought home trophies from their respective state championship meets held over the weekend.

In dominating fashion, Columbia Falls captured its 12th consecutive Class A speech and debate championship in Laurel by tallying a remarkable 280 points as a team.

Among the individual state champions, Jerelyn Jones won original oratory and placed third in humorous interpretation, Jacob Hohman won informative speaking and was third in dramatic interpretation, Chloe Foster won memorized public address, Estevon Torres won dramatic interpretation and Annabel Conger and Colin Norick won policy debate. The team earned its 19th overall state title.

“We are overwhelmingly proud of our state team. We had a very strong team this year, with 14 seniors and a full roster of dedicated competitors,” head coach Tara Norick said. “This is a group of kids who worked hard, practiced hard, stayed focused, and kept their eye on the prize. We couldn’t have done it without our amazing group of coaches – Alyssa Militello, Candy Gross, Alicia Gillan, and Barry Conger.”

Whitefish, with an impressive 126 points, earned the Class A state runner-up trophy for the second year in a row. It marked the seventh second-place trophy since 2004. Makkie Haller captured the individual title in impromptu speaking.

“We have had a great season and are thrilled to be able to bring the Bulldogs to the state tournament,” Whitefish head coach Carissa Shupp said. “Our kids worked hard this year, and it paid off here. We are grateful to everyone who supported the Whitefish team, and proud to bring home medals in several events.”

At the Class AA state meet in Bozeman, two familiar teams placed in the top three. Glacier earned second and Flathead was third. Bozeman successfully defended its state championship by narrowly holding off Glacier in team points, 157.5 to 149.5. Flathead tallied 87.5 points and extended its streak of placing in the top three every year since 1973. The team took second a year ago. Glacier continued its own streak, placing in the top three every year since 2008. Glacier was third a year ago.

Among individual winners, Glacier’s Te’a Mergenthaler and Zach Hill won duo interpretation, Aleesha Hillis won memorized public address, Brock Adkins won original oratory and placed second in dramatic interpretation, and Natalie Krueger won informative speaking. Flathead’s Grace Cady won impromptu.

At the Class B/C state meet in Havre, Bigfork placed second with 85 points. Missoula Loyola tallied 149 points and won its 34th consecutive state title. It marked the sixth year in a row that Bigfork has brought home a top-three trophy. Last year’s team took third.

Among individual winners, Grace Olechowski won original oratory for the second straight year, Riley Hoveland won memorized public address, Reuben Hubbard won impromptu and Anya Young won informative.

“Having four state champions — sweeping the ‘memorized’ events — and having so many kids place really shows how hard these kids worked this year,” Bigfork head coach Charles Appleby said. “They gave up Saturday after Saturday, traveled on busses great distances at terrible hours both early in the morning and late at night, went against Class A and Class AA competition week after week, and were truly rewarded for their effort with their poise, confidence, endurance, and ability at the State tournament in Havre.”

Appleby said this year’s team helped continue the growth of the talented program into a state contender in the years ahead.

Individual Results

Class A

Public Forum Debate

2. Ava Chisholm & Anna Nicosia, Columbia Falls

4. Annabelle Smith & Katelyn Toland, Polson

5. Cassidy Norick & Kelsey Wright, Columbia Falls

7. Delaney Conger & Maggie McKeon, Columbia Falls

Policy Debate

1. Annabel Conger & Colin Norick, Columbia Falls

2. Zachery Kasselder & Ian Caltabiano, Whitefish

4. Ian McKenzie & Danielle Schwalk, Columbia Falls

5. Abby Lowry & Douglas Mercer, Whitefish

6. Mary Ward & Shyane Williams, Columbia Falls

Lincoln Douglas Debate

4. Mikel Knutson, Columbia Falls

5. Sophia Spechart, Polson

6. Gabby Merrell, Columbia Falls

8. Tyler Brown, Columbia Falls

Impromptu

1. Makkie Haller, Whitefish

2. Danny Morgan, Columbia Falls

3. Willie Baltz, Columbia Falls

5. Teigen Tremper, Whitefish

7. Geneva des Lions – Polson

Extemporaneous

3. Danny Morgan, Columbia Falls

4. Zach Ade, Whitefish

7. Alex Garate, Columbia Falls

8. Makkie Haller, Whitefish

Memorized Public Address

1. Chloe Foster, Columbia Falls

2. Zach Ade, Whitefish

4. Joey Chester, Columbia Falls

5. Geneva des Lions, Polson

Dramatic Interpretation

1. Estevon Torres, Columbia Falls

3. Jacob Hohman, Columbia Falls

5. Lizzy Olsen, Whitefish

6. Naya Brigette, Whitefish

Humorous Interpretation

3. Jerelyn Jones, Columbia Falls

4. Brandon Karberg, Columbia Falls

Informative

1. Jacob Hohman, Columbia Falls

4. Danielle Rosenbaum, Columbia Falls

5. Teigen Tremper, Whitefish

6. Kennedy Payne, Columbia Falls

7. Adia Saurey, Whitefish

Original Oratory

1. Jerelyn Jones, Columbia Falls

4. Aidan Reid, Whitefish

5. Miranda Lauria, Columbia Falls

6. Grace Benkelman, Whitefish

Class AA

Policy Debate

8. Emma Trunkle & Jenna McCrorie, Glacier

Lincoln Douglas Debate

4. Sierra Dilworth, Flathead

Public Forum

4. Keegan Siebenaler & Millie Espeseth, Glacier

5. Annabelle Pukas & Josh Wolf, Flathead

Legislative

3. Tristan Lang, Glacier

4. Abigail Roston, Glacier

5. Nick Brester, Glacier

7. Aiden Drew, Glacier

Extemporaneous Speaking

3. Sophia Skwarchuk, Flathead

7. Carolina Sierra, Flathead

8. Reed Miller, Flathead

Impromptu

1. Gracy Cady, Flathead

2. Trey Shields, Glacier

4. Sophia Skwarchuk, Flathead

5. Trevor Woodward, Glacier

6. Carolina Sierra, Flathead

Duo Interpretation

1. Te’a Mergenthaler & Zach Hill, Glacier

2. Nate Lorenc & Drew Lorenc, Glacier

8. Toby Diegel & Anne Burtsfield, Flathead

Humorous Interpretation

2. Drew Lorenc, Glacier

4. Nate Lorenc, Glacier

8. Zach Hill, Glacier

Dramatic Interpretation

2. Brock Adkins, Glacier

4. Aleesha Hillis, Glacier

7. Kayli Burback, Flathead

Memorized Public Address

1. Brock Adkins, Glacier

2. America Mason, Flathead

3. Rebecca Vance, Flathead

4. Abigail Vanomy, Glacier

6. Emma Thompson, Flathead

8. Adain Fritz, Glacier

Informative Speaking

1. Natalie Krueger, Glacier

3. Tristan Phillips, Flathead

4. Sienna Riley, Flathead

5. Julia Wynne, Flathead

Class B/C

Original Oratory

1. Grace Olechowski, Bigfork

7. Melissa Paulsen, Bigfork

Memorized Public Address

1. Riley Hoveland

Impromptu Speaking

1. Reuben Hubbard, Bigfork

Informative

1. Anya Young, Bigfork

5. Alex Buenz, Bigfork

Extemporaneous

8. Ryan Shaw, Bigfork

Lincoln Douglas Debate

8. Cole Hider, Bigfork

Humorous Duo

8. KC Isaman & Hattie Emslie, Bigfork