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Speech and Debate Teams Ready to Compete at State Meets

The Columbia Falls squad is seeking its 11th consecutive state championship in Class A

By Dillon Tabish

The Flathead Valley’s best and brightest speech and debate competitors are ready to keep a proud tradition alive this weekend.

The Columbia Falls squad is seeking its 11th consecutive state championship in Class A. The state tournament is in Belgrade, Jan. 29-30.

Whitefish could be the top contender standing in Columbia Falls’ way. The two rivals have boasted top results all season, and last weekend’s divisional tournament came down to the two Flathead Valley teams. Columbia Falls edged Whitefish with 232 points to 218. Polson took third with 75.

In the Class AA ranks, Flathead and Glacier are once again two of the best teams in Montana. The Class AA state tournament is in Billings, Jan. 29-30.

Last year Flathead brought home the Class AA trophy, its 22nd overall championship since statewide competitions were formally organized in 1936 and the team’s first since 2009. Glacier, the four-time defending AA champ, placed third.

Bigfork will try to bring home hardware from the Class B-C meet in Ennis.

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