2023 National Speech and Debate Season Opener Hosted by the University of Kentucky: Cao Wins Majority of Judges in the Final Round to Take the First National Circuit Title of the Season

43 extempers kicked off the 2023-2024 national circuit season last weekend in NSDA Campus when the University of Kentucky hosted the seventh edition of its National Speech and Debate Season Opener. The tournament was a fifth tier event in the Extemp Central National Points Race.

Amy Cao of Ridge High School (NJ), who placed eighth in last year’s National Points Race, took three first place ranks in the final round and won the tournament by four over Brandon Cheng of Flintridge Preparatory School (CA).

Cao’s teammate, Aparna Iyer, took third place. Iyer finished nine ranks back of Cao but was five ranks ahead of Sruti Peddi of BASIS Scottsdale (AZ).

Sumedh Seetharam of Scottsdale Preparatory Academy (AZ) and Daniel Song of East Ridge High School (MN) finished the final round tied for fifth. Seetharam won a judges’ preference tiebreaker 3-2.

Cao’s victory is the second time that a New Jersey extemper has won the Season Opener. In 2020, Caroline Xie of Princeton High School won the title in the first year that the tournament went online.

Since the Season Opener was a fifth tier event, all of the finalists will receive National Points Race points. Cao will earn 40 points for her win. The first standings of the National Points Race will be posted after the Yale Invitational at the end of the month.

Here are the results of the 2023 National Speech and Debate Season Opener (Click here for tab sheet):

Champion: Amy Cao (Ridge High School, New Jersey)
2nd: Brandon Cheng (Flintridge Preparatory School, California)
3rd: Aparna Iyer (Ridge High School, New Jersey)
4th: Sruti Peddi (BASIS Scottsdale, Arizona)
5th: Sumedh Seetharam (Scottsdale Preparatory Academy, Arizona)
6th: Daniel Song (East Ridge High School, Minnesota)

Semi-Finalists

*Aahaan Bandopadhyay (Lynbrook High School, California)
*Kai Forbach (Durham Academy, North Carolina)
*Aanya Mohta (East Ridge High School, Minnesota)
*Kajal Parmar (Cary Academy, North Carolina)
*Sahana Srikanth (Mason High School, Ohio)
*Evelyn Tsoi (Velasquez Academy, California)

Extemp Central thanks the University of Kentucky for putting the results of the tournament online.