While many students around the country were gearing up for Advanced Placement (AP) exams and graduation, Northwestern University hosted the twenty-second edition of the Tournament of Champions (TOC) in Extemporaneous Speaking from May 2-4. 36 extempers made the trip to Evanston for the year’s second post-season tournament.

#3 Daphne Kalir-Starr of the College Preparatory School (CA) won her first National Points Race event of the season, defeating Boyana Nikolova of Irondale High School (MN) by three ranks in the final round. Since the TOC is a fourth tier event, Kalir-Starr will receive 70 points for the win and this finish gets her into the mix of potential National Points Race winners.

The seven judge final round panel was split in awarding their first place ranks among the top three competitors. #5 Rowan Seipp of A&M Consolidated High School (TX) won three of those first place ranks, more than any other competitor, but still finished six ranks back of Kalir-Starr for the title, having to settle for third place.

Six ranks back of Seipp was Sophia Amundgaard of Stillwater High School (MN), reaching her first National Points Race final round of the season.

Plano East Senior High School (TX) teammates #21 Pranav Gorty and Arya Gurumukhi were fifth and sixth, respectively.

There were a few ranked competitors who reached the semi-final round as well and will also receive National Points Race points. These include #9 Sahana Srikanth of Mason High School (OH), #23 Kajal Parmar of Cary Academy (NC), and #25 Ishika Kothari of Plano East.

Here are the results of the 2025 Tournament of Champions in Extemporaneous Speaking:

Champion: Daphne Kalir-Starr (The College Preparatory School, California)
2nd: Boyana Nikolova (Irondale High School, Minnesota)
3rd: Rowan Seipp (A&M Consolidated High School, Texas)
4th: Sophia Amundgaard (Stillwater Area High School, Minnesota)
5th: Pranav Gorty (Plano East Senior High School, Texas)
6th: Arya Gurumukhi (Plano East Senior High School, Texas)

Semi-Finalists

*Mina Bhargava (Edina High School, Minnesota)
*Angelo Ferris (Plano East Senior High School, Texas)
*Ishika Kothari (Plano East Senior High School, Texas)
*Cade Kuznia (Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted High School, Minnesota)
*Daniel Mitchell (Rocky Mountain High School, Colorado)
*Sylvia Oglesbay (Edina High School, Minnesota)
*Kajal Parmar (Cary Academy, North Carolina)
*Valerie Schmitt (Edina High School, Minnesota)
*Eshaal Shaikh (Wayzata High School, Minnesota)
*Sahana Srikanth (Mason High School, Ohio)
*Tvisha Talwar (Wayzata High School, Minnesota)
*Andrew Zheng (Acalanes High School, California)

Extemp Central thanks Northwestern University and Erez Kalir for sending us the results so that they could be posted.