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Like Virginia, Nebraska has six classes for its state championship tournament and this year’s Nebraska School Activities Association State Tournament crowned six new state champions in extemporaneous speaking. Walter Paul of Creighton Preparatory School won Class A, Katlyn Martin of Omaha Marian High School won Class B, Ahinav Suresh of Omaha Brownell-Talbot High School won Class C1, Scott Smith of Nebraska Christian School won Class C2, Matthew Martin of Lourdes Central Catholic School won Class D1, and Isaiah Miller of Leigh High School won Class D2.
The six class system, combined with the fact that only two finalists at the tournament – Erin Sheehan of Millard North High School and Richard Diurba of Millard West High School in Class A – were previously qualified to this year’s TOC, led to thirty-four extempers earning an automatic qualification to this year’s Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) at Northwestern University, which is more qualifiers from a state tournament than any other state in the 2013-2014 season. Qualifiers are indicated with italics in the results listing.
Here are the results of the 2014 Nebraska School Activities Association (Click here for tab sheet):
Class A
Champion: Walter Paul (Creighton Preparatory School)
2nd: Erin Sheehan (Millard North High School)
3rd: Jake Moore (Lincoln Southeast High School)
4th: Richard Diurba (Millard West High School)
5th: Cooper Christiancy (Lincoln Southwest High School)
6th: Michael Goberling (Lincoln Southwest High School)
Class B
Champion: Katlyn Martin (Omaha Marian High School)
2nd: Jacob Lambert (Norris High School)
3rd: Cameron Engel (Mount Michael Benedictine School)
4th: Benjamin Larsen (Blair High School)
5th: Phoebe Lockhart (Ogallala High School)
6th: Sean Lynch (Omaha Skutt Catholic High School)
Class C1
Champion: Abhinav Suresh (Omaha Brownell-Talbot High School)
2nd: Allegra Hardin (David City High School)
3rd: Caravaggio Caniglia (Omaha Brownell-Talbot High School)
4th: Chandler Classen (Logan View High School)
5th: Dylan Steinkruger (Minden High School)
6th: Megan Knott (Louisville High School)
Class C2
Champion: Scott Smith (Nebraska Christian School)
2nd: Nathalie Ford (Sutton High School)
3rd: Jared Gafke (North Platte St. Patrick’s High School)
4th: Jessica Larkins (Freeman High School)
5th: Louden Redinger (Shelton High School)
6th: Nathanial Muhlbach (Shelton High School)
Class D1
Champion: Matthew Martin (Lourdes Central Catholic School)
2nd: Breanna Lamke-Elznic (Winside High School)
3rd: Eric Box (Lourdes Central Catholic School)
4th: Jon Krings (Humphrey St. Francis High School)
5th: Benjamin Helwig (Nebraska Lutheran High School)
6th: Connor Russell (Medicine Valley High School)
Class D2
Champion: Isaiah Miller (Leigh High School)
2nd: Colin Erickson (Rock County High School)
3rd: Emily Hemmer (Lindsay Holy Family School)
4th: Tate Schmaderer (Stuart High School)
5th: Erika Ruhnke (Lindsay Holy Family School)
6th: Chance Kennicutt (Wallace High School)