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The Minnesota High School League State Speech Tournament usually attracts attention due to the state’s success over the last decade at the CFL and NSDA national tournaments. The tournament divides its schools into two classes: Class A and Class AA. This year saw Sydney Erhardt of Cannon Falls High School repeat as the Class A state champion and she won the final round by three ranks over Shane Price of Mankato Loyola Catholic School. Nicole Riegert of Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton High School took third place.
In Class AA, two prominent competitors at last year’s NSDA National Tournament faced off in the final round. Dylan Adelman of Lakeville South High School, a semi-finalist in last year’s NSDA International Extemp category, defeated last year’s U.S. Extemp finalist Adam Stromme of Eagan High School by two ranks. Adelman’s win is the first by an extemper from Lakeville South since Dylan Slinger won consecutive state championships in 2010 and 2011. Andrew Urevig of Robbinsdale Armstrong High School finished third and Haley Brahmbhatt of Chanhassen High School, who won the Chanhassen High School Tournament (a TOC qualifier held a few months ago), finished fifth.
The finals of both classes were dominated by seniors as evidenced by only four underclassmen extempers earning bids to next year’s Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) at Northwestern University. They are indicated in italics below.
Here are the results of the 2014 Minnesota High School League State Tournament (Click here for tab sheets):
Class AA
Champion: Dylan Adelman (Lakeville South High School)
2nd: Adam Stromme (Eagan High School)
3rd: Andrew Urevig (Robbinsdale Armstrong High School)
4th: Cody Goodchild (St. Michael-Albertville High School)
5th: Haley Brahmbhatt (Chanhassen High School)
6th: Anant Naik (Eastview High School)
7th: Parker Breza (Benilde-St. Margaret’s School)
8th: Shaker Ali (Moorhead High School)
Class A
Champion: Sydney Erhardt (Cannon Falls High School)
2nd: Shane Price (Mankato Loyola Catholic School)
3rd: Nicole Riegert (Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton High School)
4th: Josh Siebenaler (Cannon Falls High School)
5th: Charlie Stejskal (Maple Lake High School)
6th: Bradley Foster (Walter-Hackensack-Akeley High School)
7th: Spencer Svendsen (Staples-Motley High School)
8th: Brent Larson (Marshall School – Duluth)
Extemp Central thanks the Minnesota High School League for putting the results of the tournament online.