The Lovell High School speech team faced strong competition at the Northwest College Tournament Friday and Saturday in Powell, which featured 16 schools, seven of them from Montana.
Coach Debbie Fink said there were more than 380 students competing, and all of the competition was varsity, except for the debate competition, which also featured a novice division.
Freshman Traci Averett performed very well in novice Lincoln-Douglas debate, Fink said, noting, “She did very well for her first meet and finished in the top half of the competitors.”
Sister Chaelyn Averett, a senior, faced 55 or 56 competitors in humor and finished in the top 15, Fink said, with her piece “Boy Meets Girl Plus One” – a story about three one-month-old babies meeting in the park.
“Everyone did very well. It was a very difficult tournament,” Fink said. “The Montana schools are at the end of their season, whereas we are at the beginning. The Montana schools dominated all of the areas, but everyone received a lot of valuable information and experience.”
The Lovell team will be off this weekend and will return to action Jan. 22-23 at the Worland Tournament, where there will be, again, several Montana schools participating, Fink said.
“Our kids have their work cut out for them, but they can handle it,” she said. “The public is welcome to come and watch the meet. If they want a fun day of laughing, crying and giggling, they are more than welcome to attend.”