Havre High School's speech and debate team won the Havre home tournament Saturday, its first tournament of the season, despite losing some seniors to college tests that were held the same day.
Facing competitors from six other schools, including both Great Falls public high schools, all but three Havre students placed in the top eight in their events, including four with first-place finishes.
Havre beat out Browning to win the Class A speech sweepstakes trophy. Harlem High School also saw success, winning both the speech and drama sweepstakes in Class B competition, and the newly formed Chester-Joplin-Inverness school won both trophies in the Class C competition.
Leading the charge for the Blue Ponies were Andrew Dusek, who took first in expository speaking; Keri Burstock with a first-place finish in original oratory; Lucas Minnick with a first-place finish in Lincoln-Douglas debate; and Tyler Lamb with a first-place victory in extemporaneous speaking.
In original oratory, Christina Hoppe of Havre took second, with Brianne Stokes of C/J-I taking fourth and Sara Markuson, also of C/J-I, taking eighth.
In expository speaking, Rick Verploegen of Havre took second and Tyler Hull of C/J-I placed fourth.
Samantha Steven of C/J-I won the competition in serious oral interpretation of literature, with Crystal Cochran of Harlem placing sixth and Rachel Rawn of Havre taking seventh.
Natalie Crazy of Harlem won the competition in solo acting, and Anthony Markinson and Jared Bixby of C/J-I took second in duo acting.
Jade Lowder of Havre took second in humorous oral interpretation of literature, with Jacques Thibodeaux of Havre taking fifth in the event.
Ben Vandesant from C/J-I took second in memorized public address, and Caleb Brown, also of C/J-I, took third in impromptu speaking. Kirk Skari of C/J-I took sixth in the event and J. Browning and Casey Donoven, both of Havre, took seventh and eighth, respectively.
Havre's Megan Wagner and Emily Koffler placed fourth in team debate.
Havre next travels to Great Falls for Saturday's invitational tournament in the Electric City.
