Manti wins Templar Trials speech and debate event

ByRobert Stevens

By Robert Stevens

MANTI—Manti High School captured the overall championship Saturday at the annual Templar Trials Speech and Debate Tournament, while North Sanpete earned the top two places in dramatic interpretation and Gunnison Valley joined the county’s three schools in the nine-team field.

Members of the Manti High School speech and debate team gather outside the school after competing in the annual Templar Trials Speech and Debate Tournament on Saturday. Manti won the team championship against a field of nine schools and earned numerous individual medals across speech and debate events.
Members of the Manti High School speech and debate team gather outside the school after competing in the annual Templar Trials Speech and Debate Tournament on Saturday. Manti won the team championship against a field of nine schools and earned numerous individual medals across speech and debate events.

Manti hosted North Sanpete, Gunnison Valley, Juab, Union, Emery, Beaver, Escalante and Duchesne for the Oct. 3 tournament.

The Templars collected first-place finishes across several events on their way to the team championship.

Josh Lundeberg won Lincoln-Douglas debate for Manti, while teammate Clara Hales placed third. In public forum debate, Vierra Powell and Malia Evers finished third.

Chloe Jordan and Ellie Wilcox placed second in policy debate. Tournament information provided by Manti High School teacher Eric Peterson also listed Abyy Butler and Sophyia Shumway among Manti’s policy debate competitors, but did not specify their placement.

Cody Hatch finished spontaneous argumentation, or SPAR, with an undefeated 3-0 record.

Manti took the top two places in duo interpretation. Ben Dowding and Caden Hwang finished first, followed by Jordan and Wilcox in second.

Hwang also won humorous interpretation, while Sam Jensen placed third.

Powell took first in foreign extemporaneous speaking, with Sadie Sterzik placing third. Mara Funk won national extemporaneous speaking, and Annie Miller finished third in impromptu speaking.

Hales added a second-place finish in informative speaking, while Kadence Johnson placed third. Johnson also won program of oral interpretation, and Vincent Jeffs finished third.

Mallory Bahlmann won original oratory for Manti, while Shaelyn Hart finished second.

North Sanpete claimed the first two positions in dramatic interpretation. Janey Mitchell led the event, with teammate Hannah Holbrook finishing second. Bahlmann placed third for Manti, followed by teammate Renna Munk in fourth.

The dramatic interpretation results gave North Sanpete two of the highest individual finishes recorded among the Sanpete County competitors in the supplied final ranking.

Gunnison Valley also competed against the eight other schools at the tournament. The available results provided to the Messenger, however, did not contain individual rankings for Gunnison Valley competitors, so no individual Bulldog placements could be confirmed.

Manti’s collection of event victories and other medal finishes ultimately put the Templars atop the overall tournament standings on their home campus.