Extemp Central

The final standings for the 2024-2025 Extemp Central National Points Race are have been posted! These reflects the results of the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) National Tournament. Check them out by clicking here or the “Natl Points Race” tab above. Near the bottom of that page is a Google sheet that shows the complete rankings of the more than 200 extempers that earned points in this year’s competition.

As noted on our Facebook and Twitter social media, Robert Zhang of Elkins High School (TX) became the winner of this year’s race by virtue of winning United States Extemp and its final round at the NSDA National Tournament. He is the first Texas extemper to win the title in its ten-year history.

Four of the top five finishers in this year’s race were non-seniors, setting up an exciting race for the eleventh National Points Race title next year.

Note that new content will roll out for Extemp Central starting on Monday, August 4. August will mostly feature weekly questions, along with a breakdown of next year’s National Points Race structure. The first news quizzes will be posted on Wednesday, September 3 and continue through May.

We will be curating our state champions list this summer. If you have champions from your state, please e-mail them to logan.scisco@beechwood.kyschools.us so that I can update those lists. It would save me some time and effort, so I would appreciate the help!

2025 NSDA National Tournament: Babu Repeats as IX National Champion; Zhang Clinches National Points Race with USX Championship

By Logan Scisco

On June 27, 2025

In Nationals Results

This year the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) celebrated its 100-year anniversary, hosting the tournament in Des Moines, Iowa. Hundreds of extempers gathered to battle for this year’s national championships in International and United States Extemp with many in the National Points Race advancing deep into the competition.

In International Extemp, #5 Anthony Babu of Concord-Carlisle High School (MA) successfully defended his national championship, becoming just the second extemper to win back-to-back IX national titles. Babu won the tournament by 14 ranks, assisted by also winning the final round. Ryan Xu of Plano West Senior High School (TX) finished second.

Xu was part of a strong Texas contingent in IX as the state had four finalists. #3 Waleed Haider of Hendrickson High School was third, #6 Anushka Gupta of Westwood High School finished second in the final round and placed fourth, and Pranav Kothur of Tompkins High School was sixth.

Thomas Guo of Bellarmine College Preparatory finished fifth.

The National Points Race came down to the final round in United States Extemp. Needing a strong finish, #1 Robert Zhang of Elkins High School (TX) once again lived up to his ranking.winning a sixth National Points Race event and taking the USX national title by 15 ranks. Like Babu, Zhang won the final round national title as well, winning the round by ten ranks.

To win the title, Zhang had to defend off a series of California challengers in a good year for the state. Sovia Villagra of Gabrielino High School was second; #2 Daphne Kalir-Starr of the College Preparatory School, who finished second in the final round, was third; #16 Andrew Zheng of the Acalanes High School was fourth; and Samuel Ma of Bellarmine College Preparatory was sixth.

Annie Chen of BASIS Chandler (AZ) was fifth.

It was interesting that none of the finalists in IX or USX except for Babu were in last year’s final rounds. #13 Tea Shouldice of Half Hollow Hills High School East (NY) elected not to attend this year’s tournament and defend her USX national championship. In USX, Ella Witalec of the Laurel School (OH) was a finalist last year and finished twelfth this year. She was the only returning finalist aside from Babu to make a deep run in the tournament.

NCFL National Champion #14 Nicholas Zylstra of Eastview High School (MN) made it twelve rounds in USX, finishing fourteenth. None of the NCFL extemp finalists made an NSDA final round this year although Zylstra, #12 Anwen Williams of Lawrence Free State High School (KS), #11 Aparna Iyer of Ridge High School (NJ), and Claire Han of Munster High School (IN) reached semi-finals in their respective categories.

All of the non-seniors in USX and IX that reached the final or semi-final round earn an automatic qualification in that category to next year’s national tournament. Like last year, about two-thirds of those in finals and semi-finals were not seniors, continuing a trend at the national tournament where senior competitors are not attending the national tournament or advancing deep in the competition. Automatic qualifiers to next year’s nationals are highlighted in blue below.

Extemp Central congratulates all of the finishers. A final update for this year’s National Points Race will be posted in a few days.

Here are the results of the 2025 National Speech and Debate Association National Tournament (Click here for tab sheet):

2025 NSDA Nationals: Final Round Participants

By Logan Scisco

On June 19, 2025

In NSDA News

According to our sources, here are the finalists for International Extemp and United States Extemp at this year’s National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) National Tournament.

Texas dominated IX this year with four finalists. California dominated USX this year with four finalists.

#5 Anthony Babu of Concord-Carlisle High School (MA) will be attempting to defend his IX national championship tomorrow.

Those who wish to watch tomorrow’s final rounds can do so at this link. USX will take place at 1:30 p.m. CST and IX will happen at 3:00 p.m. CST. (Note: These are the altered times because of the NSDA reconfiguring the schedule after yesterday’s events in Des Moines).

If an extemper is ranked in the National Points Race, their ranking is indicated by their name. The winner of the National Points Race will likely be decided in United States Extemp as #1 Robert Zhang of Elkins High School (TX) and #2 Daphne Kalir-Starr of the College Preparatory School (CA) reached the final round.

Congratulations to those who have reached the final round!

International Extemp

#5 Anthony Babu (Concord-Carlisle High School, Massachusetts)
#3 Waleed Haider (Hendrickson High School, Texas)
#6 Anushka Gupta (Westwood High School, Texas)
Thomas Guo (Bellarmine College Preparatory, California)
Ryan Xu (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)
Pranav Kothur (Tompkins High School, Texas)

United States Extemp

Annie Chen (BASIS Chandler, Arizona)
#2 Daphne Kalir-Starr (The College Preparatory School, California)
Samuel Ma (Bellarmine College Preparatory, California)
Sovia Villagra (Gabrielino High School, California)
#1 Robert Zhang (Elkins High School, Texas)
#16 Andrew Zheng (Acalanes High School, California)

2024-2025 Extemp Central National Points Race: New Standings Reflect All the TOC Tournaments!

By Logan Scisco

On June 14, 2025

In National Points Race

New standings for the 2024-2025 Extemp Central National Points Race are have been posted! These reflects the results of the National Catholic Forensic League (NCFL) Grand National Tournament. Check them out by clicking here or the “Natl Points Race” tab above.

Robert Zhang of Elkins High School (TX) re-established himself as the National Points Race leader due to a semi-finalist showing at NCFL.

The final National Points Race tournament will take place next week at the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) National Tournament in Des Moines, Iowa. Like last year, the tournament will decide the National Points Race champion. Due to 12 of the top 25 extempers participating in International Extemp, that category will receive a 50 point bonus and a 10 point final round bonus, meaning that the winner of the category can earn up to 300 points. In contrast, U.S. Extemp’s champion can only earn up to 250 points.

2025 National Catholic Forensic League Grand National Tournament: Tiebreaker Needed For Zylstra to Prevail over Williams

By Logan Scisco

On June 12, 2025

In Nationals Results

Memorial Day weekend is the traditional home of the National Catholic Forensic League (NCFL)’s Grand National Tournament and this year the event took place in Chicago. More than 150 extempers made the trip.

When the dust settled on Sunday night, Nicholas Zylstra of Eastview High School (MN) won one of the closest national championships in recent memory, besting National Individual Events Tournament of Champions (TOC) winner Anwen Williams of Lawrence Free State High School (KS) in a final round tiebraker.

NCFL Nationals is tabulated by awarding an extemper a first, second, or third place rank based on how they finished in their octafinal, then quarter-final, and then semi-final round. In the final round, each judge’s rank counts toward the cumulative score. At the end of the competition Zylstra and Williams had a seventeen composite. However, Zylstra was one rank ahead of Williams in a final round where no extemper earned more than one first place rank, becoming the fifth Minnesota extemper to win the NCFL national championship since 1997. It is Eastview’s second NCFL extemp win since 1997 as Akshar Rambachan captured the title in 2008.

#23 Aparna Iyer of Ridge High School (NJ) was the only ranked extemper to make the final round, finishing two ranks back of Zylstra and Williams in third place. If Iyer had won it would have given Ridge High School back-to-back champions as Amy Cao won last year’s tournament.

Of all schools present, Ridge High School had the best showing in extemp, having a finalist, two semi-finalists, one quarter-finalist, and one octa-finalist.

Ivy Litton of Rowan County Senior High School (KY) became the state’s first extemp national finalist in a decade, finishing fourth. Litton was followed by Grace Klausner of the Convent of the Sacred Heart – New York City (NY) and Claire Han of Munster High School (IN).

Han was a semi-finalist at last year’s tournament. She and Klausner tied for fifth place and tied in the final round so a judges’ preference tiebreak had to be utilized.

Vasu Lakshmanan of Shrewsbury High School (MA), who finished fifth in last year’s tournament, was unable to get back to the final round but came close, finishing seventh.

National Points Race leader Daphne Kalir-Starr of the College Preparatory School (CA) did not attend the tournament. However, #2 Robert Zhang of Elkins High School (TX) did and reached semi-finals, which will be enough for him to regain the lead before the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) National Tournament.

Finishes among the top 25 at this year’s NCFL include quarter-finalist placings for #5 Anthony Babu of Concord-Carlisle High School (MA), #9 Al Zaidi of Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy (FL), #12 Tea Shouldice of Half Hollow Hills East High School (NY), and #18 Kajal Parmar of Cary Academy (NC). #10 Sahana Srikanth of Mason High School (OH) was eliminated in octa-finals.

Here are the results of the 2025 National Catholic Forensic League Grand National Tournament (Click here for tab sheet):

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of June 9-15, 2025

By Logan Scisco

On June 9, 2025

In International Extemp, Weekly Questions

Note: These are our last questions for the 2025-2026 season. New questions will be posted in early August.

What should be the top priority of this year’s NATO summit?
Are monarchies holding back the Arab World?
Does the global economy need more supply chain resilience?
Has international humanitarian law collapsed?
Will Evo Morales create problems for Bolivia’s presidential poll later this year?
What role, if any, should the EU play in Southeast Asian security?
Is Greta Thunberg still relevant?
Who will win South Korea’s snap presidential election?
How will entry into the eurozone affect Bulgaria’s economy?
Can Russia continue to afford involvement in West and Central African security?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of June 9-15, 2025

By Logan Scisco

On June 9, 2025

In U.S. Extemp, Weekly Questions

Note: These are our last questions for the 2025-2026 season. New questions will be posted in early August.

What should be done with immigration in this era of Trump?
Should the Federal Reserve have more power over the U.S. economy?
If you were a Republican candidate running for the Senate in 2026, how would you navigate the “MAGA Powers” explosion between Trump and Musk?
Is ranked choice voting accomplishing its objectives?
Would Obergefell v. Hodges survive judicial scrutiny under the current Supreme Court?
To what extent should the National Guard be used to quell instances of domestic unrest in the United States?
Is there a growing divide between the activities and expectations of K-12 education and higher education?
Will the recent House settlement survive future legal challenge?
Is the U.S. economy headed toward an uncomfortable summer?
To what degree should preventing terrorism still factor into U.S. national security strategy?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of June 2-8, 2025

By Logan Scisco

On June 2, 2025

In U.S. Extemp, Weekly Questions

Is the U.S. military prepared to fight the wars of the 21st century?
Has President Trump made unwise use of his pardon power?
Is the Big Beautiful Bill a setback in the drive for universal healthcare?
Are fears of an “AI job apocalypse” overstated?
Has the Trump administration’s anti-DEI push been a blow to the humanities?
What should an American alliance in Asia to counter China look like?
Will restrictions on international student applications worsen the fiscal situation for American universities?
Did Elon Musk accomplish his aims while working with the Trump administration?
Will NOAA budget cuts make the U.S. unprepared for hurricane season?
Who will win the Democratic primary for New York City mayor?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of June 2-8, 2025

By Logan Scisco

On June 2, 2025

In International Extemp, Weekly Questions

Is the political dominance of Alassane Ouattara making threatening Côte d’Ivoire’s future?
How would a Chinese invasion of Taiwan affect the defense spending of surrounding Asian nations?
Are international sanctions on Russia harsh enough?
How can Canada better allow people access to a family doctor?
Does the British Labour Party’s shift on migrant policy signal a broader shift by left-wing parties in Europe on the issue?
How vulnerable is South Korea’s democracy?
Is Nigeria’s government becoming less inclusive?
How can Zimbabwe best dig itself out of its debt crisis?
Are Western countries losing the global culture war?
Should Venezuela’s political opposition continue boycotting elections?

Extemper’s Bible Speech Review Service!

By Logan Scisco

On May 28, 2025

In Site News

Looking for some extra assistance before the NSDA National Tournament? Our friends at the Extemper’s Bible have launched a speech review service to provide high quality critiques to competitors from across the country!

As per the Extemper’s Bible staff, “the service is pretty simple: competitors submit a link to the speech on a form, include parts they would like feedback on, and then receive the personalized reviews within two weeks.”

Check out their flyer below and/or click on the link above to find out more about it.

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of May 26-June 1, 2025

By Logan Scisco

On May 26, 2025

In International Extemp, Weekly Questions

Who is best positioned to win the Polish presidential runoff?
Will his White House argument with Donald Trump boost Cyril Ramaphosa’s domestic standing?
Is the UK-EU trade agreement a win for both sides?
Will Israel’s actions in Gaza do lasting damage to its relationship with the United States?
Was China the biggest winner of the recent tensions between India and Pakistan?
Should secularism remain a core tenet of French national identity?
Will an expansion of nuclear power be needed to fuel AI development?
Should export-led growth remain Vietnam’s economic strategy?
Will whomever wins the AI race “control the world”?
How effective is ASEAN at confronting challenges in Southeast Asia?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of May 26-June 1, 2025

By Logan Scisco

On May 26, 2025

In U.S. Extemp, Weekly Questions

How should U.S. policymakers respond to the downgrading of America’s debt?
Is the Trump administration helping or lessening the chances of a peace deal in Ukraine?
Have questions about President Biden’s mental fitness after the 2024 election done lasting damage to the mainstream media’s credibility?
Is there too much pessimism in American culture?
How important is South Africa in U.S. foreign policy toward the African continent?
Should the Democratic Party make adjustments to its 2028 presidential calendar?
How much should the U.S. invest in missile defense technology?
Will the Big Beautiful Bill create an ugly America?
Should there be more federal investigations of Tesla’s marketing of self-driving features?
If the federal government exited student loans would it make higher education cheaper?

2024-2025 Extemp Central National Points Race: New Standings Reflect All the TOC Tournaments!

By Logan Scisco

On May 22, 2025

In National Points Race

New standings for the 2024-2025 Extemp Central National Points Race are have been posted! These reflects the results of the various Tournament of Champions (TOC) events in April and May: the University of Kentucky TOC, Extemp TOC, and the National Individual Events TOC. Check them out by clicking here or the “Natl Points Race” tab above.

There is a new National Points Race leader as Extemp TOC champion Daphne Kalir-Starr of the College Preparatory School (CA) now has a slim 2 point lead over former points leader Robert Zhang of Elkins High School (TX). Zhang was inactive during the TOC swing, contributing to his fall from the top spot.

No rest exists for the weary in the post-season as this weekend’s National Catholic Forensic League (NCFL) Grand National Tournament takes place in Chicago. It is the second to last stop in this year’s National Points Race, awarding 150 points to the national champion and points to all elimination round participants.

2025 NIETOC: Williams Becomes First Kansas Extemper to Win a National Points Race Tournament; Gorty Wins Final Round

By Logan Scisco

On May 22, 2025

In National Circuit Results

This year’s National Individual Events Tournament of Champions (NIETOC), counting for the first time as a National Points Race event, took place at Liberty North High School in Kansas City, Missouri. The tournament rotates host sites each year. More than 100 extempers from around the country attended, providing one of the bigger fields in the country this year.

Anwen Williams of Lawrence Free State High School (KS) won the tournament, defeating #21 Pranav Gorty of Plano East Senior High School (TX) by three ranks. The tournament was tabbed cumulatively and Gorty won the final round. However, Gorty did not win the final round by enough ranks to win the championship. Williams’ victory was assisted by drawing three first place ranks in the final round, more than any other competitor. She is the first Kansas extemper to win a National Points Race tournament.

A few ranks behind Gorty was the third place finisher Rehan Buvvaji of Plano West Senior High School (TX).

#3 Daphne Kalir-Starr made the final round, joining Gorty as extempers to reach the last round of all the TOC post-season tournaments. Kalir-Starr placed fourth, the same finish that she had at the UK TOC in late April.

The geographically diverse final round, which included extempers from five states, was rounded out by Alyson Johnson of Willmar High School (MN) and Fiona Macdonald of Denver East High School (CO), who were fifth and sixth, respectively.

#1 Robert Zhang of Elkins High School (TX) was the defending champion but did not attend to defend his title.

Several other ranked extempers were in the field and cleared to elimination rounds. #19 Aparna Iyer of Ridge High School (NJ) reached quarter-finals and #12 Andrew Zheng of Acalanes High School (CA) was an octa-finalist finisher.

The NIETOC was a fourth tier event, so all extempers who reached semi-finals will earn points. For winning the tournament Williams will receive 70 points.

Here are the results of the 2025 National Individual Events Tournament of Champions (Click here for tab sheet):