The Glacier Wolfpack Speech and Debate team is a heavyweight contender in next weekend’s Class AA state  tournament on the strength of five varsity sweepstakes wins and one second-place finish this season.

But the Flathead High School squad is right on the Wolfpack’s heels with a first-place win, multiple second-place finishes and one third-place trophy.

Wolfpack speakers and debaters — 35 of them — will compete in 42 events at state in their quest to win what would be the third-straight state championship for Glacier. A sweepstakes triumph at the state meet Friday and Saturday in Butte also would be the 12th state championship team Glacier head coach Greg Adkins has led.

Adkins said Bozeman is the team to beat, along with Flathead, which is led by new head coach Shannon O’Donnell. O’Donnell previously was Adkins’ assistant coach during his tenure at Flathead.

Competitors are scored on technical aspects such as gesture, diction and eye contact, but the majority of judging is subjective, Adkins said.

“A lot of it [coaching] is getting students to feel like they’re ready, confident and poised,” Adkins said.

“And then, you get kids like Tanner Maroney that make you look so brilliant because they are so good.”  

Maroney, a Glacier senior, will compete in Serious Interpretation and Duo Interpretation with his partner, senior Bryce Tomas. Maroney is a three-time national qualifier and comes from a family of successful speakers such as his two older sisters, Quinn and Mikenna, who both encouraged him to compete. In addition to speech, Maroney competes on the soccer team.

Early on, Maroney realized the intensity and power held by Serious Interpretation, which is why he continued with the event every year. While duo interpreters often choose humorous pieces, Maroney and Tomas are betting on a serious performance.

“I really try to do something different from the rest of the state,” Maroney said about the pieces he chooses to perform. “It takes a long time.”

For Maroney’s Serious Interpretation event, he will do a performance titled “R.F.K.” about Robert F. Kennedy. For  Duo Interpretation, he and Tomas will perform a piece based on the movie, “Jarhead.”

The process begins over the summer choosing about 10 pieces — movies, plays, books — and editing them into 10-minute performances, then narrowing them down to what they think will be the strongest contender.

Maroney’s preparations have paid off: He’s undefeated in the past two seasons in Serious Interpretation.

Adkins said other top Wolfpack seniors to watch at state are Hunter Garbacz, Legislative Debate; Christian Stratton, Expository Speaking; Keckeley Habel, Original Oratory and Duo Interpretation with Zach French; Leah Cook, Memorized Public Address; and Ian Hollander and Izaak Castren, Public Forum Debate.

Adkins said many speech and debate students participate in athletics, theater and music while some participate solely in speech. Some students come in with confidence while others want to overcome nervousness in public speaking.

“Speech and debate kids are such a different breed,” Adkins said.

Adkins himself attended Flathead High School and was an athlete before he was a speaker.

He joined the speech team his junior year competing in Serious Interpretation under coach David Hashley. That season, the team was undefeated. Two back-to-back state titles had Adkins hooked.

He went on to compete in the same event at Eastern Montana College while earning a Bachelor of Science in education emphasizing history, communications, forensics, drama and coaching.

Adkins returned to Flathead High School in the 1990s as a teacher and speech coach, with Hashley as his mentor.

During his tenure at Flathead there was a core group of coaches, notably Sean O’Donnell, Ivanna Fritz and Kerrie More.

“Through all the state championships they were with me,” Adkins said. Flathead High teams won nine state titles during that time.

Adkins and Fritz eventually would transfer to Glacier High School when it opened in 2007 to lead a new speech and debate team. Josh Munro, assistant coach at Flathead from 2006 to 2007, also went to Glacier and became an assistant coach.

When he started coaching, Adkins didn’t picture the success he has had.

“It seemed out of the realm of possibility,” Adkins said.

When asked if that has changed, Adkins replied — clapping his hands together once — “It is now.”

“Really, I’ve had remarkable coaches and obviously great students,” Adkins said. “You know, I don’t win rounds — it’s the kids.”

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.