Month: June 2012

The 2012 NFL National Tournament and with it the 2011-2012 competitive season has come to a close. Ashesh Rambachan of Eastview High School finished what he began last year by winning the International Extemp championship and becoming the third member of his family to do so. His sister Ishanaa won the championship in 2004 and his brother Akshar won the championship in 2007. Ashesh also joins his three siblings in winning the final round national championship. Rambachan’s victory in International Extemp foiled Lily Nellans chance to complete a Grand Slam, but she will have a chance to complete a career Grand Slam next year. Rambachan will also have the opportunity to repeat as champion, which has never been done before in International Extemp.

William McDonald of Brophy College Preparatory in Arizona also capped a fantastic year by winning the United States Extemp national championship. McDonald won Glenbrooks and Harvard this year, so he has the unique honor of winning two of the biggest high school invitationals of the year on the national circuit and a national title. However, Madhu Vijay of Bellarmine College Preparatory in California won the final round national title and will have a chance to obtain the top prize at next year’s NFL National Tournament. McDonald’s victory is the first by an Arizona extemper at NFL Nationals.

NFL has not yet posted the cume sheet for IE and debate events. When they do, we’ll link to it.

Here are the results of International and United States Extemp from the 2012 NFL National Tournament:

2012 NFL National Tournament: Semi-Finalist Rankings

In Nationals Results

As is customary as NFL Nationals, the semi-finalists in each individual and debate event are recognized after their respective final rounds. Here were the rankings of the semi-finalists in United States and International Extemporaneous speaking at this year’s national tournament. Any underclassmen that are on the last below, as well as those in today’s finals, have automatically qualified to next year’s national tournament.

United States Extemp

7th: Jason Singh (Green Valley High School, Nevada)
8th: Jake Ethe (Half Hollow Hills East High School, New York)
9th: James Fishback (IB Boyd Anderson High School, Florida)
10th: Jad Hamdan (Jackson High School, Ohio)
11th: Mike Zhu (Dougherty Valley High School, California)
12th: AK Komanduri (Dominion High School, Virginia)
13th: Christine Y. Cahill (Milton Academy, Massachusetts)
14th: Matt Tyson (Chanhassen High School, Minnesota)

International Extemp

7th: Isabelle Taft (Henry W. Grady High School, Georgia)
8th: Matt Linn (The University School, Florida)
9th: Eric Ehizokhale (Ben Davis High School, Indiana)
10th: Abhishek Bhargava (Jackson High School, Ohio)
11th: Dylan Adelman (Lakeville South High School, Minnesota)
12th: Emily Temple-Wood (Downers Grove North High School, Illinois)
13th: Matt Rauen (Pennsbury High School, Pennsylvania)
14th: Miles I. Saffran (Trinity Preparatory School, Florida)

The national awards ceremony is scheduled to start at 5:00 p.m. EST.

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2012 NFL National Tournament: International Extemp Final Round Analysis

In Final Round Analysis

The International Extemp final round has concluded. Here is Extemp Central’s analysis of the final round. Extemp Central provides a quick breakdown of the speeches and ranks the round. Awards will take place tonight and when the results are made official, we will bring them to you here at Extemp Central.

Notable Fact: Dr. Steve Moss, national circuit judge, and Jason Mehta, founder of forensicsonline.net is on this judging panel. Also, Robert McMahon of the Council on Foreign Relations is on this judging panel, which is really cool.

Notable Fact #2: 235 extempers competed in International Extemp this year at the NFL National Tournament.

Notable Fact #3: If you didn’t stop by the Livestream chat you missed out. Two-time NFL national champion and former CFL national champion Kevin Troy was there, as was Kevin Yi, runner-up in U.S. Extemp last year, and Forrest Richardson, a past semi-finalist in USX and MBA participant.

2012 NFL National Tournament: United States Extemp Final Round Analysis

In Final Round Analysis

The United States Extemp final round has wrapped up. Here is Extemp Central’s analysis of the final round. Extemp Central provides a quick breakdown of the speeches and ranks the round. Awards will take place tonight and when the results are made official, we will bring them to you here at Extemp Central.

Random Observation: That Ronald Reagan video was quite ominous. A more fitting ending to it might’ve been the detonation of Tsar Bomba.

Notable Fact: Lisa Miller of Nova High School, who coached last year’s U.S. Extemp national champion Jared Odessky is on the judging panel.

Notable Fact #2: 248 competitors entered U.S. Extemp this year at the NFL National Tournament.

2012 NFL Nationals: Friday’s Finals Are Set; Nellans Clinches National Points Race; Bellarmine College Prep Gets Two Into U.S. Extemp Finals

On June 13, 2012

On Monday, over 200 extempers started the 2012 NFL National Tournament in International and United States Extemp, respectively, and now the field has been narrowed down to the final six. Extempers have about 36 hours to get ready for the biggest round of their respective careers, with a national championship, a final round national championship, and $6,000 in scholarship money hanging in the balance.

Lily Nellans will have the opportunity on Friday to win the Extemp Grand Slam, which hasn’t been done since 2005. She could go a step further by winning the final round title as well. With Isabelle Taft being eliminated in the semi-final round, Nellans has clinched the 2012 National Points Race championship. Ashesh Rambachan will also have an opportunity in the IX final to avenge his defeat to Nellans at CFL Nationals and will have the opportunity to join his sister Ishanaa (2004) and brother Akshar (2007) who have won IX national championships. Abhilash Sandireddy of James Madison Memorial High School in Wisconsin also makes the final round. Sandireddy was a fifth place finisher at the Extemp TOC this year.

In United States Extemp, Bellarmine College Prep is not giving up the race for the National Team Points Race championship by getting two of its extempers, Denil Sur and Madhu Vijay to the final round. William McDonald and Chase Harrison, the top two ranked extempers in the National Points Race that were doing United States Extemp, have both made the final round. McDonald has two national circuit titles to his credit this year, winning Glenbrooks and Harvard, and was a sixth place finisher at MBA. Harrison was the Yale champion this season.

By the way, we forgot to note that any underclassmen that made semi-finals in IX & USX have earned an auto-qualification back to next year’s national tournament. Congratulations to those competitors.

For those extempers who are interested in the times of the final rounds, United States Extemp will start at 9:30 a.m. CST on Friday and International Extep will follow it at 11:00 a.m. CST. NFL has streamed the finals in the past and hopefully will do the same this year.

Each extempers National Points Race rank is listed by their name, with NR meaning that an extemper is not ranked.

2012 NFL Nationals: Semi-Finalists Are Posted; Some Familiar Faces Remain, but Some Fade

On June 13, 2012

The semi-finalists have been unveiled at the 2012 NFL National Tournament. The fourteen extempers that remain in United States and International Extemp will be narrowed to six by the end of the day. Semi-finals will feature two minute cross-examination, which will also appear in Friday’s final round.

National Points Race leader Lily Nellans and National Points Race runner-up Isabelle Taft remain in the IX field, as does CFL runner-up Ashesh Rambachan. Matt Rauen of Pennsbury High School in Pennsylvania, coming into the tournament as the fifteenth ranked extemper in the National Points Race, is also still alive as is Abhishek Bhargava of Jackson High School in Ohio, who returns to the semi-final round for the second consecutive year. All of the top ten National Points Race participants in United States Extemp have survived into the semi-final round and joining them is Jason Singh of Green Valley High School in Nevada, this year’s Wake Forest champion and MBA participant. Singh is ranked eleventh in the National Points Race.

While United States Extemp saw major eliminations in octofinals, it was International Extemp’s turn to see some major eliminations after round ten. John Cherian of Bellarmine College Preparatory in California, ranked sixth in the National Points Race, was eliminated, but can still hang his hat on a very impressive year on the national circuit. Allison McKibban of El Dorado High School in Kansas, who was twelfth in the National Points Race and had made a great run at the end of the season by making the finals of the Extemp TOC and CFL Nationals, was also eliminated. Finally, CFL finalist Robert McDonough of Holy Ghost Preparatory in Pennsylvania, who was fourteenth in the National Points Race, saw his title hopes evaporate in quarters.

In a couple of hours we will find out who the remaining six will be for Friday’s final rounds at the 2012 NFL National Tournament. When we find out who they are, we will get them to you here at Extemp Central and are planning on a small analysis for the USX/IX final rounds before the final rounds on Friday.

Each extempers National Points Race rank is listed by their name, with NR meaning that an extemper is not ranked.

2012 NFL Nationals: Quarter-Finalists Are Posted; National Points Race Leaders Still Alive

On June 12, 2012

The top thirty in International and United States Extemp have been unveiled at the 2012 NFL National Tournament. After tomorrow, we will know who the final six contestants will be for the final rounds of the tournament on Friday.

All of the top ten extempers in the National Points Race stayed alive, with National Points Race leader Lily Nellans of Des Moines Roosevelt High School and National Points Race runner-up Isabelle Taft of Henry W. Grady High School in Georgia leading the field in International Extemp. Last year’s runner-up, Ashesh Rambachan of Eastview High School in Minnesota is also still in the hunt in International Extemp, as is John Cherian of Bellarmine College Prep in California, who dominated the West Coast in the National Points Race this season. In United States Extemp, William McDonald of Brophy College Preparatory in Arizona, who is ranked forth in the National Points Race, Chase Harrison of Millburn High School in New Jersey, who is seventh in the National Points Race, and James Fishback of IB Boyd Anderson High School in Florida, who is eighth in the National Points Race, lead the field.

Once the tournament hits elimination rounds, there are always some notable drops from the field. The biggest drop in International Extemp was Teagan Lende, who was a fifth place finisher at the Montgomery Bell Extemp Round Robin this season and was ranked twenty-sixth in the National Points Race. In United States Extemp, Kelly Wu of Leland High School, who was a finalist last season, was eliminated. Qian Wang of Mason High School in Ohio and Brandon Slotkin of Nova High School in Florida, who were semi-finalists last year, were also knocked out. The last major casualty in United States Extemp was Zachary Stone of Plano West High School in Texas, who was the winner of International Extemp at the St. Mark’s Heart of Texas Invitational this year.

Extemp Central congratulates all those extempers who broke at this year’s NFL Nationals and wishes those competitors who will compete in quarter-finals and semi-finals the best of luck tomorrow. Check back tomorrow to see our breakdown of the semi-finalists.

Each extempers National Points Race rank is listed by their name, with NR meaning that an extemper is not ranked.

2012 NFL Nationals: Octofinalists Are Posted; International Extemp Receives the Bonus

On June 12, 2012

Octofinal breaks have been posted at the 2012 NFL National Tournament. Extempers will compete in rounds seven and eight this afternoon and quarter-final breaks will be announced this evening.

All of the extempers who made the octofinal round have automatically qualified to the 2013 Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions at Northwestern University. All of the extempers who made octofinals also have earned National Points Race points and points for their respective teams in the National Team Points Race. Keep in mind, though, that only a school’s top three finishers will count for the National Team Points Race unless they manage to get more than three extempers to the final round. Based on the data that we have accumualted, International Extemp is the category that will receive the fifty point bonus this year at NFL Nationals.

Each extempers National Points Race rank is listed by their name, with NR meaning that an extemper is not ranked.

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of June 5th-11th, 2012

On June 6, 2012

In International Extemp, Weekly Questions

1. Did the West blow Ukraine?
2. What impact will the impending withdrawal of NATO forces in Afghanistan have on Pakistan?
3. Should foreign embassies stop doing air pollution readings in China?
4. Will Omar al-Bashir ever stand trial before the ICC?
5. What impact will closer ties between Russia and China have on international security?
6. Is the IAEA the only international body that can prevent a U.S.-Iranian war?
7. If the euro collapses, is it Germany’s fault?
8. What is the legacy of Queen Elizabeth II?
9. What impact will the death of Abu Yahya al-Libi have on al-Qaeda?
10. Has Libya been better off without Gaddafi?

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Extemp Central News Quiz Answers for the Week of June 4th-10th, 2012

On June 6, 2012

In Quiz

Here are the answers to the final news quiz of the 2011-2012 season.

Extemp Roundtable: 2011 NFL National Champions Share Their Views on the Tournament (Part 2)

On June 5, 2012

In Interviews, Tournaments

Last year in Dallas, Texas, Dylan Slinger of Lakeville South High School in Minnesota and Jared Odessky of Nova High School in Florida were the National Forensic League National Champions in International and United States Extemporaneous Speaking. Both also won their respective final rounds at the tournament. Slinger also capped a unique season by winning the CFL and NFL national extemporaneous speaking titles, becoming just the third extemper to do so. In last season’s National Points Race, Slinger finished second and Odessky finished third. Both of them took the time to talk with Extemp Central about their high school careers and provide some advice for up and coming extempers and those attending this year’s NFL Nationals in Indianapolis, Indiana.

This is part two of a two part interview.

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of June 5th-11th, 2012

On June 5, 2012

In U.S. Extemp, Weekly Questions

1. Will the Supreme Court render the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional within the next four years?
2. Why are more Americans identifying themselves as politically independent?
3. Can the Paycheck Fairness Act bolster President Obama’s standing with female voters?
4. Is marijuana harmless?
5. Should the Justice Department try to put John Edwards on trial again?
6. How can Elizabeth Warren settle the controversy surrounding her Native American heritage?
7. Does New York City’s proposed plan to go after soda consumption take the “nanny state” too far?
8. What is responsible for the rise in unemployment last month?
9. If Marco Rubio were made the vice-presidential candidate for the Republican Party, would it severely dent Obama’s lead among Hispanic voters?
10. What impact will the result of the Wisconsin recall have on this year’s presidential contest?

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Extemp Roundtable: 2011 NFL National Champions Share Their Views on the Tournament (Part 1)