Ronan qualifies 16 competitors for state
courtesy photo
Jessie Lewis, Ryan Dresen, Eli Carey and Kail Cheff hold Ronan’s second place trophy won Saturday at the Speech and Debate divisional tournament in Missoula.
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
News from Ronan High School
MISSOULA — The Ronan High School Speech and Debate team had a busy January, competing every weekend and paying off with a trip to state.
The Chiefs and Maidens qualified 16 students for the state tournament and came away with second place at Saturday’s Southern B/C Divisional Speech, Drama, and Debate Tournament held at the University of Montana.
Jessie Lewis, a senior, captured the division championship in Spontaneous Oral Interpretation for the second year in a row while Daniel Koehler, a junior, earned a second place medal in Dramatic Interpretation.
Seniors Ryan Dresen and Eli Carey took third place in Humorous Interpretation and Dramatic Interpretation, respectively, and senior Kail Cheff had a fourth-place finish in Extemporaneous Speaking.
Other notable finishes include sophomore Jacob Dresen’s personal best finish of third place in Memorized Public Address and freshman Leniece Trahan’s best finish of fifth place in Original Oratory.
Also qualifying for state were junior Roman Hall (fifth place in Humorous Interpretation), sophomore Kelea Ilac (seventh place in Impromptu Speaking), junior Makayla Camel (seventh place in Expository Speaking), junior Ashley McCready (Dramatic Solo), and freshman Jamison Romero (sixth place in Humorous Interpretation).
Policy Debate teams Alex Berna and Julia Matkovich and Jenaya Burns and Aurrora Watkins qualified for state, and freshmen Kara Holmlund earned a competition spot in Extemporaneous Speaking.
“All of our team members work hard, and it’s always disappointing when their hard work doesn’t achieve the results they had in mind,” Coach Amy Miller said of the students who did not qualify for state. Miller and coach Stephanie Swigart both wanted to give those students the recognition they deserve.
“Regardless, they have grown as speakers and debaters, and we look forward to having them back on the team next year,” Miller said.
The Ronan Speech and Debate team continues to grow, with 29 team members making the trip to divisionals.
A week prior in Bigfork, the Ronan High School Speech and Debate team captured a first place finish, edging out powerhouse Loyola with a 67-67 tiebreaker.
“We did beat Loyola, but they did not have their debate team at the meet,” Miller said, explaining that Loyola has split their team in the past, yet no team has come close to beating even their split team.
“It has been an exciting year with this remarkable team,” she said. “They are a dedicated group, and they recognize the importance of practice and determination.”
The Chiefs and Maidens will travel to Ennis Jan. 28-29 for the State B/C Speech, Drama, and Debate Tournament.
Results
Southern B/C Divisional Team Results, Jan. 23:
Loyola Sacred Heart - 1st place
Ronan High School - 2nd place
Three Forks High School - 3rd place
Bigfork Viking Invitational - Saturday, Jan. 16
Ryan Dresen - 1st place, Humorous Interpretation; 2nd place, Spontaneous Interpretation
Roman Hall - 8th place, Humorous Interpretation; 8th place, Spontaneous Interpretation
Daniel Koehler - 1st place, Dramatic Interpretation; 5th place, Humorous Interpretation
Jessie Lewis - 1st place, Spontaneous Interpretation; 7th place, Dramatic Interpretation
Leniece Trahan - 7th place, Original Oratory
Katlynn Deneault - 2nd place, Dramatic Solo
Ashley McCready - 3rd place, Dramatic Solo
Alex Berna and Julia Matkovich - 7th place, Policy Debate
Team Finish: 1st place in Class B Speech and Debate Sweepstakes
Columbia Falls Invitational - Saturday, Jan. 9
Roman Hall - 4th place, Humorous Interpretation
Ryan Dresen - 5th place, Humorous Interpretation
Daniel Koehler - 2nd place, Dramatic Interpretation
Jessie Lewis - 8th place, Dramatic Interpretation
Jacob Dresen - 8th place, Memorized Public Address
Team finish - 2nd place in Class B Speech Sweepstakes
