Speech and Debate Squad Has Strong Showing in Havre

The LHS speech and debate team returned from the Class A Eastern Divisional Tournament in Havre this past Saturday having qualified nine of its eleven competitors for state and producing one divisional champion.

There were nine schools and a total of 124 individual competitors spread across 13 different events. Those events are grouped into four general categories: interpretation, short preparation, memorized, and debate. Competitors had to finish in the top twelve in their event to qualify for the state tournament in Corvallis on January 28-29, and those who placed in the top eight took home medals. In the end, the Lockwood team brought home one first-place medal, along with a fifth, seventh, ninth, and two 12th-place finishes.

In the oral interpretation of literature events, junior Lily Conklin finished 8th in dramatic, and freshman Laira Larson took 6th in the same event, while Emilee Shults, a sophomore, earned a 12th place finish in the humorous category.

Competing in the short preparation events, sophomore Seth Ahlgren took seventh in extemporaneous speaking, and junior Elizabeth Buckalew earned a hard-fought ninth-place medal in impromptu. Madison Forney and Draven Miller also competed in impromptu but just missed out on qualifying for state.

Debate was represented by sophomores Mayson James and Nevaeh Lee, who took fifth in public forum. Unfortunately, Lincoln-Douglas debater Addison Sylvester-Novasio was ill and unable to make it to Havre.

In the memorized events, Emily Brandenburg brought home a 12th place medal for informative speaking, and last, but certainly not least, junior Gwyn Cusak continued her run of top-notch performances by taking home the first-place medal for original oratory.

Good luck to the Lockwood speech and debate team as they head off to the Class A State Tournament this weekend.