Broadwater Bulldogs are 2023-2024 State Class B Drama Champions!!
Author: MT43 News Correspondent
The Broadwater Bulldogs are 2023-2024 State Class B Drama Champions!!
MT43 News Correspondent
Every member of the drama team qualified for the state competition held this past weekend at Choteau High School. What proved to be an even more remarkable feat was that every drama member traveling to Choteau qualified for finals placing within the top 8 in their respective events.
Let me say that again, every member of the drama team placed within the top 8 at state! When placing in the finals of an individual event, each competitor is also earning points for their team; therefore, contributing to the team State Championship. The Broadwater Bulldogs totaled 86 points edging out the Huntley Project Red Devils who tallied 72.
There were 48 competing schools at the state competition where 254 entries comprised of 312 individual students contended in 17 Montana High School Association-sanctioned speech, drama, and debate events. The two-day contest consisted of 3-4 rounds of competition followed by (depending on the event) a semi-final and a final round. Single judges score the preliminary rounds, while the subsequent rounds had three judges a piece. Scores from all rounds and all judges are totaled to determine the winner of each event.
Second-place medals were awarded to two drama entries, as well as, a speech entry. Havyn Vandenacre & Kyla Meissner followed up their Divisional Championship in Humorous Theater with a second-place finish at state. Their hilarious “Bad Auditions by Bad Actors” about casting Romeo and Juliet will elicit giggles, while Hannah Hall’s entry in Dramatic Solo will leave you in tears and devastated. Her emotional portrayal of a babysitter titled “My Name is Amy” also earned a second-place medal at state.
Lexi Davies’s Original Oratory about baking is as delightful as it is informative and merited a 2nd place standing at state. She certainly peaked at the right moment with her best finish of the season.
Arabella McDaniel brought home 3rd with her Mime entry titled “Stubborn Cow” in which a farmer is depicted fulfilling her morning chores including, you guessed it, milking. Bella’s sister, Scarlett McDaniel, had to leave the competition early due to illness. Therefore, her teammates Nykia Mondragon and Noah Borror had to rework their “Alice in Wonderland” piece with a new Mad Hatter and amazingly, were still able to secure 3rd place.
The Southern Division represented well at state in the Humorous Theater category with five of the eight finalists.
Historically, a strong event for the Bulldogs, Townsend was able to place two in the top four. "Kev Burger” about a bad date night, featuring Riley Rauser, Logan Barkhurst, Aidan Easter & Jenna Mainwaring won 4th place.
The Dramatic Theatre piece by Jazlyn Martin, Haylie Reinke, Melania Lambott and Sarah Morgan which earned them a Divisional Championship gained them 5th place medals. It is titled “I Was There” and is an emotional take on a school shooting.
The Bulldogs had three Senior entries in the Solo events, two humorous and one dramatic. Caleb LeLacheur’s “Lifetime Achievement” and Jasmine Thomas’s “21 Ways to Get Detention” merited 5th and 7th positions, respectively in Humorous Solo. “Monologue 150” was a popular choice among Dramatic Solo contestants and Trista Moos’s rendition netted her 8th at state.
Townsend’s smaller speech team was led by Lexi Davies aforementioned 2nd place finish in OO. Also, competing for the Bulldogs were Freshmen Angel Sentinella and Kayley Connor, both in Humorous Oral Interpretation (HOI).
Speech events do not allow costumes or props and competitors are expected to wear professional attire; more specifically, HOI presenters read prose, poetry, or song lyrics in a humorous fashion.
Angel Sentinella presented “Math Curse” and Kayley Conner performed “Paperbag Princess” during the preliminary rounds, but just missed qualifying for the semi-finals.
The Broadwater Bulldogs have now won the team Class B State Drama Championship four out of the last five years! An amazing task, magnified by two additional second-place trophies in the last seven years.
Coaches Denise Bakkum and Allie Lampman have endless enthusiasm for this sport and their hard work and dedication to it has resulted in something of a dynasty here in Townsend. This 2023-2024 team brought home the team Class B Drama Trophy from every meet they competed in this season, in addition to winning ten event titles at those meets.
Congratulations Bulldogs!
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PhotoCredit: Photo Credits: MT43 News
Image 1 Caption: 2023-2024 Class B Drama State Champions
Photo Credits: MT43 News
Image 2 Caption: Graduating Seniors Back Row: Trista Moos, Riley Rauser, Aidan Easter, Caleb LeLacheur
Front Row: Jasmine Thomas, Havyn Vandenacre, Melanie Lambott
Photo Credits: MT43 News
Image 3 Caption: Coaches Denise Bakkum and Allie Lampman
Photo Credits: MT43 News
