Three Pirate speakers take first at State

POLSON — Hosting the Montana Class A State Speech and Drama Meet on Saturday, Jan. 28, the Polson High School Team, and several individuals, had standout performances, garnering a handful of medals for the Pirates.

Polson’s speech team finished with 65 points, good for fifth place, just three points behind fourth-place Belgrade and seven points behind third-place Stevensville. Columbia Falls, with 140 points, and Billings Central, with 90, claimed the top two spots.

Medalists helping the Pirates to that finish included Sharidan Russell and Kelsey Koberg, who took home first place in policy debate, Megan Pope, who earned first in extemporaneous speaking and third in impromptu speaking, Logan Nutzman, a seventh-place Lincoln-Douglas debator, Isak Petersen, ninth in the same event, Sher Afgan Tehmasap, who earned eighth in oratory speaking and the team of Reed Hovenkotter and Eric DeLay, who took 11th in policy debate.

The drama team acted their way to a seventh-place finish behind medalists Sydney Gambrel and Krysta Seville, a second-place serious duo pairing and the team of Rosie Stanfield and Michael Venters, who earned eighth in classical duo.

Corvallis won the drama competition with 93 points, followed by runner-up Billing Central’s 82.

Congratulations to all of the competitors and the Polson Speech and Drama Team for their impressive performances!