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Bigfork speech team earns trip to state meet

Shirley Stine Bigfork High School | Bigfork Eagle | UPDATED 2 days, 23 hours AGO

Bigfork's speech and debate team (flanked by coaches Stine and Close) displaying their awards at the tournament.

by Shirley Stine Bigfork High School
| January 27, 2026 11:00 PM

The Bigfork High School Speech, Drama and Debate team achieved a rare and remarkable feat at the Divisional tournament last weekend: a clean sweep of qualifications. Every single member of the team who competed at Divisionals successfully punched their ticket to the state finals.

The team’s performance was anchored by several dominant showings, including three Divisional championships. Junior Brody Henion took first place in Humorous Interpretation, sophomore Micah Butler secured first place in Program Oral Interpretation, and the team of Olivia Close and Jake Baldi captured first place in Duo Interpretation.

Other podium finishes at Divisionals included senior Jake Baldi taking third in Humorous Interpretation, senior Madeline Pomeroy placing third in Original Oratory, and Rylee Wood finishing fourth in Dramatic Interpretation.

Following this 100% qualification rate, the team is now preparing to travel to Corvallis for the state finals, scheduled for Jan. 30-31.

The following students have qualified to compete for the state title:

Seniors

  • Jake Baldi: Qualified in Humorous Interpretation and Duo Interpretation (with partner Olivia Close).

  • Madeline Pomeroy: Qualified in Original Oratory and Duo Interpretation (with partner Cy Devlin).

  • Triston Feller: Qualified in Extemporaneous Speaking.

Juniors

  • Brody Henion: Qualified in Humorous Interpretation.

  • Olivia Close: Qualified in Informative Speaking and Duo Interpretation (with partner Jake Baldi).

  • Cy Devlin: Qualified in Duo Interpretation (with partner Madeline Pomeroy).

  • Rylee Wood: Qualified in Dramatic Interpretation.

Sophomores

  • Micah Butler: Qualified in Program Oral Interpretation.

Freshmen

  • Riggins Jessop: Qualified in Humorous Interpretation.

The team will compete against the top speakers and performers from across Montana as they look to cap off their season with strong results in Corvallis.