Steamboat Pilot & Today

If Saturday's tournament in Fort Collins was a test for the Steamboat Springs High School speech and debate team, then its members passed with flying colors.

Eleven members of the team traveled to Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins for a 24-school invitational that coaches Marty and Shauna Lamansky considered a gauge for where the team stands at the beginning of its long season. They were pleased with the results.

"They came to play," Shauna Lamansky said. "They proved they're right up there with the best competitors."

The team was led by senior Patrick Kuczkowski, who was competing in his first tournament since June's National Forensics League National Tournament held in Salt Lake City. Kuczkowski missed the team's Oct. 23 tournament in Frisco because of ACT testing.

Kuczkowski made the final round in foreign-affairs extemporaneous speaking and placed second overall. He and teammate Amanda Toy were paired in public forum debate, in which they compiled a 2-1 record to capture sixth place.

Toy, also a senior, earned a trip to the final round of national extemporaneous speaking, in which she placed fifth overall.

Two other seniors also performed well in the tournament, Shauna Lamansky said.

Stephanie Engle finished with a 2-1 record in Lincoln-Douglas debate and placed sixth overall. She also was nominated as an outstanding speaker in a session of student congress. Dana Schlingman earned an excellent ribbon in the original oratory event and was named outstanding speaker in her session of student congress.

"The seniors really demonstrated their speaking skills and, more importantly, their senior leadership this weekend," Shauna Lamansky said. "They started off the season very well, and it looks like it will be a great season."

Travis Mouffe, a junior in his first season on the team, earned a superior ribbon in humorous interpretation after falling just short of qualifying for the event's final round.

The team has several weeks off before a Dec. 4 tournament at Moffat County High School in Craig.