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Oklahoma divides its state tournament competition into four groups (3A-6A) and then separates those groups into International and United States Extemporaneous Speaking categories. In 6A, Booker T. Washington High School had a great run as Arel Rende, this year’s Harvard winner and last year’s NFL national champion in U.S. Extemp, won his third straight state championship in U.S. Extemp. Rende’s teammate Patrick Wilson won International Extemp. In 5A, Josh Yoo of Metro Christian Academy won International Extemp and Peter Simmons of Bishop Kelley High School won United States Extemp. Muldrow High School swept the 4A categories as Taylor Putnam won International Extemp and Jessie Hearn won United States Extemp. And in 3A, Eli Hobbs of Haskell High School won International Extemp for the second straight year and Tom Crews of Okarche High School won United States Extemp.
All of the underclassmen that made the final round in their respective extemp category earned an automatic qualification to the 2015 Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) at Northwestern University. Nineteen extempers qualified to next year’s TOC through this avenue and they are indicated in italics below.
Here are the results of the 2014 Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association State Tournament:
Class 6A International Extemp
Champion: Patrick Wilson (Booker T. Washington High School)
2nd: Nicky Halterman (Norman High School)
3rd: Will Thompson (Sand Springs High School)
4th: Lawrence Zhou (Bartlesville High School)
5th: Sophia Alvarez (Booker T. Washington High School)
6th: Aaron Hockett (Booker T. Washington High School)
Class 6A United States Extemp
Champion: Arel Rende (Booker T. Washington High School)
2nd: Grant Bumgarner (Booker T. Washington High School)
3rd: Adam Harder (Norman North High School)
4th: Dylan Dawson (Norman North High School)
5th: Ben Parker (Norman High School)
6th: Leland Strange (Booker T. Washington High School)
Class 5A International Extemp
Champion: Josh Yoo (Metro Christian Academy)
2nd: Cai Barias (Guymon High School)
3rd: Karis D’Alesandro (Cascia Hall Preparatory School)
4th: Cole McNeese (Metro Christian Academy)
Class 5A United States Extemp
Champion: Peter Simmons (Bishop Kelley High School)
2nd: Euan Williams (Metro Christian Academy)
3rd: Jorja Rose (Harding Charter Preparatory)
4th: Andrew Price (Classen School of Advanced Studies)
Class 4A International Extemp
Champion: Taylor Putman (Muldrow High School)
2nd: Alex Hinshaw (Comanche High School)
3rd: Eli Tatman (Muldrow High School)
4th: Montrey Bond (Prague High School)
Class 4A United States Extemp
Champion: Jessie Hearn (Muldrow High School)
2nd: Gagan Moorthy (Alva High School)
3rd: Timothy Wise (Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences)
4th: Meeka Smith (Muldrow High School)
Class 3A International Extemp
Champion: Eli Hobbs (Haskell High School)
2nd: Emma Keely (Riverfield High School)
3rd: Chris Rogers (Haskell High School)
4th: Nathan Minyard (Quinton High School)
Class 3A United States Exemp
Champion: Tom Crews (Okarche High School)
2nd: Robert Beers (Riverfield High School)
3rd: Bryson Reece (Haskell High School)
4th: Mitchell Bibelheimmer (Haskell High School)
Extemp Central thanks the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association for posting the results of the tournament online and to Arel Rende for sending us the fifth and sixth places finishers in the 6A extemp categories.