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As readers wait for finals postings at NSDA, they might enjoy reading our fourth state tournament recap that provides results for state tournaments in Alabama, California, Minnesota, and North Dakota (Class A).

Alabama Speech and Debate Association State Tournament

The Alabama Speech and Debate Association’s State Tournament, contested between April 16 and April 18 at Saint James School in Montgomery, Alabama crowned two repeat winner’s in the state’s International and United States Extemp categories.

In International Extemp, Peare Barringer won his second consecutive state championship, defeating teammates Hayden Cavanaugh, Phillip Davis, and Hannah Yost for the championship.

Saint James also won United States Extemp, as McLean Stewart captured his third straight state championship in the category. Stewart defeated teammate Bradley Wascher for the title.

In all, eight underclassmen made the final rounds across both categories, which automatically qualify them for the 2016 Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions at Northwestern University. Those extempers earning an automatic qualification are indicated in italics below.

International Extemp

Champion: Pearce Barringer (Saint James School)
2nd: Hayden Cavanaugh (Saint James School)
3rd: Phillip Davis (Saint James School)
4th: Hannah Yost (Saint James School)
5th: Michael Butler (The Montgomery Academy)
6th: Josh Troup (Prattville High School)

United States Extemp

Champion: McLean Stewart (Saint James School)
2nd: Bradley Wascher (Saint James School)
3rd: David Zell (Altamont School)
4th: Jacob Cannon (Saint James School)
5th: Gentry Slay (Prattville High School)
6th: Scotland Kemper (The Montgomery Academy)

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California High School Speech Association State Tournament (Click here for tab sheet)

California hosts one of the largest state tournaments in the country and fifty-six extempers competed in International and United States Extemp at this year’s California High School Speech Association (CHSSA) State Tournament at Vista Murrieta High School in Murrieta California. The tournament took place between April 17 and April 19.

In International Extemp, Rohan Dhoopar of Bellarmine College Preparatory, a third place finisher in IX at last year’s NSDA National Tournament and a two-time invitee to the Montgomery Bell Academy Extemp Round Robin, regained the state championship. Last season Dhoopar was eliminated in semi-finals, but he stormed back with a vengeance this year to win the title for four cumulative ranks over Matthew Zheng of Mira Loma High School.

History was made in the United States Extemp half of the tournament as Brian Yu of Monte Vista High School captured his third consecutive state championship in the category. According to our records of the CHSSA State Tournament, this has never happened before. Yu, a finalist at last year’s NSDA National Tournament in U.S. Extemp, won the title by three ranks over Bryan Yuan Wang of Miramonte High School and Brian Xu of San Marino High School.

Seven underclassmen extempers earned an automatic qualification to next year’s Extemp TOC by virtue of making the final round of one of the extemp categories. They are indicated in italics below.

International Extemp

Champion: Rohan Dhoopar (Bellarmine College Preparatory)
2nd: Matthew Zheng (Mira Loma High School)
3rd: Owen Chang (Miramonte High School)
4th: Daniel Ginsburg (Miramonte High School)
5th: Anirudh Prabhu (Bellarmine College Preparatory)
6th: Alejandra Larriva-Latt (San Marino High School)

Semi-Finalists

*Thomas Crimmel(Rancho Bernardo High School)
*Sophia Fox (St. Francis Catholic High School)
*Alexander Michael Jang (Miramonte High School)
*Rishi Krishnan (Dougherty Valley High School)
*Alex Luo (Leland High School)
*Aquila A. Maliyekkal (Stockdale High School)
*Ann-Kathrin Merz (Leland High School)
*Axel Sarkissian (Chaminade College Preparatory)
*Javion Sun (Schurr High School)
*Varun Suresh (Archbishop Mitty High School)
*Alex Ye (Gabrielino High School)

United States Extemp

Champion: Brian Yu (Monte Vista High School)
2nd: Bryan Yuan Wang (Miramonte High School)
3rd: Brian Xu (San Marino High School)
4th: Artiom Arutiunov (Leland High School)
5th: Eric Zhao (Dougherty Valley High School)
6th: Aaron Ludin Baum (Miramonte High School)
7th: Cameron Loftis (Leland High School)

Semi-Finalists

*Clayton Becker (Claremont High School)
*Dominick Van Cleve (Torrey Pines High School)
*Ryan Frazier (Clovis East High School)
*Fatima Hasanain (Miramonte High School)
*William Kunkle (Schurr High School)
*Ankur Mahesh (Bellarmine College Preparatory)
*Sanjaye Narayan (Gabrielino High School)
*Omkar Savant (Bellarmine College Preparatory)
*Ankur Somani (Oxford Academy)
*Amulya Yerrapotu (Archbishop Mitty High School)
*Jonathan Hongde Zhou (Miramonte High School)

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Minnesota High School League State Tournament

Eastview High School continued its dominance of Class 2A extemporaneous speaking at the Minnesota High School League State Tournament, contested between April 17 and 18 at Lakeville North High School in Lakeville, Minnesota. Varoon Pazhyanur of Eastview won the school’s third championship in four years by achieving a six rank margin of victory over Hayley Pierce-Ramsdell of Blaine High School. Kevin Bi of East Ridge High School placed third.

In Class A, Sydney Erhardt of Cannon Falls High School made some history of her own by winning the category for the third consecutive year. In a very split round, Erhardt won by three ranks over Nicole Riegert of Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton High School. Matt Ehren of Mounds Park Academy finished third.

Three underclassmen extempers earned an automatic qualification to next year’s Extemp TOC by reaching the final round of their respective extemp category. These were Quinn Kupec of Moorhead High School, Brent Hauck of Lakeville North High School, and Charlie Park of Roseville Area High School.

Class AA (Click here for tab sheet)

Champion: Varoon Pazhyanur (Eastview High School)
2nd: Hayley Pierce-Ramsdell (Blaine High School)
3rd: Kevin Bi (East Ridge High School)
4th: Apoorva Malarvannan (Eastview High School)
5th: Parker Breza (Benilde-St.Margaret’s School)
6th: Quinn Kupec (Moorhead High School)
7th: Brent Hauck (Lakeville North High School)
8th: Charlie Park (Roseville Area High School)

Class A (Click here for tab sheet)

Champion: Sydney Erhardt (Cannon Falls High School)
2nd: Nicole Riegert (Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton High School)
3rd: Matt Ehren (Mounds Park Academy)
4th: Bradley Foster (Walker-Hackensack-Akeley High School)
5th: Miranda Felton (Cannon Falls High School)
6th: Shane Price (Mankato-Loyola High School)
7th: Charlie Stejskal (Maple Lake High School)
8th: Grant Schlichting (Cannon Falls High School)

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North Dakota High School Activities Association Class A State Tournament

There are two different classes for extemporaneous speaking in North Dakota and the tournaments are contested on different days. The Class A North Dakota High School Activities Association State Tournament took place on April 18 at Jamestown High School in Jamestown, North Dakota.

Neeraj Advani of West Fargo High School emerged as the state champion, stopping a run of six consecutive wins by Fargo Shanley High School. Casey Orvedal finished second and Nathaniel Thoreson finished third. Orvedal and Thoreson compete for Fargo Davies High School.

Three extempers, indicated in italics, earned an automatic entry into next year’s Extemp TOC due to making the state final round as underclassmen.

Champion: Neeraj Advani (West Fargo High School)
2nd: Casey Orvedal (Fargo Davies High School)
3rd: Nathaniel Thoreson (Fargo Davies High School)
4th: Prajwal Bharadwaj (Bismarck St. Mary’s High School)
5th: William Fleck (Mandan High School)
6th: Reece Burckhard (Bismarck St. Mary’s High School)
7th: Katherine Gladitsch (Fargo Shanley High School)
8th: Skylar Moody (Mandan High School)