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Stanford University in Palo Alto, California played host to the only 2014 Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) qualifying tournament last weekend when it held its twenty-eighth annual Stanford National Invitational. The tournament allowed extempers to double-enter in International and United States Extemp. International Extemp attracted forty-four competitors and Derek Eggleston of Archbishop Mitty High School (CA) won the cumulative tournament by two ranks over Mihir Tulpule of Saint Francis High School (CA). This was Eggleston’s first appearance in a TOC qualifier final this season. In United States Extemp, which featured fifty-nine competitors, Charlie Liao of Monte Vista High School (CA) staged a dramatic comeback by besting teammate Brian Yu by six ranks in the tournament final to win by one, nineteen cumulative ranks to twenty.
The tournament also featured a novice division for International and United States Extemp, both of which were won by Dean Swennumson of Monte Vista. Swennumson beat teammate Kevin Luo in both categories, winning International Extemp by three ranks and United States Extemp by five ranks. The novice categories are not eligible for TOC qualification.
Each varsity category broke to semi-finals and there were enough entries to award TOC qualifying legs to every competitor that reached elimination rounds. Six extempers – Eric Hagen of Lake Highland Preparatory (FL), Ann-Kathrin Merz, Anoeil Odisho and Andrew Zou of Leland High School (CA), Bryan Wang of Miramonte High School (CA), and Jimmy Xiao of Saratoga High School (CA) – earned their second TOC qualifying legs and have now qualified to the 2014 Extemp TOC. A seventh extemper – Ryan Olson of Monte Vista – took advantage of Stanford’s double-entry policy and earned both of his qualifying legs to add his name to the list of those who have made the TOC field. Nine other extempers earned their first TOC qualifying legs. All competitors that earned a TOC qualifying leg are indicated in italics in the results listing.
There are two more weeks on the TOC’s at-large tournament schedule and next week features three qualifying tournaments: The Harvard National High School Invitational in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the 2014 California Invitational in Berkeley, California, and the Alief Taylor High School Tournament in Houston, Texas. All three tournaments should attract large fields and Harvard will offer the most TOC qualification opportunities since it typically breaks to an octo-final round. Harvard is the biggest national circuit invitational of the year and is as close to an NFL warmup tournament that you can find. The California Invitational also attracts most of the big California schools and offers an insight into which competitors will be factors at the California state tournament in April and national tournaments in May and June.
Additionally, Alaska will hold its state championship tournament next week from February 13th-15th. Per TOC qualification rules, all competitors who make the final round of their state championship tournament prior to early April automatically qualify for this year’s TOC.
Here are the results of the 2014 Stanford National Invitational (Click here for tab sheet):
International Extemp
Champion: Derek Eggleston (Archbishop Mitty High School, California)
2nd: Mihir Tulpule (Saint Francis High School, California)
3rd: Jonas Trevethan (Turlock High School, California)
4th: Alexander Schwartz (Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies, California)
5th: Carolann Duro (Redlands High School, California)
6th: Charlie Liao (Monte Vista High School, California)
7th: Cameron James Bonnewell (Lake Highland Preparatory, Florida)
Semi-Finalists
*Eric Hagen (Lake Highland Preparatory, Florida)
*Anoeil Odisho (Leland High School, California)
*Ryan Olson (Monte Vista High School, California)
*Anshula Singh (Monte Vista High School, California)
*Steven Wang (The Harker School, California)
*Brian Yu (Monte Vista High School, California)
*Andrew Zou (Leland High School, California)
United States Extemp
Champion: Charlie Liao (Monte Vista High School, California)
2nd: Brian Yu (Monte Vista High School, California)
3rd: Cameron James Bonnewell (Lake Highland Preparatory, Florida)
4th: Bryan Wang (Miramonte High School, California)
5th: Manasi Patwa (Archbishop Mitty High School, California)
6th: Ann-Kathrin Merz (Leland High School, California)
7th: Ben Richmond (Thomas Jefferson High School, Washington)
Semi-Finalists
*Meredith Duflock (Notre Dame High School, San Jose)
*Anoeil Odisho (Leland High School, California)
*Ryan Olson (Monte Vista High School, California)
*Jamie Shen (Dougherty Valley High School, California)
*Steven Wang (The Harker School, California)
*Jimmy Xiao (Saratoga High School, California)
*Andrew Zou (Leland High School, California)
Novice International Extemp
Champion: Dean Swennumson (Monte Vista High School, California)
2nd: Kevin Luo (Monte Vista High School, California)
3rd: Wanying Fu (Dougherty Valley High School, California)
4th: Max Yuan (Monte Vista High School, California)
5th: Leon Libeu (Analy High School, California)
6th: Ken Tanaka (Leland High School, California)
7th: Aria Fereydouni (Monte Vista High School, California)
Novice United States Extemp
Champion: Dean Swennumson (Monte Vista High School, California)
2nd: Kevin Luo (Monte Vista High School, California)
3rd: Lucas Bartell (Turlock High School, California)
4th: Leon Libeu (Analy High School, California)
5th: Max Yuan (Monte Vista High School, California)
6th: Max Cline (Skyline High School, Utah)
7th: Amir Hashemizad (Monte Vista High School, California)
Extemp Central thanks Stanford University for making the results of the tournament available online.