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Connor Fitzgibbon of Unionville Area High School (PA) defeated Sejal Waghray of Ridge High School (NJ) by one rank to win this year’s University of Pennsylvania Liberty Bell Classic, which was held last weekend in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Fitzgibbon lost the final round to Waghray, but the cumulative nature of the tournament helped him hold on and prevail sixteen ranks to seventeen. Waghray’s teammate, Cameron Montag, took third. Fitzgibbon’s victory gives Pennsylvania extempers back-to-back victories at their home tournament. In last year’s event, James DeMarshall of St. Joseph’s Preparatory School (PA) ended a seven year stretch where out-of-state extempers won the tournament.
The tournament attracted twenty-five entries and broke to semi-finals. The competitors that made the final round earned a qualifying leg to this year’s Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) at Northwestern University. Two extempers – Waghray and Montag – completed their TOC at-large qualification. One extemper, Amber Yang of Trinity Preparatory School (FL), earned their first qualifying leg.
Here are the results of the 2014 University of Pennsylvania Liberty Bell Classic (Click here for tab sheet):