The University of Kentucky hosted its annual Tournament of Champions (TOC) last weekend, drawing a crowded and distinguished field of ninety-seven extempers from around the country. The tournament took place in an online environment due to ongoing complications from the COVID-19 pandemic.
#3 McKinley Paltzik of Phoenix Country Day School (AZ), who won last month’s Montgomery Bell Academy Extemp Round Robin, won her second consecutive national circuit event, defeating #19 Michelle Jin of the Harker School (CA) by three ranks. It is the fourth National Points Race tournament that Paltzik has won this season and keeps her perfect record of winning tournaments intact when she reaches the final round.
Jin notched her second top three finish of the season and her fourth National Points Race final round appearance, tying a host of other extempers for fourth-most on the year.
Defending NCFL National Champion #10 Ananth Veluvali of Edina High School (MN) took third, finishing one rank behind Jin and four behind Paltzik. Veluvali notched a close second finish to Paltzik last month at MBA. His three National Points Race final rounds this year have all been top three finishes.
Three more ranks separated Veluvali from James Cullen of Chaminda High School (NY), who finished fourth. On his heels were Alex Sorgini of La Salle High School (PA) and Kush Narang of Bellarmine College Preparatory (CA), who finished fifth and sixth, respectively.
A consequence of the strong field at this year’s TOC is that there were many top ranked extempers that fell before reaching the final round. #5 William Chien of the Harker School, #16 Olivia Wetzel of Whitmer High School (OH), and #23 Majid Shabbeer of Bellarmine College Preparatory (CA) dropped in semifinals. #2 Marc Zavarro of Western High School (FL) and #18 Natasha Banga of Coppell High School (TX) dropped in quarter-finals. And #12 Gabriel Bo of Plano West Senior High School (TX). #13 Thomas Vandenberg of Flintridge Preparatory School (CA), and #21 Francis Olakangil of Bellarmine dropped in octa-finals.
Since the UK TOC is a fourth tier tournament in the National Points Race, all extempers who reached the semi-finals and beyond will earn National Points Race points. The large participation in this year’s TOC, as well as the quality of its field, will upgrade its standing in next year’s National Points Race.
In addition, all of the non-senior finalists at this year’s TOC earn an automatic invitation to next year’s tournament.
Here are the results of the 2022 University of Kentucky Tournament of Champions (Click here for tab sheet):
Champion: McKinley Paltzik (Phoenix Country Day School, Arizona)
2nd: Michelle Jin (The Harker School, California)
3rd: Ananth Veluvali (Edina High School, Minnesota)
4th: James Cullen (Chaminade High School, New York)
5th: Alex Sorgini (La Salle High School, Pennsylvania)
6th: Kush Narang (Bellarmine College Preparatory, California)
Semi-Finalists
*William Chien (The Harker School, California)
*Caleb Chung (Pine Creek High School, Colorado)
*Theodore Gercken (College Preparatory, California)
*Majid Shabbeer (Bellarmine College Preparatory, California)
*Isaiah Sohn (Redlands High School, California)
*Rohit Vakkalagadda (Bellarmine College Preparatory, California)
*Olivia Wetzel (Whitmer High School, Ohio)
*Chloe Yang (Ridge High School, New Jersey)
Quarter-Finalists
*Natasha Banga (Coppell High School, Texas)
*Nicholas Blauz (Nova Senior High School, Florida)
*Sydney Carroll (Battle Ground Academy, Tennessee)
*Anthony Reynolds (Bellarmine College Preparatory, California)
*Pranav Gorty (Plano East High School, Texas)
*Cade Savoy (Teurlings Catholic High School, Louisiana)
*Govind Pattathil (Hebron High School, Texas)
*Kaaviya Shenbaharaman (Jasper High School, Texas)
*Elliot Smith (Milton Academy, Massachusetts)
*Marc Zavarro (Western High School, Florida)
Octa-Finalists
*Ryan Alappatt (Bellarmine College Preparatory, California)
*Gabriel Bo (Plano West Senior High School, Florida)
*Amy Cao (Ridge High School, New Jersey)
*Tyler Crivella (Seven Lakes High School, Texas)
*Sofia Esteban (Seven Lakes High School, Texas)
*Iesh Gujral (Eden Prairie High School, Minnesota)
*Jason Hu (Strath Haven High School, Pennsylvania)
*Dana Ko (Pine Creek High School, Colorado)
*Katherine Lee (Jasper High School, Texas)
*Kevin Li (Ridge High School, New Jersey)
*Akul Murthy (Lynbrook High School, California)
*Keith Maben (Wilcox High School, California)
*Samarth Mannikeri (Pennsbury High School, Pennsylvania)
*Samarth Nagaraj (Ridge High School, New Jersey)
*Francis Olakangil (Bellarmine College Preparatory, California)
*Sruti Peddi (BASIS Scottsdale, Arizona)
*Anirudh Prasanna (Plano West Senior High School, Texas)
*Arjun Raman (Westwood High School, Texas)
*Charlotte Reitman (NSU University School, Florida)
*Shreyas Sriram (Cherry Creek High School, Colorado)
*Joseph Thomas (Bellarmine College Preparatory, California)
*Thomas Vandenburg (Flintridge Preparatory School, California)
*Elizabeth Wong (Durham Academy, North Carolina)
*Florence Zhu (Mission San Jose High School, California)
Extemp Central thanks the University of Kentucky for posting the results of the tournament online.