HELENA – The Talking Saints ran their streak to 33 consecutive Northwest Forensics Conference titles, dating to 1991, at the regional championship tournament held January 27-29 at Lower Columbia College in Longview, Washington. Carroll shared gold medal recognition with Boise State University and Lewis & Clark College. Boise State is coached by Talking Saints alum Manda Hicks ’97.
With success spread among more than 20 team members, the Talking Saints won 36 awards and dominated debate. Carroll received the Presidential Award as the top debate program in the region.
“This was our first bus trip since getting stuck in the mud in January 2020 in Oregon,” said coach Brent Northup. “Nothing can top in-person competition, especially cheering for teammates at awards. Three first year students – Catherine Dudley, Olivia Smith and Charlie Said - won events, and each time the roar from their teammates rattled the rafters. The love these students have for one another has led directly to their success.”
Smith from Bozeman, who won first in prose and second in debate, won an Orv Iverson Eagle Award for being the third best new competitor in the region this year. Dudley from Markleville, Indiana, placed first in novice impromptu.
“Catherine was genuinely shocked when her name was announced,” said Northup. “When they announced that she had received three perfect ballots from judges in her final round, she just shook her head in disbelief and buried her face in her hands.”
Seven Carroll teams advanced to the championship rounds of British Parliamentary debate, with three Carroll debaters tying for top speaker: Sophomore Angelica Sutton of Wolf Point, Montana, senior Roisin O’Neill of Lake Oswego, Oregon, and senior Hellie Badaruddin of Missoula.
First year debater Charlie Said of Seattle won open debate with Ivy Burt, a partner from Lewis & Clark College. Smith and Kaden Crozier of Kalispell placed second in junior debate. Sophomore Spencer McDonald of Missoula and senior Brady Clark of Monona, Wisconsin, placed third in debate.
“Charlie’s win was a fairy tale,” said Northup. “Both Charlie and Ivy found themselves without partners, and met for the first time just minutes before the first round. They ended up winning the tournament and receiving first and second place speaker awards. Their warm partnership helped form friendships between our two schools, too.”
Sophomore June LePage of Lewistown, Montana, led the team with five awards. LePage and Badaruddin placed second in open debate. LePage also earned top-three finishes in prose, extemporaneous speaking and impromptu. LePage finished right behind Smith in the Orv Iverson rankings.
“It was a wonderful weekend and truly beautiful time for the team,” said LePage. “Everyone has been putting in a lot of work to prepare for this competition, and they all performed very well. I'm really proud to be a part of such a hard-working, supportive, and fun group of people. Nothing replicates the experience of casually chatting about school with competitors outside of rounds before giving an analysis of economic policy to a judge just five feet away from you.”
Multiple award winners also included Sophia McAdam of Portland, Oregon, and Kohl Bonser of Richland, Washington.
The tournament ended with a long icy bus ride home. Concerned about conditions on McDonald Pass, the bus detoured south through Butte, arriving home at 4 am Monday, 14 hours after departure.
For seniors Vinny Gallardo and Roisin O’Neill the traveling had just begun. On Monday, they unpacked, did laundry and began packing again for their flight to Ireland 24 hours later.
The Carroll partners flew to Dublin, Ireland, where they are competing in the Trinity College tournament, February 4-5. That event features top BP teams from throughout Europe. Gallardo and O’Neill are being hosted by Ronan Mullen, an Irish senator, himself a former Irish champion debater.