A World Schools Debate team composed of Flathead, Glacier, Columbia Falls and Whitefish high school students talked their way to the top five on the national stage. 

The team placed fifth at the June National Speech and Debate Association tournament in Iowa. The team included Jack Blodgett of Flathead, Kennady Garvin of Glacier, Carson Settles of Columbia Falls and Josh Lee of Glacier, who individually placed ninth overall. 

World Schools Debate is a unique event that uses both speech and debate skills, “... combining ‘prepared’ topics with ‘impromptu’ topics, encouraging debaters to focus on specific issues rather than debate theory or procedural arguments,” according to the association.  

The team competed against 128 others representing eight countries, Columbia Falls head coach Dawn Roe said. The team was coached by Flathead’s Kelli Rosenquist and Columbia Falls’ Mikel Knutson. 

“I am so proud to see a group of students from the Flathead Valley work together, cross school rivalries and achieve something unprecedented for our state,” said Rosenquist, who is the new head coach of Flathead’s speech and debate team following Shannon O’Donnell’s retirement. 

“Kennady, Jack, Josh and Carson impressed all of us every day with their kindness, determination and intelligence, and they were rewarded with this fantastic outcome," she said. 

A second local World Schools Debate team placed 34th whose members were Columbia Falls' Quinn Caudle, Glacier’s Owen Carpenter and Anya Denmark, Whitefish’s David Losee and Flathead’s Dalton Howser. 

“World Schools is a tough event — our students compete against international teams and students who do the event year-round. By contrast, we compile a team in April and compete in early June,” Rosenquist said. “They have to make up additional ground while debating topics that change each round, with only an hour to prepare. What they've accomplished is truly remarkable.” 

The schools also brought national qualifiers who competed in individual events at the June 15-20 tournament. 

Flathead’s Jake Milone climbed to a ninth-place tie with a North Dakota student in Impromptu Speaking. Flathead students Kaylee Hampton and Collin Olson broke into the top 60 in Congressional Debate — Senate and Dramatic Interpretation, respectively. 

Other national qualifiers from the four high schools included: Flathead students Fenton Liebe-Cohen in U.S. Extemporaneous Speaking, Bronson Willcut in Program Oral Interpretation and Mitchell Johnson in Congress — House; Glacier's Calvin Casey in Program Oral Interpretation; Columbia Falls’ Reed Wollenzien and Kory Moran in Duo Interpretation and Whitefish students Jake Dunker and Vana Fortune in Policy Debate, Astir Pulsifer in Original Oratory and Scarlet Burke in Informative Speaking.  

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or [email protected].