Category: MBA Coverage Page 1 of 9

The MBA top six (from left to right): Gabriel Frank-McPheter, Katelyn Cai, Daniel Kind, McKinley Paltzik, Ananth Veluvali, and Peter Alisky. Photo is courtesy of Daniel Kind.

Last weekend’s Montgomery Bell Academy Extemp Round Robin was a close contest throughout as a ten rank differential separated the winner from sixth place. #7 McKinley Paltzik of Phoenix Country Day School (AZ) fended off a late surge by reigning NCFL National Champion Ananth Veluvali of Edina High School (MN), winning the first major championship of the season by two ranks. Over the last three rounds of competition, Veluvali took seven of nine available first place ranks, moving from fourth place to second in the process, but Paltzik closed with three first place ranks of her own to retain possession of first place

National Points Race leader Daniel Kind of Lake Highland Preparatory School (FL) finished third, six ranks behind Paltzik. Like Veluvali, Kind made a late charge in the tournament as well but was undone by a handful of 3’s and 4’s early Saturday morning.

#10 Katelyn Cai of BASIS Scottsdale (AZ) followed up a runner-up at Harvard with a fourth place finish at MBA, running a mere rank in front of #18 Peter Alisky of Smoky Hill High School (CO) and #6 Gabriel Frank-McPheter of Gabrielino High School (CA). Alisky and Frank-McPheter tied for the fifth place spot, which was broken on a second tiebreaker of reciprocals because they tied on six ballots head-to-head.

Paltzik is the first Arizona extemper to win the Round Robin and is the first junior to win since Lily Nellans of Des Moines Roosevelt (IA) in 2013. Her win at MBA is her third National Points Race tournament championship of the season. Paltzik has won every National Points Race tournament final round that she has advanced to this year.

#12 Mukta Dharmapurikar of Durham Academy (NC) was a late scratch from the tournament, replaced by teammate Elizabeth Wong.

MBA only announces the top six at awards, so the other participants in the tournament are listed in alphabetical order. Only the recognized top six will receive National Points Race points. New standings will be released Thursday evening.

Here are the results from the 2022 Montgomery Bell Academy Extemp Round Robin:

2022 Montgomery Bell Academy Extemp Round Robin Field is Released!

On February 6, 2022

Adam Johnson, the tournament director of the Montgomery Bell Academy Extemp Round Robin, recently released the sixteen participants of this year’s event, which will take place in person in Nashville, Tennessee on March 4-6. MBA will be the first major tournament of the season and will be a second tier tournament, awarding 150 National Points Race points to the winner and points to extempers that make the top six.

This year’s field features extempers from ten states, with five of the top ten extempers in the National Points Race participating. Two schools – Plano West Senior High School (TX) and the Harker School (CA) – have multiple extempers competing.

Congratulations to the following extempers for being invited to this year’s round robin!

*Peter Alisky (Smoky Hill High School, Colorado)
*Katelyn Cai (BASIS Scottsdale, Arizona)
*William Chien (The Harker School, California)
*Chirag Choudhary (Unionville High School, Pennsylvania)
*Mukta Dharmapurikar (Durham Academy, North Carolina)
*Gabriel Frank-McPheter (Gabrielino High School, California)
*Charles Hou (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)
*Michelle Jin (The Harker School, California)
*Daniel Kind (Lake Highland Preparatory, Florida)
*Kyle Letterer (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)
*McKinley Paltzik (Phoenix Country Day School, Arizona)
*Cameron Roberts (Jack C. Hays High School, Texas)
*Cade Savoy (Teurlings Catholic High School, Louisiana)
*Alex Sorgini (LaSalle College High School, Pennsylvania)
*Ananth Veluvali (Edina High School, Minnesota)
*Faye Zhang (Eastview High School, Minnesota)

National Circuit News: Date for the 2022 Montgomery Bell Extemp Round Robin Changes to March 4-6, 2022

On November 25, 2021

Montgomery Bell Academy Extemp Round Robin tournament director Adam Johnson would like to inform the extemp community that the dates for the 2022 Montgomery Bell Extemp Round Robin have changed.

The original tournament was scheduled for January 8-10, but has now been changed to March 4-6 in order to have more planning time. The tournament will take place in person this year and will not be done virtually or in a hybrid setup.

Johnson has informed us that invites for the tournament will go out soon, so the selection process will not be altered by the later date.

2021 Montgomery Bell Academy Extemp Round Robin Field Announced!

On December 9, 2020

Tournament Director Adam Johnson recently announced the field for this year’s edition of the Montgomery Bell Academy Extemp Round Robin, the first major championship of the season.

This year’s tournament is making history as it will be the first round robin held in a digital format. The sixteen extempers, all of whom were selected for their placings at national and national circuit competitions over the last two years, will face off in ten rounds on January 2 and 3.

Congratulations to the following extempers for being invited to compete in this year’s event!

*Peter Alisky (Smoky Hill High School, Colorado)
*Jishnu Basu (Plano Senior High School, Texas)
*Katelyn Cai (BASIS Scottsdale, Arizona)
*Mukta Dharmapurikar (Durham Academy, North Carolina)
*Gabriel Frank-McPheter (Gabrielino High School, California)
*Vikash Giritharan (Eastview High School, Minnesota)
*Charles Hou (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)
*Ethan Jiang (Seven Lake High School, Texas)
*Kush Narang (Bellarmine College Preparatory, California)
*McKinley Paltzik (Phoenix Country Day School, Arizona)
*Pranav Pattatathunaduvil (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)
*Ashok Ramkumar (Bellarmine College Preparatory, California)
*Kay Rollins (The Potomac School, Virginia)
*Krishna Sanaka (Hawken High School, Ohio)
*Ananth Veluvali (Edina High School, Minnesota)
*Angela Wang (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)

2019-2020 Extemp Season Winter Update

On February 12, 2020

by Daniel Kind

The Winter months of the season are often the most important and jam-packed for the entire extemp community. With at least six major national tournaments, as well as the Montgomery Bell Academy Round Robin occurring in these three months, this time is often the crux of the season. Given our brief winter hiatus in the latest tournament results, Extemp Central is now updating the community of the tournaments we missed over the winter.

2020 Montgomery Bell Extemp Round Robin Field is Announced!

On December 11, 2019

Adam Johnson, the director of the Montgomery Bell Extemp Round Robin, recently unveiled the list of this year’s sixteen invitees. These competitors, who represent eleven states, will compete in Nashville on January 5-6 in one of the two second tier tournaments in this year’s Extemp Central National Points Race.

Extemp Central congratulates the following invitees:

*Steve Asthana (Shrewsbury High School, Massachusetts)
*Mukta Dharmapurikar (Durham Academy, North Carolina)
*James Gao (Ridge High School, New Jersey)
*Nikitha Kalahasti (Presentation High School, California)
*Anuj Kothari (Bellarmine College Preparatory, California)
*Gustavo Lanz (Cypress Bay High School, Florida)
*Eve Mainster (Scarsdale High School, New York)
*Jocelyn “Mo” Marks (Theodore Roosevelt High School, Iowa)
*Alex Massa (Hoover High School, Ohio)
*Anurima Mummaneni (Westwood High School, Texas)
*Pranav Pattatathunaduvil (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)
*Juliette Reyes (American Heritage School – Plantation, Florida)
*Kay Rollins (The Potomac School, Virginia)
*Jack Silvers (Scarsdale High School, New York)
*Angela Wang (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)
*Brian Zheng (Naperville North High School, Illinois)

2019 Montgomery Bell Academy Extemp Round Robin: Wei Captures Second Major Championship; National Points Leader Rollins Finishes Second

On January 8, 2019

Sixteen of the nation’s best extempers, including a good number of the top ten extempers in this year’s Extemp Central National Points Race, converged on Nashville, Tennessee as part of the twenty-first edition of the Montgomery Bell Academy (MBA) Extemp Round Robin. The Round Robin features ten rounds of competition with extempers paired off into four rooms of four. The tournament is staggered so that each competitor gets two rounds against another and each round features three minute cross-examination.

When the tournament finished on Sunday evening, reigning National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) United States Extemp National Champion Jacqueline Wei of Plano West Senior High School (TX) defeated National Points Race leader Kay Rollins of the Potomac School (VA) by six ranks. Wei’s victory, her second major championship, keeps the title in Plano as her teammate, Nikhil Ramaswamy, triumphed in last year’s tournament. This is the third time that Plano West has walked away with the Round Robin title, matching Theodore Roosevelt High School (IA) and Milton Academy (MA) for the most victories at the prestigious competition.

MBA only recognizes the top six competitors at awards, with the others receiving participation trophies. Christopher Maximos of the Delbarton School (NJ), who finaled at the Yale Invitational in September, took third, while Mo Marks of Theodore Roosevelt High School (IA) was credited with her fifth National Points Race final round appearance this season by placing fourth. Nikolas Kirk of Brophy College Preparatory (AZ), who shared first place points in the National Points Race with Vivian Zhao of Plano Senior High School (TX) at the University of Texas Longhorn Classic, was fifth. Yale semi-finalist Jack Silvers of Scarsdale High School (NY) also surprised national circuit observers with a sixth place finish.

Wei will receive 150 points for her victory in the Round Robin, which was the first of three second tier tournaments during the second semester. National Points Race standings will be updated near the end of the week so extempers know where they stand heading into the Sunvitational.

Here are the results of the 2019 Montgomery Bell Academy Extemp Round Robin:

2019 MBA Extemp Round Robin: This Year’s Invitees!

On December 16, 2018

Adam Johnson, the tournament director for the Montgomery Bell Extemp Round Robin, recently released the names of those who have been invited to compete in this year’s event. The Round Robin, which is the first major tournament of the 2018-2019 school year, will take place January 5-6 in Nashville, Tennessee on the campus of Montgomery Bell Academy. Extempers will compete in ten rounds, placed into sections of four where every competitors meets every other twice, and each of those rounds will have a panel of three judges and a three minute cross-examination period.

Here is the list of this year’s invitees. Extemp Central congratulates all of those who received an invitation to this year’s field:

*Pranay Dhondi (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)
*James Han (University High School, Illinois)
*Nikolas Kirk (Brophy College Preparatory School, Arizona)
*Sam Lieberman (Acton-Boxborough High School, Massachusetts)
*Mo Marks (Theodore Roosevelt High School, Iowa)
*Christopher Maximos (The Delbarton School, New Jersey)
*Jose Quinones (Cypress Bay High School, Florida)
*Juliette Reyes (American Heritage School-Plantation, Florida)
*Kay Rollins (The Potomac School, Virginia)
*Arjun Shanmugam (Jackson High School, Ohio)
*Jack Silvers (Scarsdale High School, New York)
*Jacqueline Wei (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)
*Tristan Wertanzl (Cypress Bay High School, Florida)
*Byron Xu (Tompkins High School, Texas)
*Vivian Zhao (Plano Senior High School, Texas)
*Brian Zheng (Naperville North High School, Illinois)

In addition, Johnson had this to say about the passing of Kate Fisher, who competed for St. Mary’s Hall in Texas and tied for first place at last year’s event: “Kate was invited to return for her third year to participate in this year’s field after she tied for the Round Robin championship this past January. Aside from being an incredible competitor, Kate was also a wonderful person and had a vibrant personality. It is with great sadness that we will be unable to welcome her back. We will seek ways to honor her memory.”

2016 Montgomery Bell Academy Extemp Round Robin: Balaji Overcomes Graham and Sloane in the Final Round to Win the First Major Championship of 2016

On January 6, 2016

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After two days of close and fierce competition in Nashville, Vaikunth Balaji of Ridge High School (NJ) emerged as the winner of the 2016 Montgomery Bell Extemp Round Robin. Balaji survived ten grueling rounds of competition against some of the best extempers in the nation, edging National Points Race leader Justin Graham of Trinity Preparatory School (FL) by one rank. His win marks the first time that a Ridge extemper placed in the top six of the Round Robin and he is the first New Jersey extemper to win the tournament since 2009, when Matt Arons of Millburn High School took home the title.

This year’s Round Robin was the closest in two years, with Balaji, Graham, and third place finisher Marshall Sloane of Milton Academy (MA) all entering the ninth round of the tournament tied for the lead. In the tenth round, Balaji’s picket fencing of his round was better than Graham’s 1-1-2 performance in another section. Sloane was matched up with Balaji and went straight two’s, leaving him three ranks behind Balaji when the tournament concluded.

In many ways, Balaji’s win was a come-from-behind effort as he began the tournament in fifth place after the first round. He maneuvered his way into the top three after round three, while Graham took the lead in the tournament after round five. Graham would hold that position going into the very last round. In fact, Balaji went from third to first after the tenth round and he never led the tournament until the very end.

Sloane was the only non-senior to finish in the top six. The top six also included Saint Mark’s International Extemp winner Micah Cash of Booker T. Washington High School (OK), Glenbrooks winner Marshall Webb of Saint Mary’s Hall (TX), and Daniel Drane of Des Moines Roosevelt High School (IA).

Balaji will receive 150 National Points Race points for his victory since MBA is a second tier tournament. The win is his first major championship and second victory at a Nationals Points Race tournament this season.

Here are the results of the 2016 Montgomery Bell Academy Extemp Round Robin:

2016 Montgomery Bell Academy Extemp Round Robin: Sweet Sixteen Preview Part II

On December 31, 2015

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Here is the second part of our participant capsules for this year’s Montgomery Bell Extemp Round Robin in Nashville, Tennessee. Check back tomorrow for a poll, where you can cast your vote for who you think will win this year’s tournament! If you missed part I of this preview, you can read it here.

KEY: DNA = Did Not Attend; DNC = Did Not Clear (Break); NR = Not Ranked

2016 Montgomery Bell Academy Extemp Round Robin: Sweet Sixteen Preview Part I

On December 30, 2015

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This Saturday and Sunday, sixteen of the nation’s best extemporaneous speakers will compete in Nashville, Tennessee at the eighteenth edition of the Montgomery Bell Academy (MBA) Extemp Round Robin. This year’s event is different from previous years in that the tournament will take place over two days instead of three and there will be no Exhibition Round this year due to time constraints. Still, the tournament will feature ten rounds, with each competitor hitting every other competitor twice, and the winner of the tournament will receive 150 points in the National Points Race.

Last season, Josh Wartel of Lake Braddock Secondary School (VA) won by a comfortable margin, becoming the first Virginia extemper to do so, while Phoebe Lin of Plano West Senior High School (TX) captured the Exhibition Round title. Wartel later went on to win the final round of the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA)’s National Tournament in Dallas, Texas and the competitor that finished second – Brian Anderson of LaRue County High School (KY) – won the International Extemp national championship at that same event. None of last year’s Exhibition Round participants are returning for this year’s competition, an unusual event for a tournament where an underclassmen typically places in the top five.

This year’s tournament field features the winners of ten 2015-2016 Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) qualifying tournaments, six 2015 state champions, and nine of the top ten competitors in the National Points Race. In fact, the winners of all of the 2015-2016 National Points Race tournaments are represented. And six competitors are veterans of the tournament with one of them (Vaikunth Balaji) returning for the third time.

It would be apt to call this year’s competition a “team tournament within a tournament” as three schools – Des Moines Roosevelt High School (IA), Ridge High School (NJ), and Trinity Preparatory School (FL) – each have two extempers in the field.

Today and tomorrow, Extemp Central will provide brief capsules for each of the sixteen extempers invited to participate in this year’s MBA Round Robin. The capsules have been arranged in alphabetical order.

2016 Montgomery Bell Extemp Round Robin: This Year’s Field

On December 10, 2015

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Montgomery Bell Academy (MBA) Extemp Round Robin director Adam Johnson has released the names of the sixteen competitors that have been selected to compete at this year’s tournament. These extempers will compete in Nashville, Tennessee on January 2-3. Congratulations to all of the invitees.

*Vaikunth Balaji (Ridge High School, New Jersey)
*Micah Cash (Booker T. Washington High School, Oklahoma)
*Justin Cooper (Scarsdale High School, New York)
*Daniel Drane (Des Moines Roosevelt High School, Iowa)
*Justin Graham (Trinity Preparatory School, Florida)
*Katherine Hu (Plano Senior High School, Texas)
*Shawn Kant (Ridge High School, New Jersey)
*Andrew Langford (Lake Highland Preparatory, Florida)
*Christopher Mayer (Montville Township High School, New Jersey)
*Neil Patel (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)
*Nathaniel Saffran (Trinity Preparatory School, Florida)
*Shreetika Singh (Seven Lakes High School, Texas)
*Marshall Sloane (Milton Academy, Massachusetts)
*Jacob Thompson (Des Moines Roosevelt High School, Iowa)
*Marshall Webb (Saint Mary’s Hall, Texas)
*Brian Xu (San Marino High School, California)

2015 Montgomery Bell Academy Extemp Round Robin: Wartel Redeems Last Year’s Loss, Wins Third Consecutive National Circuit Event; Lin Takes Exhibition Round

On January 5, 2015

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Having lost the closest Montgomery Bell Academy Extemp Round Robin in history last year, Josh Wartel of Lake Braddock Secondary School (VA) left nothing to chance at this year’s event, achieving a seven rank triumph over Brian Anderson of LaRue County High School (KY) in this year’s tournament. Having led all ten rounds of last year’s competition before succombing in an Exhibition Round tiebreaker to three-time champion Lily Nellans, Wartel led nine of the ten rounds of this year’s competition, taking control of the tournament in the second round and never looking back. The title is Wartel’s first major championship and is his third consecutive victory at a prominent national circuit tournament. Wartel won Villiger for the second time in November and won both extemp competitions at George Mason last month. He will receive 150 National Points Race points for his win.

Anderson’s runner-up finish was the best performance by a Kentucky extemper at the Round Robin. His top five placing was also the first time that a Kentucky extemper had reached the Exhibition Round since 2008.

The top five competitors of the tournament were all from Southern states, creating the first all-Southern Exhibition Round in Round Robin history. In the Exhibition Round, adjudicated by the eleven competitors that did not place in the top five, Phoebe Lin of Plano West Senior High School (TX) took the title, becoming the first Texas extemper to do so since 2009. Lin took third in the general tournament, placing a mere one rank behind Anderson.

Overall, the tournament was very close with the second and fifth-highest placing extempers separated by only eight ranks. Noah Wexler of Nova Senior High School (FL) finished fourth, only two ranks behind Lin and a mere three ranks behind Anderson. Eitan Sapiro-Gheiler from Durham Academy (NC) took fifth, with five ranks separating him from Wexler.

National Points Race leader Justin Graham of Trinity Preparatory School (FL) took next out honors and will receive National Points Race points for his sixth place finish. Graham missed the Exhibition Round by seven ranks.

Here are the results of the 2015 Montgomery Bell Academy Extemp Round Robin:

2015 MBA Extemp Round Robin Live Coverage: Round 8 Pairings

On January 3, 2015

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Draw for the final round of the evening is underway. The topic area is the other experimental round of the tournament.

Check back tomorrow morning at 10:30 a.m. EST for the pairings for round nine.

2015 MBA Extemp Round Robin Live Coverage: Round 7 Pairings

On January 3, 2015