The 2021 National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) National Tournament wrapped up on Saturday, concluding five days of intensive competition and crowning two new national champions. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NSDA was forced to host the national championships online for the second consecutive year.
Pranav Pattatathunaduvil of Plano West Senior High School (TX) won the International Extemp National Championship, defeating Extemp TOC winner Mukta Dharmapurikar of Durham Academy (NC) by six ranks. Dharmapurikar won the final round by eight ranks over third place finisher, MBA Champion Katherine Rollins of the Potomac School (VA). After the two high and low judges were removed from composite rankings, she was able to cut six ranks from Pattatathunaduvil’s lead but it was not enough to claim the title. The split between the overall national champion and final round national champion is the first in International Extemp since 2017.
Pattatathunaduvil’s win marks an amazing streak of wins for Plano West in International Extemp, which has had three of its competitors win the category over the last four years. It is also the fourth straight year that the winner of International Extemp comes from Texas, a streak that is two years longer than any other state.
In United States Extemp, Laurel Holley of Riverside High School (SC) gave the state of South Carolina its first-ever extemporaneous speaking national championship. Holley mounted a comeback in the final round, winning it by an adjusted nine ranks and vaulting from fourth place in the pre-finals rankings to first. Holley’s final round showing was enough to win a tiebreaker over Gabriel Frank-McPheter of Gabrielino High School (CA) as both competitors ended the tournament with identical composite scores of 102.
William Chien of the Harker School (CA) led the competiton going into the final round, but fell back to fourth after finals ranks were added in.
CFL National Champion Ananth Veluvali of Edina High School (MN) was denied a chance to win CFL and NSDA national championships in the same season, a feat that has not been done since 2011. He finished fourth but took second in the final round.
Eight of the twelve finalists were non-seniors, earning qualification to next year’s national tournament in their respective category. They are indicated in the results listing in blue.
Here are the results of the 2021 National Speech and Debate Association National Tournament (Click here for tab sheet):
International Extemp
National Champion: Pranav Pattatathunaduvil (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)
2nd: Mukta Dharmapurikar (Durham Academy, North Carolina)
3rd: Katherine Rollins (The Potomac School, Virginia)
4th: McKinley Paltzik (Phoenix Country Day School, Arizona)
5th: Michelle Jin (The Harker School, California)
6th: Natasha Banga (Coppell High School, Texas)
Final Round National Champion: Mukta Dharmapurikar (Durham Academy, North Carolina)
United States Extemp
National Champion: Laurel Holley (Riverside High School, South Carolina)
2nd: Gabriel Frank-McPheter (Gabrielino High School, California)
3rd: William Chien (The Harker School, California)
4th: Ananth Veluvali (Edina High School, Minnesota)
5th: Timothy Huffman (Lawrence Free State High School, Kansas)
6th: Katelyn Cai (BASIS Scottsdale, Arizona)
Final Round National Champion: Laurel Holley (Riverside High School, South Carolina)
Extemp Central thanks the National Speech and Debate Association for putting the results of the tournament online.