December was a very busy month for extempers across the country as they competed in a number of large, National Points Race Tournaments. As a result, the current standings have changed significantly since the last article. With the Longhorn Classic, GMA, Princeton, and MBA all happening in the month of December (or shortly thereafter) its time for an update.
Longhorn Classic
The Longhorn Classic, hosted in Texas, showcased a very strong lineup of extempers, and because of the competitive quality, it was classified as a tier three tournament.
Robert Zhang emerged victorious, claiming the top spot and earning 900 well-deserved points for his first-place finish. Zhang’s exceptional performance throughout the competition showcased his depth of knowledge and sharp extemp skills, putting him ahead of a strong field. Following closely was Rowan Seipp of A&M Consolidated High School (TX), who secured second place and 750 points. Seipp’s consistency in the tournament allowed him to stay at the top of the competition through the duration of thee tournament.
Ishika Kothari from Plano East Senior High School (TX) took third place, gaining 675 points.
Lindsey Zhao of Plano Senior High School (TX) landed in fourth, earning 600 points.
Fifth place went to Pranav Kothur of Tompkins High School (TX), who amassed 525 points, while Samuel Kuykendall of San Angelo Central High School (TX) rounded out the finalists with a sixth-place finish and 450 points.
Semifinalists earned 250 points, and quarterfinalists received 100 points for their efforts.
GMU
The GMU Patriot Games saw impressive competition and some equally impressive results.
Kajal Parmar from Cary Academy (NC) took home the championship title, earning 600 points. Right behind her, Aparna Iyer of Ridge High School (NJ) claimed second place with 500 points, and Meredith Vorndran from The Potomac School (VA) landed third, grabbing 450 points. Daphne Kalir-Starr of College Prep (CA) snagged fourth place and 400 points, while Ridge High School’s Eva Chen and Shresta Antil rounded out fifth and sixth places respectively, earning 350 and 300 points respectively. Anna Benjamin from Cary Academy (NC) wrapped up the finalists, earning seventh place and 250 points.
The semifinalists didn’t make it to the finals but still walked away with 125 points each for their stellar efforts. Semifinalists include: Rowan Milton Benoit (James River High School, VA), Odin Burks (Lindale High School, TX), Adalia Karda-Marok (Ridge High School, NJ), Arjun Kumar (Ridge High School, NJ), and Isabella Murillo (Riverside High School, SC) for holding their own in this tough field.
Quarterfinalists scored 100 points each for pushing through the rounds and doing a fantastic job at the tournament. Quarterfinalists were: Anika Agrawal (The Potomac School, VA), Renia Ahmed (Walt Whitman High School, MD), Pranav Chadran (North Allegheny Senior High School, PA), MJ Chu (Ridge High School, NJ), Colin Crippen (Stoneman Douglas High School, FL), Omar Fida (Walt Whitman High School, MD), Victor He (Cary Academy, NC), Lauren Jain (Sidwell Friends School, DC), Kasim Khapra (The Potomac School, VA), Ethan Maher (The Potomac School, VA), Vamshi Krishna Singari (North Allegheny Senior High School, PA), Ayaan Rajwany (Stoneman Douglas High School, FL), Sashwath Sivaraman (Riverside High School, SC), Jeffrey Yu (Riverside High School, SC), and Kenneth Zalewski (Riverside High School, SC).
Princeton
The Princeton Invitational, a Tier 5 tournament, saw a competitive field of extempers battling it out for the top spots and points. Leading the pack was Anthony Babu, who claimed first place with a stellar performance, earning himself 400 points. Anthony’s commanding presence and thoughtful analysis shone brightly in the final round.
In second place was Arya Goyal, who captivated the judges with polished arguments and insightful perspectives, securing 300 points. John Germak took third, delivering a strong performance that earned him 250 points and solidified his place among the top finishers.
Daniela Rodriguez claimed fourth place with her well-rounded responses, earning 200 points for her efforts. Shane Patel followed in fifth, showcasing determination and earning 150 points.
Rounding out the finals was Manuela Mejia-Fanjul, whose skill and preparation earned her sixth place and 100 points.
This Tier 5 tournament showcased the drive and talent of each competitor, making it a fantastic addition to the competitive season.
MBA
Every year, the Montgomery Bell Academy hosts in Nashville, Tennessee what is widely considered the most prestigious extemp tournament of the year: the Southern Bell Forum. Sixteen competitors are invited to compete in ten rounds, where four competitors fight head-to-head, featuring unconventional questions and lots of cross-examination. In an extremely competitive tournament we now have some exciting results.
When the dust settled, Waleed Haider of Hendrickson High School (TX) emerged as the champion. Haider finishing six ranks clear of Robert Zhang of Elkins High School (TX). He took control of the tournament after the fifth round and held onto the lead, becoming the first Texan to win the title since 2019. He will earn 1500 points for his victory, thanks to this being a Tier 1 event.
Robert Zhang of Elkins High School in Texas, who had led the tournament after the first round, settled for second place. Last season’s Zhang was a top finisher in the National Points Race as just a sophomore. He has continued to show impressive form, although Haider’s consistent performance kept him at bay.
In third was the NSDA defending national champion Tea Shouldice of Half Hollow Hills East High School (NY), who led briefly between rounds two and five. She finished just two ranks ahead of fourth-place finisher Anthony Babu of Concord-Carlisle High School (MA), who had hoped to defend his title from the previous month’s Princeton Classic, but could not catch Shouldice in the final rounds.
Rowan Seipp of A&M Consolidated High School (TX) took fifth place, continuing his strong performance since November. Meanwhile, Brandon Cheng of Flintridge Preparatory School finished sixth. It was the same placement he earned at last year’s MBA event, marking a solid return to the competition.
These six finalists will all earn points for their efforts, with Haider securing a significant boost to his National Points Race standing. The full list of participants included Arya Goyal (Scarsdale High School, NY), Aparna Iyer (Ridge High School, NJ), Daphne Kalir-Starr (The College Preparatory School, CA), Kate Liu (Plano West Senior High School, TX), Kajal Parmar (Cary Academy, NC), Charlotte Reitman (NSU University School, FL), Sahana Srikanth (Mason High School, OH), Ellie Sohn (Flintridge Preparatory School, CA), Evelyn Tsoi (Arcadia High School, CA), and Al Zaidi (Holy Trinity Episcopal School, FL).
We look forward to updating you all as big tournament continue to happen going forward!