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This year’s Columbia Invitational attracted sixty-two extempers. At the end of seven rounds of competition, Mark Rinder of Freehold Township High School (NJ) emerged as the tournament champion, defeating Teresa Chen of Stuyvesant High School (NY) by two ranks. The tournament was tabbed cumulatively and Rinder won the final round by five ranks, which helped him vault above his fellow competitors and claim his first Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) qualifying tournament title of the season.
Charlie Barton of Regis High School (NY) finished in third place, making him one of two Regis extempers in the final round. In addition to Barton, Dylan Kennedy of Regis finished in fifth place.
The defending champion of the tournament was Jasper Primack of Newton South High School (MA), but he did not attend this year’s event.
The top three finishers at Columbia earned a qualifying leg to this year’s Extemp TOC at Northwestern University. Two extempers – Chen and Rinder – completed their at-large qualification to this year’s tournament. Barton was already qualified due to his finishes at Yale and Villiger.
All of the finalists also earned an automatic qualification to the University of Kentucky TOC in April.
Here are the results of the 2015 Columbia Invitational (Click here for tab sheet):