The regular season of the National Points Race wrapped up in Apple Valley, Minnesota two weeks ago when Eastview High School played host to the Star Tribune Eastview Lightning Classic, a fifth tier event to represent the Midwest.
38 competitors entered International Extemp, which was won by Agrim Joshi of Shakopee High School (MN). Joshi took three of the five first place ranks in the final round, defeating Anatasia Koch of Eagan High School (MN) by five ranks. Koch took the other two available first place ranks in the round.
Medihin Daniel of Eagan and Rahu Balaji of Woodbury High School (MN) tied for third place but Daniel beat Balaji on a judges’ preference tiebreaker.
Louise Nguyen of Lakeville North High School (MN) was fifth and Raja Chinnakotla of Edina High School (MN) was sixth.
United States Extemp was much closer. Elisabeth Nielsen of Eastview High School (MN) won the championship against 30 other competitors, winning the final round in a judges’ preference tiebreaker over Srinath Hariharan of Woodbury High School.
Ava Roots of Stillwater Area High School (MN) placed third, two ranks behind Nielsen and Hariharan. She was four ranks clear of fourth place finisher Abiha Kashif of Eagan High School.
Izzy Parker of Woodbury High School finished fifth, one rank behind Kashif, and Darren Tanubrata of Eden Prairie High School (MN) was sixth.
All finalists will receive National Points Race points, with Joshi and Nielsen earning 40 points for their respective wins.
The finalists also earn a bid leg to the 2023 Extemp TOC at Northwestern University. The tournament was not a qualifier for the UK TOC in April.
Here are the results of the 2023 Star Tribune Eastview Lightning Classic (Click here for tab sheet):
International Extemp
Champion: Agrim Joshi (Shakopee High School, Minnesota)
2nd: Anatasia Koch (Eagan High School, Minnesota)
3rd: Medihin (Natu) Daniel (Eagan High School, Minnesota)
4th: Rahu Balaji (Woodbury High School, Minnesota)
5th: Louise Nguyen (Lakeville North High School, Minnesota)
6th: Raja Chinnakotla (Edina High School, Minnesota)
United States Extemp
Champion: Elisabeth Nielsen (Eastview High School, Minnesota)
2nd: Srinath Hariharan (Woodbury High School, Minnesota)
3rd: Ava Roots (Stillwater Area High School, Minnesota)
4th: Abiha Kashif (Eagan High School, Minnesota)
5th: Izzy Parker (Woodbury High School, Minnesota)
6th: Darren Tanubrata (Eden Prairie High School, Minnesota)
Extemp Central thanks Eastview High School for putting the results of the tournament online.