The Bronx High School of Science held its annual New York City Invitational last weekend, attracting a field of forty-three extempers. This year’s tournament was back in person after two years of online competition because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
#1 McKinley Paltzik of Phoenix Country Day School (AZ) won her second consecutive New York City championship in rout, winning the cumulative tournament by sixteen ranks. Paltzik also won the final round by eleven ranks, continuing her streak of winning National Points Race events when she reaches finals.
#11 Theodore Gercken of the College Preparatory School (CA) took second, winning a final round tiebreaker by three ranks over Amy Cao of Ridge High School (NJ).
Sruti Peddi of BASIS Scottsdale (AZ) was runner-up to Paltzik in the final round but finished fourth because of the cumulative tabbing of the tournament. Like Gercken, Peddi claimed fourth in a final round tiebreaker over #8 Kevin Li of Ridge High School (NJ), defeating Li by one rank.
#17 Matthew Abrahms of George Washington High School (CO) completed the final round with a sixth place finish.
All of the finalists earned a bid to this year’s University of Kentucky Tournament of Champions (TOC).
The New York City Invitational is a fifth tier tournament in the National Points Race, so Paltzik will earn forty points for winning. That will extend her National Points Race lead. All finalists will earn points and new standings will be released by the end of the week.
Here are the results of the 2022 New York City Invitational (Click here for tab sheet):
Champion: McKinley Paltzik (Phoenix Country Day School, Arizona)
2nd: Theodore Gercken (The College Preparatory School, California)
3rd: Amy Cao (Ridge High School, New Jersey)
4th: Sruti Peddi (BASIS Scottsdale, Arizona)
5th: Kevin Li (Ridge High School, New Jersey)
6th: Matthew Abrahms (George Washington High School, Colorado)
Semi-Finalists
*Sebastian Barnes (La Salle College High School, Pennsylvania)
*Reece Christian (George Washington High School, Colorado)
*Riya Devroy (Millburn High School, New Jersey)
*Justin Ha (Stuyvesant High School, New York)
*Sam Kang (The Hawken School, Ohio)
*Chloe Leng (The Hawken School, Ohio)
*Kai Li (Stuyvesant High School, New York)
*Matthew McGinn (Holy Ghost Preparatory School, Pennsylvania)
*Ece Sarioglu (Lake Highland Preparatory, Florida)
*Nathan Thomas (La Salle College High School, Pennsylvania)
*Eshaal Ubaid (Stuyvesant High School, New York)
*Zara Yusaf (The Hackley School, New York)
Extemp Central thanks the Bronx High School of Science for putting the results of the tournament online.