The West Coast Swing of the 2024-2025 Extemp Central National Points Race began several weeks ago over Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend when James Logan High School hosted its annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Invitational. 77 extempers competed in International Extemp and 72 competed in United States Extemp, with most competitors coming from California.
National Points Race history was made in International Extemp when Sadie Zwonitzer of Cheyenne East High School (WY) beat #9 Daphne Kalir-Starr of the College Preparatory School (CA), becoming the first Wyoming extemper to ever win a National Points Race tournament. The outcome was not close as Zwonitzer won the cumulative tournament by ten ranks and won the final round by five.
Kalir-Starr, who was the highest ranked extemper in the James Logan field of either extemp category and made her third National Points Race final round this year, finished one rank ahead of third place finisher Andrew Park of Archbishop Mitty High School (CA).
In United States Extemp, Maximilian Guo of BASIS Silicon Valley (CA) won a two-rank decision over Andrew Zheng of Acalanes High School (CA). Zheng, who was the best overall extemper at the tournament by also finishing seventh in International Extemp, won the final round by three ranks, winning three of the five available first place ranks.
The race for third place in United States Extemp was close as Ali Malik of Monta Vista High School (CA) defeated Natalia San Lucas of Gabrielino High School (CA) by one rank. Malik and San Lucas tied in the final round.
Several notables who finished well in other parts of the tournament included a fifth place finish in International Extemp by Joy Hu of the Harker School (CA) and a semi-finalist placing in International Extemp by #22 Brandon Cheng of Flintridge Preparatory School (CA).
Bellarmine College Preparatory (CA) turned in a strong finish as a school, placing an extemper in the International Extemp final round and four additional semi-finalists.
This year’s James Logan MLK Invitational was a fifth tier event in the National Points Race so the only extempers who will earn points are the top six finishers. Zwonitzer and Guo will receive 40 points for winning their respective extemp categories.
Here are the results of the 2025 James Logan MLK Invitational (Click here for tab sheet):