The National Points Race moved to the West Coast for last weekend’s James Logan MLK Invitational, hosted by James Logan High School in Union City, California. This year’s tournament was hosted virtually due to ongoing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic and offered split extemp categories, with thirty-three competitors clashing in International Extemp and fifty-three in United States Extemp.
In International Extemp the winner was Francis Olakangil of Bellarmine College Preparatory (CA). Olakangil, a quarter-finalist earlier this season at Glenbrooks, defeated Vansh Mathur of Cupertino High School (CA) by three ranks in the cumulative tournament. #21 Michelle Jin of the Harker School (CA), the only ranked extemper in the field, placed third, just one rank behind Mathur.
The United States Extemp category was not as close as Gabriel Frank-McPheter of Gabrielino High School (CA), a finalist earlier in the year at Glenbrooks, cruised to an eleven-rank victory over Swadesh Sistla of ModernBrain (CA). Third place finisher William Chien of the Harker School (CA) finished seven ranks behind Sistla.
Nathan Tamkin of George Washington High School (CO) and Luccia Yacoub of Gabrielino High School (CA) made finals in both extemp categories. Tamkin placed seventh in IX and fifth in USX, while Yacoub finished sixth in IX and seventh in USX.
The MLK Invitational was a fifth tier event in the National Points Race, so Olakangil and Frank-McPheter will earn forty points for their victories and the top six in each category will receive points. Tamkin and Yacoub will receive credit for their highest finish.
All extempers who reached semi-finals in each category earn a bid to this year’s Extemp TOC at Northwestern University. The top seven finishers in each category receive a qualifying bid to the University of Kentucky TOC.
Here are the results of the 2022 James Logan MLK Invitational (Click here for tab sheet):