LCC Speech & Debate Dominates 2-Year Division at Conference Opener

The Lower Columbia College Fighting Smelt Speech & Debate Team opened the Northwest Forensics Conference (NFC) season with a dominant showing at the Steve Hunt Classic tournament, hosted by Lewis & Clark College. LCC finished first place in the 2-year college division in speech sweepstakes, debate sweepstakes, and overall team sweepstakes at the tournament. This result at the large and highly competitive early-season tournament establishes LCC as an early favorite for several season-long NFC awards.

First year student Mara Slabu led the team in sweepstakes points. Slabu, a running start student who also attends Mark Morris High School, was the champion of novice impromptu speaking, earned top speaker honors in novice IPDA debate, and was named top novice in persuasive speaking among other honors.

Returning team leader Keidustine Glidden also had a strong showing, advancing to simifinals in junior IPDA debate, finishing fourth in junior impromptu speaking, and sixth in junior persuasion.

Other noteworthy performances for the Fighting Smelt include My Ta finishing eighth in novice impromptu speaking, Seamus Mahoney finishing twelfth in junior impromptu speaking, and Lukas Krutz finishing thirteenth in junior extemporaneous speaking.

The squad received coaching support from program alumni Alayna Tovar (’21) and Molly Mahoney (’21), as well as LCC staff Alex Brehm, Kailie Drumm, and Julia Mitchell.

Next up for LCC Speech and Debate is the Clark and Rae Peters Invitational, hosted by Pacific University the weekend of October 26-27.

Contact:

Alex Brehm
Director of Forensics
Communication Studies Instructor
Lower Columbia College
abrehm@lowercolumbia.edu
(360) 442-2670