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Last weekend the fifth tournament in the National Points Race, the Florida Blue Key, took place on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville. The tournament allows extempers to compete in International and United States Extemporaneous Speaking and just like last year’s edition, where Miles Saffran and Lily Nellans traded wins, different extempers won each category.
In International Extemp, Noah Wexler of Nova Senior High School (FL), who finished second to Jasper Primack at the New York City Invitational this season, edged out Justin Graham of Trinity Preparatory School (FL) and Wake Forest winner Yijia Liang of Upper Arlington High School (OH) by one rank. Josh Wartel of Lake Braddock Secondary School (VA) took two first place ranks in the final, more than any other extemper, but two fifth place ranks caused him to finish in fourth place.
In the United States Extemp portion of the tournament Graham demolished the competition, capturing four of the five available first place ranks in the final round to beat Eitan Sapiro-Gheiler of Durham Academy (NC) by eight ranks. This was Graham’s third win at a TOC qualifying tournament this season as he won both halves of the Crestian Tradition three weeks ago. Jacob Levenson of Nova Senior High School, the only extemper other to Graham to make the final round of both extemp categories at the tournament, took third place.
Extempers had their finishes in each extemp category combined to determine the allocation of National Points Race points. Graham’s win in USX and his runner-up finish in IX made him the best extemper at the Blue Key. He will receive forty National Points Race points and be credited with a victory. Levenson’s finishes allowed him to receive second place points, and Wexler will receive third place points.
The extempers who reached the semi-finals and beyond in each category earned a qualifying leg for the 2015 Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) at Northwestern University. Six extempers – Andrew Langford of Lake Highland Preparatory School (FL), Connor Leech of Durham Academy, Levenson, Adele Stock and Wexler of Nova Senior, and Thomas Rollins of the Potomac School (VA) – finalized their at-large TOC qualifications at the tournament. Three other extempers earned their first qualifying leg. All extempers that earned a TOC qualification leg are indicated in italics below.
Furthermore, all of the finalists in either extemp category earned an automatic qualification to the University of Kentucky Tournament of Champions (TOC) in April.
Here are the results of the 2014 Florida Blue Key (Click here for tab sheet):