In the final showdown of the 2025 speech and debate season, Bozeman defeated defending state champion team, Flathead High School, with a final score of 144.5 to143.5 overall points, to win the state title. Glacier rounded out Montana’s top three teams in third place, scoring 124.5 points at the Class AA state tournament held Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 in Bozeman. 

Flathead returned home with four individual state champions including Brigham Schow in Legislative Debate, Collin Olson and Jaydon Pesola in Duo Interpretation and Collin Olson in Dramatic Interpretation. 

“Twenty points between the top three is remarkable," Glacier head coach Greg Adkins said in an email. “I'm just bummed for our kids because they battled so hard all season.  Sometimes the best lessons in this activity are the hardest.  We will be okay, bringing home another state trophy is something to be proud of!"   

It is a bittersweet moment for Flathead head coach Shannon O’Donnell who retires at the end of the school year and will be inducted into the Montana Forensic Educators Association Coaches Hall of Fame in March. Her husband, long-time assistant coach and hall-of-famer, Sean O’Donnell, also retires this year. 

“I've been head coach for 13 years now, and it has been one of the greatest joys of my coaching and teaching career,” Shannon O’Donnell said. “I hope to maybe return to coaching one day, but I'll be taking at least a year off. Leaving these kids is one of the hardest things I've ever done, but the team's legacy speaks for itself. Flathead speech and debate has a long history of greatness, and I am confident the program's success will continue long into the future.” 

Sean O’Donnell added that it’s been a wonderful ride with the FHS speech and debate team.  

“The state championships are always nice, but what I cherish are the memories of the incredible students I have had the opportunity to coach,” he said. “Each year, I mourn the loss of our senior class, but when October arrives, another amazing group of students join us. I know it is the same with coaches.  As Shannon and I depart, others will step in and do an incredible job of maintaining the legacy and tradition of Flathead High School speech and debate.”   

The following are individual results. 

Varsity Policy Debate 

1. Kaylie Tedesco and Nela Ward, Bozeman 

2. Avery Harris and Poppy Kappenman, Bozeman 

3. Josh Lee and Owen Carpenter, Glacier 

4. Carsten Bowen and Violet Pehan, Hellgate 

5. Reyonna Murray and Eliza Seifert, West 

6. Sophia Roe and Helen Raaf, Gallatin 

7. Ben Fay and Brian Nguyen, Gallatin 

8. Mikayla King and Cayden Porter, Flathead 

Varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debate 

1. Homa Masood, Skyview 

2. Nat Potter, Bozeman 

3. Maya Graham, Flathead 

4. Paul Sellers, Sentinel 

5. Adalyn Maxwell, Big Sky 

6. Ezra Graham, Gallatin 

7. Noah Elliott, Glacier 

8. Isabelle Malnaa, Skyview 

Public Forum Debate 

1. Juliet Geilen and Julien Alviar, Hellgate 

2. Alex Hansen and Charles Morse, Bozeman 

3. Jack Blodgett and Brett Pesola, Flathead 

4. Lindsey Lemler and Olivia Kufa, Glacier 

5. Kennady Garvin and Maya Kinkaid, Glacier 

6. Phoebe Cross and Audrey Wells, Bozeman 

7. Sarah Loran and Keegan West, Flathead 

8. Kieran Mattson Radle and Ryan Heng, Hellgate

Legislative Debate 

1. Brigham Schow, Flathead 

2. Thomas Nicholson, Senior 

3. Kaylee Hampton, Flathead 

4. Adam Bukowski, Bozeman 

5. B. Poitra, Flathead 

6. Layla Riggs, Helena 

7. Mitchell Johnson, Flathead 

8. Mateo Yedinak, Hellgate 

Impromptu Speaking 

1. Reyne Mortenson, Sentinel 

2. Lydia Comstock, CMR 

3. Ethan Taylor, Helena 

4. Gabe Stordahl, Bozeman 

5. Erek Benson, Flathead 

6. Tommy Meltzer, Bozeman 

7. Claire Gibbons, Hellgate 

8. Em Williamson, Bozeman 

Extemporaneous Speaking 

1. Shelby Tyler, Gallatin 

2. Avery Stephens, Sentinel 

3. Gabe Stordahl, Bozeman 

4. Thomas Bertram, Flathead 

5. Fenton Liebe-Cohen, Flathead 

6. Dalton Howser, Flathead 

7. Eli Steinberg, Sentinel 

8. Tommy Meltzer, Bozeman 

Program Oral Interpretation 

1. Ella Barthel, Senior 

2. Ada Milner, Flathead 

3. Lindy Porter, Flathead 

4. Ili Hoerth, Glacier 

5. Anya Rountree, Glacier 

6. Calvin Casey, Glacier 

7. Jacob Braach, Flathead 

8. Bronson Willcut, Flathead 

Duo Interpretation 

1. Collin Olson and Jaydon Pesola, Flathead 

2. Claire Ennis and Daniel Cole, Glacier 

3. Aiden Lester and Tim Williams, Butte 

4. Sophie Johnson and Kaylin Stein, Glacier 

5. Miles Kuss and Jasper Wilde, Flathead 

6. Noel Cantrell and Myla Lamson, Glacier 

7. Chloe Salusso and Megan Donnelly, Butte 

8. Charlie McGeehan and Aki Patterson, Bozeman

Humorous Interpretation 

1. Rowan Keith, Bozeman 

2. Timothy Williams, Butte 

3. Roscoe Williams, Butte 

4. Charlie McGeehan, Bozeman 

5. Kaylin Stein, Glacier 

6. Eli Sanderson Strutz, Glacier 

7. Delaney Burbach, Hellgate 

8. Annmarie Horsman, Skyview 

Dramatic Interpretation 

1. Collin Olson, Flathead 

2. Laurina Barbosa, Butte 

3. Noel Cantrell, Glacier 

4. Megan Mikelson, Glacier 

5. Lilly Feist, Skyview 

6. Bristol Meiners, CMR 

7. Dimitri Hodapp, Belgrade 

8. Hayden Holloway, Glacier 

Original Oratory 

1. Ben Lucas, Sentinel 

2. Bristol Meiners, CMR 

3. Zaraj Carrucini, Capital 

4. Sam Funderburk, Bozeman 

5. Laila Podlipny, Big Sky 

6. Zachary Baldwin, Hellgate 

7. Ethan Taylor, Helena 

8. Montana Guinn, Gallatin 

Informative Speaking 

1. Parker Wilson, Senior 

2. Jack Boone, Glacier 

3. Thomas DeCock, West 

4. Zachary Baldwin, Hellgate 

5. Layna Astley, Flathead 

6. Lucy Child, Bozeman 

7. Claire Timm, Flathead 

8. Tanner Davis, Capital 

Memorized Public Address 

1. Zaki Masood, Skyview 

2. Anya Rountree, Glacier 

3. Ellie Fiala, Glacier 

4. Calvin Casey, Glacier 

5. Aubrie Hansen, Bozeman 

6. Ada Milner, Flathead 

7. AJ Edgar, Bozeman 

8. Bronson Willcut, Flathead 

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

    Glacier High School took third place at the Class AA Speech and Debate State Championship in Bozeman. (Photo provided by Greg Adkins)