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The 2015 National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) National Tournament will commence in Dallas, Texas. By Friday new national champions in International and United States Extemp will be crowned, in addition to this year’s National Points Race winner.
As a small preview of the tournament, Extemp Central has identified five significant storylines for this week’s event.
Storyline #1: Who Will Win the 2014-2015 National Points Race?
For just the third time in its five-year history, the National Points Race will be decided at the NSDA National Tournament. Justin Graham of Trinity Preparatory School (FL) is the current leader, enjoying a thirty-seven point advantage over Brian Anderson of LaRue County High School (KY). In all, seven competitors have a mathematical opportunity of winning the National Points Race. The last time that NSDA decided the competition was 2010 when Jacob Baker of Bellarmine College Preparatory (CA) managed to take the title after points leader Dillon Huff of Southlake Carroll High School (TX) was eliminated in the quarter-final round of International Extemp. It is likely that International Extemp will decide who wins the National Points Race as six of the seven competitors that could win the competition are in that part of the NSDA National Tournament. However, this might also provide an opportunity for Josh Wartel of Lake Braddock Secondary School (VA) to gain ground as he is the sole competitor in the top seven that is competing in United States Extemp.
Storyline #2: Will a Third Time Be a Charm for Josh Wartel in United States Extemp?
Wartel, who competes for Lake Braddock Secondary School, has been in the final round of United States Extemp for the last two years. After taking fifth place his sophomore year, Wartel entered last year’s final round with the tournament lead. However, defending champion Arel Rende of Booker T. Washington managed to win that round and Wartel ended up in third place. This year, Wartel has won two major championships – the Montgomery Bell Academy Extemp Round Robin and the Extemporaneous Speaking Tournament of Champions (TOC) – and winning NSDA would make him just the third extemper in history to win three in a calendar year. A victory would also increase the chances of Wartel winning the National Points Race. United States Extemp will not have the bonus, but if Wartel wins his event and Justin Graham and Brian Anderson fall short in International Extemp he could leave Dallas with the National Points Race title.
Storyline #3: Will Yijia Liang Win the “Double Crown”?
Prior to 2005, no extemper had won the National Catholic Forensic League (NCFL) Grand National Tournament and the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) National Tournament in the same year. Since then, three Minnesota extempers – Kevin Troy of Eagan High School, Akshar Rambachan of Eastview High School, and Dylan Slinger of Lakeville South High School – have managed to accomplish the feat. 2015 NCFL National Champion Yijia Liang of Upper Arlington High School (OH) will have to make history to join this elite club as an Ohio extemper has not won an NSDA extemp championship since the International-United States Extemp split began in 1985. If Liang were to win the title, it would be the second consecutive year that an extemper has “bookended” the season by winning Wake Forest and NSDA Nationals.
Storyline #4: Will Trinity Preparatory Win Back-to-Back International Extemp Titles?
If there was a National Team Points Race this year, Trinity Preparatory would be the winner by a wide margin. The team had an impressive showing at the NCFL Grand National Tournament, placing two finalists and one semi-finalist. Trinity extemper Justin Graham also leads the National Points Race and is arguably the school’s best chance of retaining the International Extemp title that Miles Saffran won at last year’s NSDA National Tournament in Overland Park, Kansas. Since the International-United States Extemp split began in 1985, a school has never had two different extempers win the same extemp category in consecuive years. Trinity could also have winners in International and United States Extemp at the same national tournament, which has not happened since Eastview High School had Ishanaa Rambachan and James Hohmann win International and United States Extemp in 2004.
Storyline #5: Will Minnesota Continue Its Dominance of the International Extemp Final Round?
For the last four years a Minnesota extemper has won the International Extemp Final Round National Championship. Two of those winners – Dylan Slinger of Lakeville South High School in 2011 and Ashesh Rambachan of Eastview High School in 2012 – walked out of the tournament as overall national champions. Although Minnesota has not enjoyed its usual level of national circuit success this season as its highest ranked competitor in the National Points Race sits in thirty-sixth place, the state typically does well at NSDA Nationals so it cannot be counted out. Some of the state’s best hopes of retaining the IX final round title are in the hands of Kevin Bi of East Ridge High School, Varoon Pazhyanur of Eastview High School, and Olivia Shoemaker of Lakeville North High School.