HELENA – The rookies led the Carroll College Talking Saints forensics team as the team opened their season by winning 10 awards at the Teaching Tournament, hosted online by Carroll on September 13-15. Nine colleges from six states competed, ranging from Miami to Mississippi to Colorado Springs. The tournament’s theme was “teaching before trophies” and included workshops for both beginners and advanced debaters.
“We host this to train newcomers and we’ve found a loyal following since we went online during the pandemic,” said coach Brent Northup. “How else would you get the Rebels of Ole Miss to visit Helena?”
Most of the Talking Saints’ upper-class students served as judges and hosts, cheering for the new team members, whom the veterans have been mentoring in the opening month.
First-year Kate Wilkins of Salt Lake City and junior Kaylee Little of Boise, advanced to the open championship round, finishing third. First-years Leah Melvin of Kimberly, Idaho, and Aurora Salinas of Butte advanced to the semifinals of open.
A team from the Air Force Academy won the open division in British Parliamentary (BP) debate, and Montana State won the novice championship.
Another first-year team, Alaura Olszewski of Kalispell and Julia Reger-Brown of Billings, reached semifinals of the novice division.
The Saints won eight-speaker awards, led by Wilkins who was named second-best speaker in the tournament. The Saints who received speaker recognition included Wilkins, Melvin, Little, Salinas and Brown.
Senior Anna Brown from Olympia, Washington, was named the tournament’s top speaker. Brown is applying to law school for next fall.
“Half of our new team members had no experience in debate in high school,” said coach Brent Northup. “So, to see them shine in their first-ever debate tournament thrilled everyone. They were holding their own against more experienced teams, which was very encouraging. We are a better rebounding team this year with 6-foot 5-inch Kaylee in the paint. Why didn’t I think of that sooner?”
Little is the latest second-generation Talking Saints team member.
“Kaylee’s aunt Amy (Wong-Little, ’94) won a national award on our team in the nineties,” said Northup. “Amy’s heart held us together in my early years. Kaylee’s a warm soul, too. The nut didn’t fall too far from the tree.”
The Talking Saints were both surprised and excited by their successful weekend.
“The teaching tournament was such a great way to start the year,” said Little. “Breaking straight to open finals with zero prior debate experience meant a lot to me. I am so extraordinarily proud of myself and my partner, Kate.”
“The tournament was fantastic!” Kate Wilkins said. “It was great to finally be able to utilize all the skills we’ve used in training!”
Reger-Brown, a future nurse, felt her heartbeat start racing when results were posted.
“The tournament itself was very, very exciting!” said Reger-Brown. “There was something very special about being able to compete in BP for the first time. When my partner and I realized that we broke to semis, we were ecstatic and shocked, as we had not been expecting it at all.”
Aurora Salinas, an ROTC student majoring in computer science, competed in O’Connell Hall, but she was dreaming of the Colosseum.
“This teaching tournament felt like a day in the library, except we’re not in the library, we’re gladiators,” said Salinas. “We fight tirelessly. We prevail. Huzzah and God be praised. We rejoice together but still ready for the next battle.”
The Talking Saints sent a small contingent of gladiators to the College of Southern Idaho September 26, and the team will debate online on October 5-6.