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Salina High Central in Salina, Kansas hosted the last of at-large qualifying tournaments to this year’s Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) last weekend when it held its Salina High Central Invitational. The Kansas-rich field featured varsity and novice competitions in International and United States Extemp and the tournament was cumulative. El Dorado High School (KS) possessed both champions in the varsity extemp categories as Trey Duran overcame a pre-final round deficit of six ranks to defeat teammate Megan Kline in International Extemp by one and Dakota Yates defeated Alexander Trobough of the Sumner Academy of Arts & Science by four ranks in United States Extemp.
In the novice categories, Spencer Mitchell of Shawnee Mission East High School (KS) defeated Alex Rickard of Newton High School (KS) by three ranks in International Extemp and Brett Kamber of Hutchinson High School (KS) beat Mitch Wagenheim of Shawnee Mission West High School (KS) by two ranks in United States Extemp. Kamber went straight 1’s in his final round.
The tournament did not have enough entries (13 extempers competed in International Extemp and 31 in United States Extemp) to grant legs outside of the varsity final rounds, so although United States Extemp broke to quarter-finals, only those who made its final round earned TOC qualifying legs. Although all of the finalists earned their first TOC qualifying leg, there are no more at-large qualifying tournaments remaining, so they will have to apply for an at-large spot to this year’s field. Since Kansas does not hold its state tournament until May 3rd, its state finalists this season will earn an automatic qualification to the 2015 Extemp TOC instead of this season’s event.
Here are the results of the 2014 Salina High Central Invitational (Click here for tab sheet)
Numbers were down for this year’s Alief Taylor High School Tournament, a 2014 Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) qualifier, after the tournament was rescheduled from its usual January date. Shretika Singh of Seven Lakes High School (TX) defeated Junyuan Tan of Alief Kerr High School (TX) and seventeen other competitors to win International Extemp. In United States Extemp, Franz Brotzen-Smith of Lamar High School (TX) defeated Princewell Imouokhome of Seven Lakes High School and twelve other competitors to win the title.
The last of the three Illinois-based 2014 Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) qualifying tournaments, the Downers Grove South Varsity Tournament, took place last weekend at Downers Grove South High School in Downers Grove, Illinois. The tournament featured an all-Illinois final and Parth Patel of Huntley High School emerged as the tournament champion over Saumya Jain of Neuqua Valley High School. Neuqua Valley and Wheaton Warrenville South High School each had two finalists and Neuqua did better as Jain’s teammate Abhishek Nigam took third.
Minnesota is a state that splits its debate and speech seasons by semester and the spring semester is the beginning of speech competitions in one of the country’s most nationally successful states. Chanhassen High School in Chanhassen, Minnesota hosted its annual Chanhassen High School Speech Tournament, which attracted twenty-nine extempers like Saturday. Haley Brahmbatt of Chanhassen, a semi-finalist at last year’s CFL Grand National Tournament and quarter-finalist at last year’s NFL National Tournament in International Extemp, took advantage of competing on familiar ground and denied Lily Nellans of Des Moines Roosevelt High School (IA) bid to win a third Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) qualifying tournament this season. Brahmbhatt defeated Nellans by one rank to take the title after Nellans took a fourth place rank from one of the five judges on the final round panel, which negated three first place ranks that she received in the round. Brahmbhatt took the other two first place ranks available in the final. Jack Kurila of Eastivew High School (MN) took third. Des Moines Roosevelt placed three extempers in the final round, which was more than any other school. The tournament was unique among many of the TOC qualifying tournaments this season as the final was equally gender balanced, with three female extempers competing against three male extempers.
Texas tournaments are usually large and last weekend’s Winston Churchill Classic in San Antonio, Texas was not exception. 100 extempers battled each other in International Extemp, while 116 competed in United States Extemp. Unlike St. Mark’s, extempers were not allowed to double in the extemp categories, so extempers could not earn both of the legs needed for their 2014 Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) qualification at the event.
Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona hosted its annual Southwest Championship last wekend and the tournament drew twenty-seven extempers from five different states. Keegan Paugh of Stevens High School (SD) was the tournament champion, defeating Breckon Devon Denler of Mountain View High School (AZ) via judges preference. Paugh went 1-1-4 in the final round of the tournament, while Denler posted a 2-3-1 composite and that makes Paugh the first South Dakota extemper to win an Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) qualifying tournament this season.
While most of the extemp world was focused on the Montgomery Bell Academy Extemp Round Robin last week, Myers Park High School in Charlotte, North Carolina played host to forty-two extempers and the weekend’s only Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) qualifying tournament. Nida Ansari of Riverside High School (SC) was the tournament champion, posting a cumulative elimination rank total of fifteen and defeating Mark Cohen of Durham Academy (NC) by four ranks. Durham Academy had two finalists and six elimination round participants, which was more than any other school in attendance.
December is a time when the most recognized collegiate forensic programs host their invitational tournaments. George Mason and Bradley University hosted theirs the first weekend of December and last weekend was Western Kentucky University’s turn. WKU placed second at both collegiate national tournaments last season and it had thirty-one extempers in its annual Hilltopper Classic on December 14th. Brian Anderson of LaRue County High School (KY), who finisher runner-up at the George Mason University Patriot Games Classic two weeks ago and is a 2014 MBA invitee, was the tournament champion. Emma Jackson and Andrew McKinney of Danville High School (KY) took second and third, respectively. Lane Hedrick of Rowan County Senior High School (KY), who won Bradley’s George Armstrong Heart of Illinois Invitational two weeks ago, was also in the final round and placed fifth. The tournament gave out a top novice award and Musa Subramaniam of Franklin High School (TN), who was the only non-Kentucky extemper in finals, was the recepient.
Bradley University, the two-time defending collegiate national championship team, hosted its annual George Armstrong Heart of Illinois Invitational in Peoria, Illinois last weekend. Twenty-nine extempers showed up to compete in the open division and Lane Hedrick of Rowan County Senior High School (KY) was the winner. Hedrick went straight 1’s in the final round to win the tournament by five ranks over Kerthi Gondi of Parkway West High School (MO). Meghan Weston of Fullerton Joint Union High School (CA) took third, beating out Chloe An of Ladue Horton Watkins High School (MO) by judges preference.
Nova Senior High School, one of the premier forensic programs in the country, held its annual Titan Invitational last weekend in Davie, Florida. Twenty-eight extempers participated in the tournament and Daniel Greene of The University School (FL) took the championship, going straight 1’s in the final round. Sydney Britton of The American Heritage School (FL) took second and Greene’s teammate Samantha Koreman took third.
Last weekend at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, thirty-five extempers competed in the Remy Wilcox High School Speech Tournament. Patrick Spieker of Gig Harbor High School (WA) edged teammate Heather Selby by judges preference to win the title. Arman Cuneo of Eagle High School (ID) took third. Gig Harbor and Highland High School (ID) had two finalists each and the final round saw three Washington extempers take on three Idaho extempers.
Champion: Curan Mehra (Scarsdale)
Champion: Ben Constine (Yorktown High School, Virginia)
Champion: Sofia Ellis-Curry (Glencoe High School)