Helena, MT – The Carroll College Talking Saints won 27 awards and dominated BP debate at the Mahaffey Tournament held at Linfield College on November 14-16 in McMinnville, Oregon. Carroll finished second in school sweepstakes, won by Boise State University, coached by Talking Saints alum, Manda Hicks ’97.
The team’s happy trip home was disrupted by a broken windshield wiper, which led to a seven-hour delay on the return. The long wait for a new bus was soothed by breakfast at Cracker Barrel in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
“The trip to Linfield was certainly a journey,” said Kimber Koteskey, a first year from Great Falls. “From unexpected finishes to a bus delay it was full of surprises. Having my whole Talking Saints family in one place is something that made this tournament so special.”
Olivia Smith, Kate Wilkins, Kaylee Little, Davis Thompson and Kimber Koteskey led the way, each winning multiple awards.
The debaters swept the top four speaker awards in debate, winning junior debate and placing second, third and fourth in open.
Senior Olivia Smith from Bozeman won three awards, and was recognized as the fifth best individual at the tournament, which included more than 200 students from 23 colleges and universities from throughout the West and Midwest.
Smith placed first in after-dinner speaking and second in persuasive speaking.
Wilkins from Salt Lake City finished second in both impromptu and extemporaneous speaking, reached finals in program oral interpretation and third in BP debate with her partner, senior Catherine Dudley, from Pendleton, Indiana.
Koteskey and her partner Davey Erickson, a first year from Chester, Montana, won first in junior BP debate. Koteskey also reached finals of prose, and was a top 10 speaker.
“I have never had two more fun debates than those final rounds with Davey,” said Koteskey. “And we ended up bringing home the first-place plaque!”
Thompson, a junior from East Helena, and partner Brad Tomasovic from Great Falls, were runner up in BP debate behind Lewis & Clark College. Thompson was named top speaker, with Tomasovic right behind in second. Kaylee Little of Boise and Ashlynne Jeffries of Vancouver, Washington, were the third and fourth best speakers, with Wilkins in sixth. Little also placed third in dramatic interp.
Junior Jenna Hammond of Libby, Montana, placed second in poetry and third in program oral interpretation.
Three first year Talking Saints reached finals in prose. Thuymi Tran of Portland joined Koteskey in novice finals. Lily Vickers of Roundup, Montana, reached finals of junior prose.
The tournament was sentimental at times, as the team said goodbye to seniors. The next regional outing will be online, so this was the final time the full team would be together.
One of the sweetest moments of the weekend, was seeing Mary Knight crying in the back of the auditorium,” said coach Brent Northup. “I asked Mary if she was OK, and she smiled through tears to tell me she was just sad to say goodbye to all her friends as she graduates this December. She was hugged all weekend, with some of them teasing her to suck it up and get tough. Mary debated with Sora Kawai of Tokyo, Japan. With Mary as her big sister and mentor, Sora caught fire.”
For the second straight tournament, parents and alums came to watch.
“Ashlynne’s parents brought boxes of treats, and watched all of their daughter’s rounds,” said Northup. “Kaylee’s dad was there, too, along with Lola’s (Baerlocher) mom and brother from Uniontown, Washington.”
Wiper wipeouts did not dampen spirits. The team came home bleary, but happy.
“My favorite part of tournaments isn’t competing or the trophies, but hearing the joy of my teammates as they win. It is their happiness when they give an amazing speech,” said Dudley. “I have been blessed with incredibly talented teammates all four years, and sharing their joy is what makes these tournaments so much fun.”
Like all the seniors, team president and future speech coach Olivia Smith described the weekend as a bittersweet bus trip.
“By the end of competition, my face actually hurt from smiling and cheering so much,” said Smith. “I’ve never felt prouder of my teammates and everything they accomplished. The team experienced a roller coaster of adventures this weekend, which made me realize how grateful I am to be part of something so special - something that not only let me shine my light, but helps everyone around them shine theirs too. The joy, the excitement, the growth. It all reminds me how lucky I am to be surrounded by a group of people who have become incredible competitors, leaders, and people. I’m truly going to miss every single one of them next year when I graduate.”