Havre speech wins in Malta

Press release

The Havre High School speech and debate team again saw success over the weekend, bringing home its fourth-straight team trophy for the season from the Malta invitational tournament Saturday.

“The season is going really well,” head coach Tim Leeds said. “The competitors keep improving each week, and the results are showing that, so far, it looks like we will be peaking at just the right time, heading into divisionals and state.

All of the Blue Pony speakers earned points in Havre’s 56-point team victory.

It was anyone’s game in dramatic oral interpretation of literature, with judges giving scores all over the charts to all 12 competitors through the tournament, but veteran Havre speaker Ethan Smith again pulled off a victory. Smith received first-place rankings in the first two preliminary rounds, then earned a three from the third judge, placing him in the finals. He again earned a first-place ranking from one judge in the finals panel, which, along with two third-place rankings, gave him the win at the tournament.

All of Havre’s debate squad earned points with wins at the tournament.

Veteran Trent Smith had a perfect record at Malta, earning three wins in preliminary rounds and scoring wins from all three judges in the finals panel for his first-place finish.

Johnny Valadez and Kaleb Gardner went 1-2 in the preliminary rounds, with their speaker points earning them fourth- and fifth-place finishes, respectively.

Veteran Jesse Riska, competing in memorized public address, also earned a first-place finish, while first-year impromptu speakers Brady Ophus and Jayne Nelson beat out competition to take third and fourth, respectively, in their event.

Havre travels to Choteau this weekend for its Holiday Invitational tournament, then gets back on the road the first weekend the holiday break is over to head to a two-day tournament in Corvallis.