Speech and debate coach Charlie Appleby of Bigfork was voted Northern B Divisional Coach of the Year by his peers.

This is the third time Appleby has received the award. Appleby has coached the Bigfork High School Speech and Debate team for 11 seasons.

“It was nice they nominated me,” Appleby said, considering that direct interaction with other coaches is once or twice a year.

The award caps the Bigfork team’s third-place finish at state.

The award comes with a nomination for Class B Coach of the Year, which will be announced during the annual meeting of the Montana Forensic Educators Association March 3-5 in Bozeman.