Talking Saints Garner 30 Awards in October

Talking Saints in Casper, WY

HELENA – The Carroll College Talking Saints forensics team took October by storm by winning 30 awards at three tournaments in Denver, Colorado, Calgary, Alberta, and Casper, Wyoming, over the past three weeks.

The debaters led the way with five British parliamentary teams winning awards in Denver, two in Calgary and three more in Casper. At the Rocky Mountain Championships in Colorado, featuring more than 70 teams from 12 states, Carroll advanced five teams to quarterfinals and two to semifinals, before losing to the University of Alaska and University of LaVerne.

In Wyoming and Alberta, Carroll’s future rose up.

In Calgary, two Carroll first-year teams advanced to the semifinals. Two weeks later in Casper, a first-year team, Eleanor Ferrone of Hastings, Nebraska, and David Lange of Ferndale, Washington, won the tournament, defeating two other Carroll teams and a South Dakota team in the finals. Ferrone won two more awards in extemporaneous speaking and prose interpretation. Another first-year team, Taylor Potts of Great Falls, and Thomas Trangmoe, of Stevensville, Montana, were also in debate finals with Potts winning recognition as the second-best speaker in debate.

Junior Kelsey Watkins of Snohomish, Washington, who with partner Peri Dropping of Seattle, Washington, also reached the finals, was named best speaker. Five of the top six speakers were from Carroll.

In speech events at Casper, junior Michael Fuller of Helena won four awards, earning the Gretchen Wheeler award as the outstanding individual at the tournament. Fuller finished first in informative speaking, persuasive speaking and dramatic interpretation, and also won second in poetry.

Josh Mansfield, a sophomore from Pocatello, Idaho, won three awards, including a top speaker award in parliamentary debate and first in impromptu. Mansfield’s national parliamentary debate partner, Teigen Tremper of Kalispell, Montana, won poetry.

"It was so encouraging to see the first-year students begin to gain traction and shine," said coach Brent Northup. "Most of these students have limited backgrounds in speech and debate, who through hard work are now strong enough to make the old guard nervous. But the best news from the Casper weekend, was the classy way the juniors and seniors celebrated those frosh victories. There was no jealousy, only joy."

The last stop for the Talking Saints this semester is the first regional championship tournament at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon, from November 16-18.

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HELENA – The Carroll College Talking Saints forensics team took October by storm by winning 30 awards at three tournaments in Denver, Colorado, Calgary, Alberta, and Casper, Wyoming, over the past three weeks.

The debaters led the way with five British parliamentary teams winning awards in Denver, two in Calgary and three more in Casper. At the Rocky Mountain Championships in Colorado, featuring more than 70 teams from 12 states, Carroll advanced five teams to quarterfinals and two to semifinals, before losing to the University of Alaska and University of LaVerne.

In Wyoming and Alberta, Carroll’s future rose up.

In Calgary, two Carroll first-year teams advanced to the semifinals. Two weeks later in Casper, a first-year team, Eleanor Ferrone of Hastings, Nebraska, and David Lange of Ferndale, Washington, won the tournament, defeating two other Carroll teams and a South Dakota team in the finals. Ferrone won two more awards in extemporaneous speaking and prose interpretation. Another first-year team, Taylor Potts of Great Falls, and Thomas Trangmoe, of Stevensville, Montana, were also in debate finals with Potts winning recognition as the second-best speaker in debate.

Junior Kelsey Watkins of Snohomish, Washington, who with partner Peri Dropping of Seattle, Washington, also reached the finals, was named best speaker. Five of the top six speakers were from Carroll.

In speech events at Casper, junior Michael Fuller of Helena won four awards, earning the Gretchen Wheeler award as the outstanding individual at the tournament. Fuller finished first in informative speaking, persuasive speaking and dramatic interpretation, and also won second in poetry.

Josh Mansfield, a sophomore from Pocatello, Idaho, won three awards, including a top speaker award in parliamentary debate and first in impromptu. Mansfield’s national parliamentary debate partner, Teigen Tremper of Kalispell, Montana, won poetry.

"It was so encouraging to see the first-year students begin to gain traction and shine," said coach Brent Northup. "Most of these students have limited backgrounds in speech and debate, who through hard work are now strong enough to make the old guard nervous. But the best news from the Casper weekend, was the classy way the juniors and seniors celebrated those frosh victories. There was no jealousy, only joy."

The last stop for the Talking Saints this semester is the first regional championship tournament at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon, from November 16-18.