[fblike]
According to Extemp Central’s unofficial calculations, 242 extempers competed in International Extemp and 252 extempers competed in United States Extemp at this year’s National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) National Tournament in Salt Lake City, Utah. The fields of both categories have now been reduced to sixty for the tournament’s octo-final rounds. An announcement of the thirty extempers in each event that cleared to quarter-finals will be made later this evening.
The biggest news from the first break is that Justin Graham of Trinity Preparatory School (FL), who is competing in International Extemp, has clinched the 2015-2016 National Points Race by virtue of clearing to the octo-final round. Graham was joined in the International Extemp break by other National Points Race notables such as Vaikunth Balaji of Ridge High School (NJ), Marshall Sloane of Milton Academy (MA), and Samhitha Sunkara of Ardrey Kell High School (NC).
In United States Extemp, two of last year’s finalists remain alive as Shawn Kant of Ridge High School (NJ) and Marshall Webb of Saint Mary’s Hall (TX) advanced. They have significant company in the field, though, as Extemp TOC Champion Brian Xu of San Marino High School (CA) is competing in the category, as are other major competitors of the national circuit such as Micah Cash of Booker T. Washington High School (OK), Harvard winner Katherine Hu of Plano Senior High School (TX), Jacob Thompson of Des Moines Roosevelt High School (IA), Neil Patel of Plano West Senior High School (TX), and Nathaniel Saffran of Trinity Preparatory.
International Extemp will receive the bonus for the National Points Race at this year’s NSDA National Tournament as well, as more extempers in the top twenty-five are competing in that category.
There were quite a few underclassmen – fifty-eight in total – that qualified for elimination rounds at this year’s nationals. Thirty-three underclassmen cleared in International Extemp and twenty-five cleared in United States Extemp. They are highlighted in blue below.
Competitors that are currently ranked in the National Points Race have their ranking designated by their name. A competitor without this designation was unranked before NSDA Nationals. All of the competitors that made octofinals will receive National Points Race points.