emoryExtempers converged on Atlanta, Georgia last weekend for the Barkley Forum, a fourth tier event in the National Points Race that typically attracts top competitors throughout the South. However, this year it was a Northeast extemper, Christopher Maximos of the Delbarton School (NJ), who blew through the competition and won the tournament title, going straight 1’s across the final round’s panel of five judges. Maximos became the first Northeastern extemper to win the Barkley Forum since Aaron Mattis of Scarsdale High School (NY) won the tournament in 2008.

Maximos was the third place finisher at the Montgomery Bell Academy Extemp Round Robin earlier in the month and his victory was his first at a National Points Race event this season.

While Maximos swept all of the first place ranks in the final, the ranks were less uniform for the other five competitors. Nikolas Kirk of Brophy College Preparatory (AZ), coming off the heels of a victory in international extemp at the James Logan MLK Invitational, was the runner-up, finishing eleven ranks behind Maximos. Saskia Reford of Saint Mary’s Hall (TX) and Jake Pellett of Berkeley Carroll School (NY) tied for third with a total of eighteen ranks, with Reford receiving third place due to a judges’ preference tiebreaker.

The final round was rounded out by Lauren Huttner of Kent Denver School (CO), who placed fifth, and Meghana Vattigunta of Ardrey Kell High School (NC), who finished sixth.

All of the extempers that made it to the semi-final round at the Barkley Forum will receive points in the National Points Race. New standings that encompass the results of Barkley, the MLK Invitational, and the Marshall Speech Spectacular will be released late tomorrow evening.

Here are the results of the 2019 Barkley Forum (Click here for tab sheet):

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