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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.
The tournament broke to semi-finals, but since the tournament lacked forty extempers, only the finalists secured a qualifying leg. No extempers qualified to the TOC from the Southwest Championship, but five extempers did earn their first TOC qualifying leg and are indicated in italics below. Paugh was the only extemper in the final round to earn a TOC qualification, having secured his bid by making elimination rounds in International and United States Extemp at the Florida Blue Key in October.
Here are the results from the 2014 Arizona State University Southwest Championship (Click here for tab sheet):
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)
Champion: Teddy Huerta (Dickson County High School, Tennessee)
Champion: Zach Klein (Montville High School)
Champion: Emily Martin (Boone County High School)
U.S. Extemp