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Last weekend the fifth tournament in the National Points Race, the Florida Blue Key, took place on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville. The tournament allows extempers to compete in International and United States Extemporaneous Speaking and just like last year’s edition, where Miles Saffran and Lily Nellans traded wins, different extempers won each category.
In International Extemp, Noah Wexler of Nova Senior High School (FL), who finished second to Jasper Primack at the New York City Invitational this season, edged out Justin Graham of Trinity Preparatory School (FL) and Wake Forest winner Yijia Liang of Upper Arlington High School (OH) by one rank. Josh Wartel of Lake Braddock Secondary School (VA) took two first place ranks in the final, more than any other extemper, but two fifth place ranks caused him to finish in fourth place.
In the United States Extemp portion of the tournament Graham demolished the competition, capturing four of the five available first place ranks in the final round to beat Eitan Sapiro-Gheiler of Durham Academy (NC) by eight ranks. This was Graham’s third win at a TOC qualifying tournament this season as he won both halves of the Crestian Tradition three weeks ago. Jacob Levenson of Nova Senior High School, the only extemper other to Graham to make the final round of both extemp categories at the tournament, took third place.
Extempers had their finishes in each extemp category combined to determine the allocation of National Points Race points. Graham’s win in USX and his runner-up finish in IX made him the best extemper at the Blue Key. He will receive forty National Points Race points and be credited with a victory. Levenson’s finishes allowed him to receive second place points, and Wexler will receive third place points.
The extempers who reached the semi-finals and beyond in each category earned a qualifying leg for the 2015 Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) at Northwestern University. Six extempers – Andrew Langford of Lake Highland Preparatory School (FL), Connor Leech of Durham Academy, Levenson, Adele Stock and Wexler of Nova Senior, and Thomas Rollins of the Potomac School (VA) – finalized their at-large TOC qualifications at the tournament. Three other extempers earned their first qualifying leg. All extempers that earned a TOC qualification leg are indicated in italics below.
Furthermore, all of the finalists in either extemp category earned an automatic qualification to the University of Kentucky Tournament of Champions (TOC) in April.
Here are the results of the 2014 Florida Blue Key (Click here for tab sheet):
International Extemp
Champion: Noah Wexler (Nova Senior High School, Florida)
2nd: Justin Graham (Trinity Preparatory School, Florida)
3rd: Yijia Liang (Upper Arlington High School, Ohio)
4th: Josh Wartel (Lake Braddock Secondary School, Virginia)
5th: Jacob Levenson (Nova Senior High School, Florida)
6th: Adele Stock (Nova Senior High School, Florida)
Semi-Finalists
*Eleanor Bock (Nova Senior High School, Florida)
*Jessica Chow (Nova Senior High School, Florida)
*Samantha Koreman (The University School, Florida)
*Andrew Langford (Lake Highland Preparatory School, Florida)
*Eitan Sapiro-Gheiler (Durham Academy, North Carolina)
*Sanjay Supan (Nova Senior High School, Florida)
Quarter-Finalists
*Shamshad Ali (Suncoast High School, Florida)
*Varun Bhatia (Trinity Preparatory School, Florida)
*Kendra Blandon (Cypress Bay High School, Florida)
*Sydney Britton (American Heritage School, Florida)
*Brian Min (Trinity Preparatory School, Florida)
*Giancarlo Musetti (Cypress Bay High School, Florida)
*Aaron Patel (Trinity Preparatory School, Florida)
*Naba Rahman (Pine View School, Florida)
*Bryan Rooke (Lake Mary Preparatory School, Florida)
*Nathaniel Saffran (Trinity Preparatory School, Florida)
*Michael Wang (Dreyfoos School of the Arts, Florida)
*Bradley Wascher (Saint James School, Alabama)
United States Extemp
Champion: Justin Graham (Trinity Preparatory School, Florida)
2nd: Eitan Sapiro-Gheiler (Durham Academy, North Carolina)
3rd: Jacob Levenson (Nova Senior High School, Florida)
4th: Nathaniel Saffran (Trinity Preparatory School, Florida)
5th: Andrew Langford (Lake Highland Preparatory School, Florida)
6th: Giancarlo Musetti (Cypress Bay High School, Florida)
Semi-Finalists
*Oscar Larraza (Nova Senior High School, Florida)
*Connor Leech (Durham Academy, North Carolina)
*Yijia Liang (Upper Arlington High School, Ohio)
*Thomas Rollins (The Potomac School, Virginia)
*Adele Stock (Nova Senior High School, Florida)
*Noah Wexler (Nova Senior High School, Florida)
Quarter-Finalists
*Alex Baikovitz (American Heritage School, Florida)
*Varun Bhatia (Trinity Preparatory School, Florida)
*Kendra Blandon (Cypress Bay High School, Florida)
*Sydney Britton (American Heritage School, Florida)
*Isabella DeShepio (Cypress Bay High School, Florida)
*Nathanael Hasselbring (Nova Senior High School, Florida)
*Samantha Koreman (The University School, Florida)
*Brian Min (Trinity Preparatory School, Florida)
*Ryan Najmi (Nova Senior High School, Florida)
*Naba Rahman (Pine View School, Florida)
*Sanjay Supan (Nova Senior High School, Florida)
*Josh Wartel (Lake Braddock Secondary School, Virginia)
National Points Race Finish Calculations
1st-Justin Graham = 4 pts.
2nd-Jacob Levenson = 14 pts.
3rd-Noah Wexler = 16 pts.
4th-Eitan Sapiro-Gheiler = 18 pts.
5th-Yijia Liang = 20 pts.
6th-Andrew Langford = 24 pts.
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7th (Next out)-Adele Stock = 25 pts.
Extemp Central thanks the Florida Blue Key tournament staff for putting the results of the tournament online.