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Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was the site of the thirty-fifth annual Villiger Speech and Debate Tournament, a 2015 Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) qualifier. Josh Wartel of Lake Braddock Secondary School (VA) made a successful defense of his championship, taking three of the five available first place ranks in the final round and winning by a nine rank margin over teammate Ben Tobin. Wartel’s title defense is the first to take place at Villiger since 1987, when Michael Tidd of LaSalle College High School (PA) defended his extemp championship.
The other four finalists made their first appearance in a TOC qualifying tournament final round this year. Robby Cummins of Good Counsel High School (MD) took third, Clare Halsey of Ridge High School (NJ) placed fourth, Justin Cooper of Scarsdale High School (NY) took fifth, and Christopher Lee of Regis High School (NY) rounded out the final in placing sixth.
All of the extempers who made the quarter-final round of the tournament acquired a qualifying leg for this year’s Extemp TOC at Northwestern University. Four extempers – Charlie Barton of Regis High School, Avni Mahagaoker and Collin Montag of Ridge High School (NJ), and Collin Quigley of Holy Ghost Preparatory School (PA) – acquired their second leg of the 2014-2015 campaign and finalized their TOC qualification. Fourteen other extempers, including three of the finalists, earned their first qualifying leg of the season. All of those acquiring a qualifying leg are indicated in italics below.
In addition to the Extemp TOC at Northwestern, all of the finalists of Villiger earned an automatic qualification to the University of Kentucky Tournament of Champions (TOC) in April.
Here are the results of the 2014 Villiger Speech and Debate Tournament (Click here for tab sheet):
Champion: Josh Wartel (Lake Braddock Secondary School, Virginia)
2nd: Ben Tobin (Lake Braddock Secondary School, Virginia)
3rd: Robby Cummins (Good Counsel High School, Maryland)
4th: Clare Halsey (Ridge High School, New Jersey)
5th: Justin Cooper (Scarsdale High School, New York)
6th: Christopher Lee (Regis High School, New York)
Semi-Finalists
*Charlie Barton (Regis High School, New York)
*Michael Faucher (Regis High School, New York)
*Nicholas Guiliano (Holy Ghost Preparatory, Pennsylvania)
*Avni Mahagaoker (Ridge High School, New Jersey)
*Michael McKeon (Fordham Preparatory School, New York)
*Collin Montag (Ridge High School, New Jersey)
Quarter-Finalists
*Thomas Abel (The Delbarton School, New Jersey)
*Indeen Ashraf-Khorassani (Blacksburg High School, Virginia)
*Vaikunth Balaji (Ridge High School, New Jersey)
*Leo Bottinger (Fordham Preparatory School, New York)
*Wally Joe Cook (Regis High School, New York)
*Shawn Kant (Ridge High School, New Jersey)
*Jack McCordick (Regis High School, New York)
*John McMenimon (Fordham Preparatory School, New York)
*Charlie O’Brien (Regis High School, New York)
*Collin Quigley (Holy Ghost Preparatory, Pennsylvania)
*Sejal Waghray (Ridge High School, New Jersey)
*Nicole Zivkovic (Convent of the Sacred Heart, New York)