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The field for Friday’s final rounds of International and United States Extemp at the 2016 National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) National Tournament have been set in Salt Lake City, Utah with six competitors in each category outlasting more than 200 of their fellow competitors.
International Extemp made history as the top three competitors in the National Points Race – Justin Graham of Trinity Preparatory School (FL), Vaikunth Balaji of Ridge High School (NJ), and Marshall Sloane of Milton Academy (MA) – all advanced to Friday’s finals. This is the first time since the National Points Race debuted in 2008-2009 that an NSDA final round will include the top three ranked extempers. Shreetika Singh of Seven Lakes High School (TX) successfully went one round farther than she did last year, breaking through into the NSDA final round for the first time. Also advancing were Charlie Barton of Regis High School (NY) and Nikhil Ramaswamy of Jasper High School (TX). Ramaswamy and Sloane are the two non-senior extempers in the final round.
United States Extemp is also shaping up to be a tough, competitive round in its own right. In fact, all of the extempers in the final round are in the top twenty-five of the National Points Race, which is the first time that this has occurred. Those advancing were Glenbrooks champion Marshall Webb of Saint Mary’s Hall (TX), two-time St. Mark’s winner Micah Cash of Booker T. Washington High School (OK), Harvard winner Katherine Hu of Plano Senior High School (TX), Extemp TOC champion Brian Xu of San Marino High School (CA), Neil Patel of Plano West Senior High School (TX), and Jacob Thompson of Des Moines Roosevelt High School (IA). Hu, Thompson, and Xu are the non-seniors competing in the USX final. Webb will be making his second appearance in an NSDA final round.
One of the notables that did not advance was Samhitha Sunkara of Ardrey Kell High School (NC). Sunkara was ranked seventh in the National Points Race and was trying to make the final rounds of both national tournaments this year. Graham was the only extemper to accomplish that feat this season. However, Sunkara will have another crack at finaling next year as she is not a senior.
According to the NSDA’s final round schedule, the final round of U.S. Extemp will take place at 11:30 a.m. EST and International Extemp will follow at 1:00 p.m. EST. The final rounds will be streamed live and extempers can watch them at this link. Extemp Central will provide a recap of the final rounds after they conclude, and as we announced on our Facebook and Twitter pages, Josh Wartel, two-time major champion and last year’s U.S. Extemp final round national champion, will provide additional insight into the rounds.
Check back late tomorrow afternoon for Extemp Central’s preview of each final round.