Southwest Montana News

Carroll College's Talking Saints forensics team has secured their 35th consecutive regional title at the Northwest Forensics Conference championship. The event took place from January 31 to February 2 at Lower Columbia College in Longview, Washington. This year, the team shared the victory with Boise State University and Lewis & Clark College.

Coach Brent Northup commented on the team's resilience despite health challenges: “What’s amazing about this strong showing is that we probably had half the team really sick this weekend.” He praised Ashlynne Jeffries' family for their support during the competition.

Junior Catherine Dudley of Pendleton, Indiana, was named top speaker for the second tournament in a row, with her partner Charlie Said of Seattle taking second place. Seniors June LePage and Spencer McDonald finished second in Open BP debate after losing to Lewis & Clark in the finals.

Anna Brown and Olivia Smith reached finals in duo and placed in persuasive speaking, with Smith finishing second. First-year debaters Leah Melvin and Aurora Salinas won the junior BP championship.

Eight Carroll debate teams received awards, with twenty members recognized for their achievements. Notably, first-year students performed exceptionally well, earning numerous trophies. Kaylee Little tied for first in prose alongside Alaura Olszewski and a competitor from Lewis & Clark.

Kate Wilkins excelled by winning junior extemp and being named top junior debater; Melvin also achieved success in novice extemp and junior debate.

Northup highlighted a memorable moment when a competitor from Lewis & Clark complimented Carroll's students: “One of the nicest moments... came when one of the competitors from Lewis & Clark came to me to tell me that they loved competing against Carroll because our students were both good and nice.”

The NFC championship marks the final full squad event of the year. Team president June LePage reflected on her eight-year journey in speech and debate as she prepares for medical school interviews: “This final tournament was a beautiful culmination of the team’s hard work this year.”

LePage expressed gratitude for her experience with Carroll's community: “Finishing four years... has me reflecting on how much growth and maturity I have gained from being a Talking Saint.”

As they conclude this chapter, LePage looks forward to future endeavors while cherishing memories made with her teammates. The team now focuses on upcoming championships at Berkeley, Cal Poly, and North Carolina scheduled between March 8–April 7.

The Talking Saints have maintained their dominance since spring 1991 by consistently winning or sharing titles at the Northwest Forensics Conference championship.