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2025 DIVISIONAL RESULTS
January 27, 2025
WEST
CFALLS WINS 2025 SPEECH DIVISIONAL
This weekend the Columbia Falls Speech and debate team competed in the Western A Divisional Tournament at Polson. The top 12 of each of the events qualify to participate with the top 12 in each event from the Eastern A Division at State next weekend. Columbia Falls and Whitefish have battled with close finishes all season and the divisional tournament was no different. The Wildcats pulled ahead in the finals round. to win the Divisional trophy. Frenchtown placed 3rd overall with 66 sweeps points, Whitefish placed 2nd with 220 and Columbia Falls won the title with 236 sweeps points. The following competitors also placed or qualified for the state team:
Lincoln Douglas Debate:
Melody McNally - Divisional Champion
Celestine Young - 6th
Josie Ekholt - State Qualifier
Policy Debate
Boone Shanke & Lauren Rogers - 2nd
Kendal Moultray & Logan Emerson - 3rd
Cheyanne Dear-Ruel & Loren Connors - 6th
Public Forum Debate
Quinn Caudle & Kaya Carlburg - Divisional Champions
Stimson Dolesh & Alston Olson - 6th
Malachi Shaw & Chloe Kinsella - 8th
Dramatic Interpretation
Tia Maria Poor - 3rd
Kory Moran - State Qualifier
DUO Interpretation
Carson Settles & Reid Wollenzien - Divisional Champions
Merrick Fairchild & Allycyn Palmer - 5th
Kory Moran & Brandon Widhalm - 6th
Humorous Interpretation
Reed Wollenzien - 2nd
Tia Marie Poor - 3rd
Adrien Sandon - Thompson 7th
Program Oral Interpretation
Carson Settles - Divisional Champion
Kira Shanks - 2nd
Emma Wilcox - State Qualifier
Extemporaneous Speaking
Selah Heinzen - 3rd
Merrick Fairchild - 6th
Sage Petioni - State Qualifier
Impromptu
Eleanor Smiley - Divisional Champion
Abby Lawhead - 5th
Sage Petioni - State Qualifier
Informative
Greyson Pfeifle - 5th
Elizabeth Burton - 8th
Brandon Widhalm - State Qualifier
Memorized Public Address
Kira Shanks - 2nd
Merell Cooley - 3rd
Eleanor Smiley - 4th
Original Oratory
Merell Cooley - 7th
Abby Lawhead - State Qualifier
The Class A Western Divisional speech and debate tournament in Polson was another tight race to the finish between Columbia Falls and Whitefish. Ultimately, Columbia Falls High School slid past Whitefish High School for the win, earning 236 overall points to Whitefish’s 220 points.
“Columbia Falls and Whitefish have battled with close finishes all season and the divisional tournament was no different. The Wildcats pulled ahead in the finals round to win the Divisional trophy,” Columbia Falls head coach Dawn Roe said.
Frenchtown finished in third place with 66 points.
Leading Columbia Falls to a first-place finish were five individual champions: Quinn Caudle and Kaya Carlburg in Public Forum Debate, Melody McNally in Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Carson Settles and Reid Wollenzien in Duo Interpretation, and Settles in Program Oral Interpretation.
Divisional runner-up, Whitefish, was also led by five individual champions: Jake Dunker and Bjorn Bungener in Policy Debate, Scarlet Burke in Informative Speaking, Unity Loveless in Memorized Public Address and Mason Loeffler in Extemporaneous Speaking.
“I am so proud of the powerhouse, collective force this team has become,” Mueller said.
The divisional tournament determines who qualifies to compete at the Class A state championship on Friday and Saturday in Laurel. Students who placed in the top 12 in each individual event advance to state.
“Looking at the qualifying numbers from both the Whitefish and Columbia Falls teams, we will definitely take this season's battle to the state tournament,” Roe said. “We both have strong teams, however we have not yet seen much of the competition from the East side [of Montana]. We expect that this will be a close competition and look forward to a riveting finale to our season.”
Mueller anticipates the same at state.
“We head into the state tournament a bit down in numbers, but certainly not out, against a very talented and well-coached perennial favorite Columbia Falls team. This has been a season of back-and-forth results and close finishes. I expect no different in Laurel this upcoming Friday and Saturday,” Mueller said.
Following are local individual results for the top eight with additional qualifiers included.
Policy Debate
1. Jake Dunker and Bjorn Bungener, Whitefish
2. Boone Shanke and Lauren Rogers, Columbia Falls
3. Kendal Moultray and Logan Emerson, Columbia Falls
4. Vana Fortune and Ethan Hunsaker, Whitefish
5. Andrew Gibbs and Cohen Gates, Whitefish
6. Cheyanne Dear-Ruel and Loren Connors, Columbia Falls
Public Forum Debate
1. Quinn Caudle and Kaya Carlburg, Columbia Falls
2. Marcus Mercer and Gracie Sliman, Whitefish
3. Shailey Green and Avery McPherson, Whitefish
4. Brynn McDonald and Solvei Gunderson, Whitefish
6. Stimson Dolesh and Alston Olson, Columbia Falls
8. Malachi Shaw and Chloe Kinsella, Columbia Falls
Lincoln-Douglas Debate
1. Melody McNally, Columbia Falls
2. Charlotte Perkins, Whitefish
6. Celestine Young, Columbia Falls
7. Ana Alevizos, Whitefish
8. E. Ratchye, Whitefish
Qualifier: Josie Ekholt, Columbia Falls
Extemporaneous Speaking
1. Mason Loeffler, Whitefish
2. David Losee, Whitefish
3. Selah Heinzen, Columbia Falls
4. Avery Sorensen, Whitefish
6. Merrick Fairchild, Columbia Falls
Qualifier: Sage Petioni, Columbia Falls
Impromptu Speaking
1. Eleanor Smiley, Columbia Falls
2. Astir Pulsifer, Whitefish
5. Abby Lawhead, Columbia Falls
7. Samantha Keim, Whitefish
Qualifiers: Sage Petioni, Columbia Falls and Iona Sarraille, Whitefish
Original Oratory
2. Astir Pulsifer, Whitefish
4. Lizzy Holien, Whitefish
7. Merell Cooley, Columbia Falls
Qualifier: Abby Lawhead, Columbia Falls
Memorized Public Address
1. Unity Loveless, Whitefish
2. Kira Shanks, Columbia Falls
3. Merell Cooley, Columbia Falls
4. Eleanor Smiley, Columbia Falls
7. Mason Loeffler, Whitefish
8. Logan Covey, Whitefish
Informative Speaking
1. Scarlet Burke, Whitefish
5. Greyson Pfeifle, Columbia Falls
8. Elizabeth Burton, Columbia Falls
Qualifier: Brandon Widhalm, Columbia Falls
Humorous Interpretation
2. Reed Wollenzien, Columbia Falls
3. Tia Marie Poor, Columbia Falls
4. Lillian Nelson, Whitefish
7. Adrien Sandon-Thompson, Columbia Falls
Qualifier: Charlie Helgeson, Whitefish
Dramatic Interpretation
3. Tia Maria Poor, Columbia Falls
Qualifiers: Kory Moran, Columbia Falls and Aiden Cubbage, Whitefish
Duo Interpretation
1. Carson Settles and Reid Wollenzien, Columbia Falls
3. Scarlet Burke and Unity Loveless, Whitefish
5. Merrick Fairchild and Allycyn Palmer, Columbia Falls
6. Kory Moran and Brandon Widhalm, Columbia Falls
Qualifiers: Lizzy Holien and Avery Sorensen and Lillian Nelson and Coy Moss, all from Whitefish
Program Oral Interpretation
1. Carson Settles, Columbia Falls
2. Kira Shanks, Columbia Falls
3. Iona Sarraille, Whitefish
5. Maren Cromie, Whitefish
Qualifiers: Emma Wilcox, Columbia Falls and Isla Perkins, Whitefish
EAST
SIDNEY
2025 Divisionals is in the books!! The Drama Team placed 3rd overall with only 8 competitors.
Speech and Debate placed 6th overall
Humorous Solo: 1st William Brinker 2nd Cedar Hovde
Pantomime: 2nd Emma Pust, 3rd Ian Pust, 7th Whisper Enriquez
Humorous Theatre: 6th Cedar Hovde & Brooke Watson
Speech:
Extemporaneous: 2nd Keaton Burke, 4th Elicia Snodgrass
Original Oratory: 5th Tytus Carter
Informative: 3rd Mason Quick 6th Signe Halvorson
Lincoln Douglas: 4th Ivy Cross , 5th Oliver Slade
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