There is arguably no greater prize an extemper can ever win than a national championship. Listed below are some of the greatest extempers to have ever maintained a file box and walked into a prep room.
The listing of CFL champions is incomplete. If you have any information pertaining to previous CFL championship winners please e-mail me at [email protected].
NATIONAL CATHOLIC FORENSIC LEAGUE GRAND NATIONAL TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS
2024-Amy Cao (Ridge High School, New Jersey)
2023-McKinley Paltzik (Phoenix Country Day School, Arizona)
2022-Daniel Kind (Lake Highland Preparatory, Florida)
2021 (Virtual)-Ananth Veluvali (Edina High School, Minnesota)
2019-Brian Zheng (Naperville High School, Illinois)
2018-Jackson Segal (Needham High School, Massachusetts)
2017-Samhitha Sunkara (Ardrey Kell High School, North Carolina)
2016-Justin Graham (Trinity Preparatory School, Florida)
2015-Yijia Liang (Upper Arlington High School, Ohio)
2014-Monica Coscia (Montville Township High School, New Jersey)
2013-Gabe Ferrante (Iona Preparatory School, New York)
2012-Lily Nellans (Des Moines Roosevelt High School, Iowa)
2011-Dylan Slinger (Lakeville South High School, Minnesota)
2010-Dylan Slinger (Lakeville South High School, Minnesota)
2009-Alex Draime (Howland High School, Ohio)
2008-Akshar Rambachan (Eastview High School, Minnesota)
2007-Akshay Rao (Leland High School, California)
2006-Gautam Thapar (Leland High School, California)
2005-Kevin Troy (Eagan High School, Minnesota)
2004-Courtney Otto (Kentucky Country Day, Kentucky)
2003-Greg Wagman (Dallastown Area High School, Pennsylvania)
2002-Harish Betanabhatla (Creighton Preparatory, Nebraska)
2001-Jason Lear (Hollywood Hills High School, Florida)
2000-Jason Lear (Hollywood Hills High School, Florida)
1999-Lucas Kline (Blacksburg High School, Virginia)
1998-Stan Chen (Brebeuf Jesuit High School, Indiana)
1997-Jared Wasserman (Spanish River High School, Florida)
1992-David Lat (Regis High School, New York)
1991-Jeremy Mallory (Albuquerque Academy, New Mexico)
NATIONAL SPEECH AND DEBATE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKING NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
2024-Anthony Babu (Concord-Carlisle High School, Massachusetts)
2023-McKinley Paltzik (Phoenix Country Day School, Arizona)
2022-McKinley Paltzik (Phoenix Country Day School, Arizona)
2021 (Virtual)-Pranav Pattatathunaduvil (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)
2020 (Virtual)-Angela Wang (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)
2019-Rene Otero (Hendrickson High School, Texas)
2018-Uzair Alpial (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)
2017-Connor Rothschild (Kickapoo High School, Missouri)
2016-Marshall Sloane (Milton Academy, Massachusetts)
2015-Brian Anderson (LaRue County High School, Kentucky)
2014-Miles Saffran (Trinity Preparatory School, Florida)
2013-Nathan Leys (Des Moines Roosevelt High School, Iowa)
2012-Ashesh Rambachan (Eastview High School, Minnesota)
2011-Dylan Slinger (Lakeville South High School, Minnesota)
2010-Jacob Baker (Bellarmine College Prep, California)
2009-Stacey Chen (North Allegheny Senior High School, Pennsylvania)
2008-Akshar Rambachan (Eastview High School, Minnesota)
2007-David Kumbroch (Collierville High School, Tennessee)
2006-Spencer Rockwell (Palisade High School, Colorado)
2005-Kevin Troy (Eagan High School, Minnesota)
2004-Ishanaa N. Rambachan (Eastview High School, Minnesota)
2003-Daniel Hemel (Scarsdale High School, New York)
2002-John Jernigan (Chesterton High School, Indiana)
2001-Jesse Nathan (Moundridge High School, Kansas)
2000-Gilbert Lee (Bridgewater-Raritan Regional High School, New Jersey)
1999-Jessica Bailey (Apple Valley High School, Minnesota)
1998-Steven Wu (San Marino High School, California)
1997-Ben S. Lerner (Topeka High School, Kansas)
1996-Daniel Habib (Regis High School, New York)
1995-John Ferguson (Lewisville High School, Texas)
1994-Ryan Scott (Forest Lake High School, Minnesota)
1993-Ami Arad (Arroyo Grande High School, California)
1992-Manda Wong (Apple Valley High School, Minnesota)
1991-Robin Thorner (San Antonio-Lee High School, Texas)
1990-Alex Tuckness (Kickapoo High School, Missouri)
1989-Suzi Sprague (Plano High School, Texas)
1988-Craig Broscow (Cypress High School, California)
1987-Austan Goolsbee (Milton Academy, Massachusetts)
1986-John Wertheim (St. Michael’s High School, New Mexico)
1985-David Schimke (Eau Claire Memorial High School, Wisconsin)
NATIONAL SPEECH AND DEBATE ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKING FINAL ROUND NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
2024-Anthony Babu (Concord-Carlisle High School, Massachusetts)
2023-McKinley Paltzik (Phoenix Country Day School, Arizona)
2022-McKinley Paltzik (Phoenix Country Day School, Arizona)
2021 (Virtual)-Mukta Dharmapurikar (Durham Academy, North Carolina)
2020 (Virtual)-Angela Wang (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)
2019-Rene Otero (Hendrickson High School, Texas)
2018-Uzair Alpial (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)
2017-Clay Owens (Perry High School, Ohio)
2016-Marshall Sloane (Milton Academy, Massachusetts)
2015-Brian Anderson (LaRue County High School, Kentucky)
2014-Dylan Adelman (Lakeville South High School, Minnesota)
2013-Ashesh Rambachan (Eastview High School, Minnesota)
2012-Ashesh Rambachan (Eastview High School, Minnesota)
2011-Dylan Slinger (Lakeville South High School, Minnesota)
2010-Jacob Baker (Bellarmine College Prep, California)
2009-Stacey Chen (North Allegheny Senior High School, Pennsylvania)
2008-Akshar Rambachan (Eastview High School, Minnesota)
2007-Aaron Mattis (Scarsdale High School, New York)
2006-Spencer Rockwell (Palisade High School, Colorado)
2005-Ron Kendler (Newton South High School, Massachusetts)
2004-Ishanaa N. Rambachan (Eastview High School, Minnesota)
2003-Daniel Hemel (Scarsdale High School, New York)
2002-Joshua Johnson (Lewisville High School, Texas)
2001-Ariel Schneller (Blacksburg High School, Virginia)
2000-Gilbert Lee (Bridgewater-Raritan Regional High School, New Jersey)
1999-Jessica Bailey (Apple Valley High School, Minnesota)
1998-Steven Wu (San Marino High School, California)
1997-Ben Lerner (Topeka High School, Kansas)
NATIONAL SPEECH AND DEBATE ASSOCIATION UNITED STATES EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKING NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
2024-Tea Shouldice (Half Hollow Hills High School East, New York)
2023-Kyle Letterer (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)
2022-Peter Alisky (Smoky Hills High School, Colorado)
2021 (Virtual)-Laurel Holley (Riverside High School, South Carolina)
2020 (Virtual)-James Gao (Ridge High School, New Jersey)
2019-Jacqueline Wei (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)
2018-Jacqueline Wei (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)
2017-Jacob Thompson (Des Moines Roosevelt High School, Iowa)
2016-Micah Cash (Tulsa Washington High School, Oklahoma)
2015-Brian Yu (Monte Vista High School, California)
2014-Arel Rende (Tulsa Washington High School, Oklahoma)
2013-Arel Rende (Tulsa Washington High School, Oklahoma)
2012-William McDonald (Brophy College Preparatory, Arizona)
2011-Jared Odessky (Nova High School, Florida)
2010-Tyler Fabbri (Chesterton High School, Indiana)
2009-Evan Larson (Bellarmine College Prep, California)
2008-Becca Goldstein (Newton South High School, Massachusetts)
2007-Alex Stephenson (Eagan High School, Minnesota)
2006-Colin West (Rocky Mountain High School, Colorado)
2005-James P. Hohmann (Eastview High School, Minnesota)
2004-James P. Hohmann (Eastview High School, Minnesota)
2003-Kevin Troy (Eagan High School, Minnesota)
2002-Jay Ward (Coral Springs High School, Florida)
2001-Jay Ward (Coral Springs High School, Florida)
2000-Isaac Potter (Taos High School, New Mexico)
1999-Ed Tulin (Marquette High School, Missouri)
1998-Lucas Kline (Blacksburg High School, Virginia)
1997-Adam Lauridsen (Bellarmine College Preparatory, California)
1996-Matt Spence (San Marino High School, California)
1995-Michael Schumsky (Blacksburg High School, Virginia)
1994-Jason Bronis (Martin County High School, Florida)
1993-John Oleske (Delbarton High School, New Jersey)
1992-Peter Weissman (Miami Beach High School, Florida)
1991-Cristina Rodriguez (San Antonio-Lee High School, Texas)
1990-Chad Ho (Damien Memorial High School, Hawaii)
1989-David Kensinger (Topeka High School, Kansas)
1988-David Kensinger (Topeka High School, Kansas)
1987-Tim Black (Calloway County High School, Kentucky)
1986-Sam Donaldson (Canby Union High School, Oregon)
1985-David Hugin (Plano High School, Texas)
NATIONAL SPEECH AND DEBATE ASSOCIATION UNITED STATES EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKING FINAL ROUND NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
2024-Tea Shouldice (Half Hollow Hills High School East, New York)
2023-Kyle Letterer (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)
2022-Peter Alisky (Smoky Hill High School, Colorado)
2021 (Virtual)-Laurel Holley (Riverside High School, South Carolina)
2020 (Virtual)-James Gao (Ridge High School, New Jersey)
2019-Jacqueline Wei (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)
2018-Jacqueline Wei (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)
2017-Jacob Thompson (Des Moines Roosevelt High School, Iowa)
2016-Micah Cash (Tulsa Washington High School, Oklahoma)
2015-Josh Wartel (Lake Braddock Secondary School, Virginia)
2014-Arel Rende (Tulsa Washington High School, Oklahoma)
2013-Arel Rende (Tulsa Washington High School, Oklahoma)
2012-Madhu Vijay (Bellarmine College Preparatory, California)
2011-Jared Odessky (Nova High School, Florida)
2010-Dylan Slinger (Lakeville South High School, Minnesota)
2009-Taman Narayan (Leland High School, California)
2008-Becca Goldstein (Newton South High School, Massachusetts)
2007-Alex Stephenson (Eagan High School, Minnesota)
2006-Colin West (Rocky Mountain High School, Colorado)
2005-James P. Hohmann (Eastview High School, Minnesota)
2004-Courtney Otto (Kentucky Country Day, Kentucky)
2003-Logan Scisco (Danville High School, Kentucky)
2002-Jay Ward (Coral Springs High School, Florida)
2001-Lauren Sicliano (Freehold Township High School, New Jersey)
2000-Allison Gilmore (Eastview High School, Minnesota)
1999-Jay Cox (Milton Academy, Massachusetts)
NATIONAL SPEECH AND DEBATE ASSOCIATION BOYS EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKING NATIONAL CHAMPIONS (event discontinued in 1985)
1984-Bill Thompson (San Antonio-Churchill High School, Texas)
1983-John Culver (Shawnee Mission-North High School, Kansas)
1982-Bill Thompson (San Antonio-Churchill High School, Texas)
1981-David Lopez (San Antonio-Churchill High School, Texas)
1980-Xavier Jordan (Central Catholic High School, Pennsylvania)
1979-Steve Tomlinson (Shawnee High School, Oklahoma)
1978-Barry Mann (Twin Lakes High School, Florida)
1977-John Muller (Marquette University High School, Wisconsin)
1976-James Poterba (Pennsbury High School, Pennsylvania)
1975-Ray Agran (New Trier West High School, Illinois)
1974-Stan Dorn (Corona Del Mar High School, California)
1973-Tom Rollins (Houston-Westerchester High School, Texas)
1972-Mark Foley (Marquette University High School, Wisconsin)
1971-Westley Warren (Central High School, North Carolina)
1970-Paul Gordon (Antelope Valley High School, California)
1969-Daniel Furniss (Bellarmine College Preparatory, California)
1968-Don Peters (Houston Bellaire High School, Texas)
1967-Rufus T. Wright (Houston-Memorial High School, Texas)
1966-Michael Morris (Battle Creek High School, Michigan)
1965-Jack Higham (Jefferson High School, Pennsylvania)
1964-Robert Walter (Regis High School, New York)
1963-James Robinson (Muskogee High School, Oklahoma)
1962-Steven Mackauf (Miami Beach High School, Florida)
1961-Lew Sargentich (Alhambra High School, California)
1960-Eugene Keilin (Houston-Bellaire High School, Texas)
1959-Gene Clements (Houston-Lamar High School, Texas)
1958-Rennard Strickland (Muskogee High School, Oklahoma)
1957-John McCullough (Miami High School, Oklahoma)
1956-Darrell Salomon (Bellarmine College Preparatory, California)
1955-James Hoenig (Los Angeles-Marshall High School, California)
1954-Frederick Dowart (Muskogee High School, Oklahoma)
1953-Vic Jackson (Edmond High School, Oklahoma)
1952-Vic Jackson (Edmond High School, Oklahoma)
1951-Marjorie Wright (Wooster High School, Ohio)
1950-Virginia Landwehr (Elgin High School, Illinois)
1949-DeVier Pierson (Oklahoma City-Classen High School, Oklahoma)
1948-George Funk (Wooster High School, Ohio)
1947-Walter Grosjean (Wooster High School, Ohio)
1946-Joe Snider (Seminole High School, Oklahoma)
1945-Bob Henderson (Ravenna High School, Ohio)
1941-Melvin Milligan (Massillon High School, Ohio)
1940-George Grover (Glendale High School, California)
1939-Seymour Vinocur (Huntington Park High School, California)
1938-Reba June Long (Oklahoma City-Classen High School, Oklahoma)
1937-Dwight Croessmann (DuQuoin High School, Illinois)
1936-Dick Breen (Oklahoma City-Classen High School, Oklahoma)
1935-David Goldberg (Bakersfield High School, California)
1934-Newton Margulies (Rapid City High School, South Dakota)
1933-Robert Dunham (Sioux Falls High School, South Dakota)
1932-Parnell Mahoney (Sioux Falls High School, South Dakota)
1931-Edward Mantei (West Bend High School, Wisconsin)
NATIONAL SPEECH AND DEBATE ASSOCIATION GIRLS EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKING NATIONAL CHAMPIONS (event discontinued in 1985)
1984-Stacey Leyton (Bellevue-Interlake High School, Washington)
1983-Jennifer Ford (St. Michael’s High School, New Mexico)
1982-Elyse Ellis (Sante Fe High School, New Mexico)
1981-Beth Garrett (Putnam City-North High School, Oklahoma)
1980-Jana Cohen (North Miami Beach High School, Florida)
1979-Margaret Grayden (Manhattan High School, Kansas)
1978-Claudia Burke (Stockton-Lincoln High School, California)
1977-Cynthia Sawyer (Acadiana High School, Louisiana)
1976-Kay Rever (Midland High School, Texas)
1975-Vicky Rideout (Silver Lake Regional High School, Massachusetts)
1974-Emily Reynolds (Nashville-Hillsboro High School, Tennessee)
1973-Becky Blank (Alexander Ramsey High School, Minnesota)
1972-Mende Snodgress (Heritage Hall High School, Oklahoma)
1971-Julienne Christensen (Lafayette High School, Louisiana)
1970-Susan Williams (Palos Verdes High School, California)
1969-Carolyn Ervin (Tustin High School, California)
1968-Jean Anne Johnson (Grand Rapids High School, Minnesota)
1967-Cory Wade (Sunnyvale-Fremont High School, California)
1966-Jane Scholz (Muscatine High School, Iowa)
1965-Linda Tapsak (Houston-Memorial High School, Texas)
1964-Betsy Urban (Houston-Memorial High School, Texas)
1963-Janet Gabbert (St. Bernard High School, California)
1962-Jill Gregory (Chula Vista Hilltop High School, California)
1961-Sharon Marshall (Houston Bellaire High School, Texas)
1960-Margaret Owen (Arcadia High School, California)
1959-June Lynn Skaggs (Monett High School, Missouri)
1958-Norma Thompson (Louisville High School, Ohio)
1957-Wilma Jo George (Edmond High School, Oklahoma)
1956-Margie Moore (Dallas-Adamson High School, Texas)
1955-Sally Thurnau (Elgin High School, Illinois)
1954-Francine Sangor (Alhambra High School, California)
1953-Maxine Karpman (Beverely Hills High School, California)
1952-Jenonne Walker (Purcell High School, Oklahoma)