2015 St. Mark’s Heart of Texas Invitational: Cash and Webb Split Titles; Five Extempers Place in Both Final Rounds

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While East Coast extempers were dueling it out in New York City, extempers in Texas and Oklahoma battled at the St. Mark’s Heart of Texas Invitational. This year’s tournament featured split winners in International and United States Extemp, with Micah Cash of Booker T. Washington High School (OK) winning International Extemp and Marshall Webb of Saint Mary’s Hall (TX) winning United States Extemp.

Since St. Mark’s allows extempers to compete in both categories, there was a great deal of overlap in the final rounds. Cash, Webb, Aprotim Basu-Roy of Westlake High School (TX), Ruprasri Shankar of Plano Senior High School (TX), and Neil Patel of Plano West Senior High School (TX) were those that pulled off the “St. Mark’s double.”

To determine who the top six extempers were at the tournament for National Points Race purposes, Extemp Central uses a formula that awards points for specific finishes.  Based on our calculations, Webb was the best extemper at the tournament, having won one of the categories and finishing second in another.  As a result, he will receive forty National Points Race points.

Here are the results of the 2015 St. Mark’s Heart of Texas Invitational:

International Extemp

Champion: Micah Cash (Booker T. Washington High School, Oklahoma)
2nd: Marshall Webb (Saint Mary’s Hall, Texas)
3rd: Katherine Hu (Plano Senior High School, Texas)
4th: Rupasri Shankar (Plano Senior High School, Texas)
5th: Aprotim Basu-Roy (Westlake High School, Texas)
6th: Neil Patel (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)

Semi-Finalists

*Aaron Chen (Plano Senior High School, Texas)
*Kevin Choi (A&M Consolidated High School, Texas)
*Carlos Gregory (Hendrickson High School, Texas)
*Sarah Lanier (Northland Christian School, Texas)
*John Thornton Lindsey (Montgomery High School, Texas)
*Cesar Martinez (Saint Mary’s Hall, Texas)
*Aaron Raj (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)
*Bradley Wascher (Saint James School, Alabama)

United States Extemp

Champion: Marshall Webb (Saint Mary’s Hall, Texas)
2nd: Aprotim Basu-Roy (Westlake High School, Texas)
3rd: Micah Cash (Booker T. Washington High School, Oklahoma)
4th: Rupasri Shankar (Plano Senior High School, Texas)
5th: Neil Patel (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)
6th: John Thornton Lindsey (Montgomery High School, Texas)

Semi-Finalists

*Carlos Gregory (Hendrickson High School, Texas)
*Marley Hays (A&M Consolidated High School, Texas)
*Katherine Hu (Plano Senior High School, Texas)
*Shishir Jessu (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)
*Aparna Krishnan (Plano Senior High School, Texas)
*Cesar Martinez (Saint Mary’s Hall, Texas)
*Nicci Mattey (Saint Mary’s Hall, Texas)
*Aaron Raj (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)

National Points Race Points

1st: Marshall Webb (Saint Mary’s Hall, Texas) – 4 pts.
2nd: Micah Cash (Booker T. Washington High School, Oklahoma) – 6 pts.
3rd: Aprotim Basu-Roy (Westlake High School, Texas) – 12 pts.
4th: Rupasri Shankar (Plano Senior High School, Texas) – 14 pts.
5th: Neil Patel (Plano West Senior High School, Texas) – 19 pts.
6th: Katherine Hu (Plano Senior High School, Texas) – 20 pts.
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Next Out: John Thornton Lindsey (Montgomery High School, Texas) – 25 pts.

Extemp Central thanks Aaron Raj and Bradley Wascher for sending us the semi-finalists from the tournament.