The Columbia Falls speech and debate team started its 2014 season where it left off last year — with a victory.

The defending Class A champion Wildcats easily outpaced the competition in Polson on Oct. 25 with 142 points. Whitefish was second with 61. Class B Loyola had 99 points to lead the B schools.

“We had a good showing, but we’re still missing team members as the fall sports season wraps up,” coach Tara Norick said. “It was nice to have a smaller tournament as the first tournament of the season to break in our new team members.”

Norick said more than half the team was new to their event or to speech and debate altogether. The Cats were led by Colter Norick and Annabel Conger, who took first in policy debate. Norick also took first in Lincoln-Douglas debate.

Jenna Smith was first in humorous oral interpretation, and Cody Phillips took first in impromptu speaking.

Policy debate

3rd Anna Nicosia and Monique Schoech

6th Hailey Lemburg and Tya Bonawitz

7th Victoria Bloomgren and Tim Ingham

Lincoln-Douglas debate

5th Caitlyn Long

8th Mary Ward

Humorous oral

interpretation

2nd Jerelyn Jones

5th Hannah Gustin

8th Danielle Rosenbaum

Serious oral

interpretation

3rd Jordyn King

4th Estevan Torres

Extemporaneous

speaking

2nd Cody Phillips

4th Danny Morgan

5th Aiden Scallen

7th Alex Garate

Impromptu speaking

5th Shea Lefevbre

Original oratory

4th Ali Gould

7th Genna Devitt

Expository speaking

2nd Samantha Gilk

3rd Emily Getts

5th Cole Brown

6th Miranda Lauria

7th Emily Scallen