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While the polar vortex brought cold temperatures to much of the country, sixty-eight extempers competed in beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Florida for this year’s Sunvitational. Miles Saffran of Trinity Preparatory School (FL), coming off the heels of a third place finish at the Montgomery Bell Extemp Round Robin two weeks ago, cruised to a dominating ten rank victory in the cumulative tournament that functioned as a small preview of the Extemp Tournament of Champions (TOC), since seventeen of the twenty-four elimination round participants had already qualified to this year’s TOC. The victory is Saffran’s fourth at a TOC qualifying tournament this season. Noah Wexler of Nova High School (FL), who won the Crestian Tradition in October, took second and Richard Diubra of Millard West High School (NE) took third. Trinity Preparatory School had six elimination round participants, which was more than any other program at the tournament.
Since there were more than sixty entries, all of the extempers that made it to elimination rounds earned a TOC qualifying leg and those that earned a leg are indictated in italics in the results listing. Seven extempers earned a qualifying leg at the tournament and three extempers, Gillian Grossen of Cypress Bay High School (FL), Joseph Grossman of St. Thomas Aquinas High School (FL), and Jacob Levenson of Nova High School earned their second leg to qualify for the TOC.
Two TOC tournaments will take place this weekend. James Logan High School in California will host its annual Martin Luther King Invitational and Chanhassen High School in Minnesota will host the Chanhassen High School Speech Tournament.
Here are the results of the 2014 Sunvitational (Click here for tab sheet):