Below are biographical profiles for the sixteen competitors who will compete in Nashville, Tennessee at the Montgomery Bell Extemp Round Robin in two weeks. The participants are profiled in alphabetical order.
KEY: DNA = did not attend; DNF= did not finish in the Exhibition Round;
N/A = non-applicable; NR = not ranked
Matt Arons
School:
Millburn High School (Wyckoff, NJ)
Graduation Year: Senior (2009)
NFL Points: 641
Previous Invites to MBA: None
Current Ranking in Extemp National Points Race: T7 (50 pts.)
Last Year’s Ranking in Extemp
National Points Race: 19th (66 pts.)
Notable Finishes This Season:
1st Place (Yale University Invitational)
National Finishes Last Season:
CFL = DNA; NFL (IX) = Quarter-Finalist
Outlook:
Arons propelled himself into this year’s round robin with a strong performance at the Yale University Invitational, placing first, as well as being a quarter-finalist last year at NFL Nationals…Arons has not registered any new NFL point activity since the Yale tournament, so he might be registering more time off of competitions than most of the other competitors in the field (although most likely not practices)…Arons is the second extemper to be invited from Millburn High School, whose first participant, Dan Rauch, placed third in 2005 and second in 2006 (winning the Exhibition Round in 2006)…A victory by Arons might vault him into first place in the National Points Race and its notable that his Yale victory occurred against points leader Stacey Chen and last year’s U.S. extemp national champion Rebecca Goldstein…As nationals approaches, Arons might be the extemper to bring home a national championship to Millburn, who came within one rank of taking the IX title in 2006.
Jason Bell
School:
Ladue Horton Watkins High School (St.
Louis, MO)
Graduation Year: Senior (2009)
NFL Points: 1,736
Previous Invites to MBA: None
Current Ranking in Extemp National Points Race: T11 (40 points)
Last Year’s Ranking in Extemp National Points Race: T38 (25 points)
Notable Finishes This Season:
2nd Place (George Mason University
Patriot Games Tournament)
National Finishes Last Season:
CFL = DNA ; NFL (USX) = 9th Place
Outlook:
Bell has the distinction of becoming the first extemper from the state of Missouri to be invited to the Round Robin…His spot in the Round Robin was likely clinched based on his semi-final in U.S. extemp at NFL Nationals, where he missed the final round by eight ranks, and his runner-up finish to Aaron Lutkowitz at the George Mason University Patriot Games
Tournament…Although Bell may not have the national circuit experience of some of his fellow competitors, he is a seasoned competitor, and one only needs to look at his amazing NFL point total to understand that…Also, Bell brings to the table a policy debate resume, which may help him in a tournament that leans towards content and confrontation, with cross-examination in each round…A victory would put Bell directly onto the national extemp map and make him a favorite for NFL in the summer.
Morgan Booksh
School:
McNeil High School (Austin, TX)
Graduation Year: Senior (2009)
NFL Points: 1,484
Previous Invites to MBA: None
Current Ranking in Extemp National Points Race: 6th (52 pts.)
Last Year’s Ranking in Extemp National Points Race: NR
Notable Finishes This Season:
4th place (St. Mark’s US Extemp), 4th place
(St. Mark’s International Extemp), 6th
place (The Glenbrooks)
National Finishes Last Season:
CFL = DNA; NFL (USX) = Octo-finalist
Outlook:
In a year that is busy for Texas extemp, Morgan is one of the four extempers to make the 2009 MBA field…Morgan has one of the most busy resumes in the field, making the final rounds of three of the national circuit tournaments that count in the Extemp National Points Race…Finaling at those three tournaments, especially the prestigious Glenbrooks, most likely contributed to his invitation into the field…Morgan is a skilled extemper, Congress competitor, and Original Orator (he semi-finaled at The Glenbrooks)…Morgan is the first extemper to be invited to the Round Robin from McNeil High School…The Round Robin should add to Morgan’s wealth of experience that he has gained already this season and a strong showing would continue to build an already lengthy 2008-2009 resume…Also, a victory or top 5 placing at the Round Robin would move Morgan into the top five in the National Points Race.
Stacey Chen
School:
North Allegheny Senior HS (Wexford, PA)
Graduation Year: Senior (2009)
NFL Points: 1,504
Previous Invites to MBA: None
Current Ranking in Extemp National Points Race: 1st (120 pts.)
Last Year’s Ranking in Extemp National Points Race: 13th (117 pts.)
Notable Finishes This Season:
2nd place (Yale University Invitational), 1st
place (The Glenbrooks), 1st place (George
Mason University Patriot Games Extemp
Round Robin), 3rd place (George Mason
University Patriot Games)
National Finishes Last Season:
CFL = 5th; NFL (IX) = Octo-finalist
Outlook:
In an event that has been dominated by male competitors, Chen is making a splash on the national circuit this season and is on track to become the second female extemper to end up at the top of the Extemp National Points Race (remember that Rebecca Goldstein would have placed first last season with the current formula), albeit the first officially…Chen was last year’s Pennsylvania state extemp champion…Chen has one of the more solid resumes of anyone in the field in terms of national circuit performance this season, but she will need to defeat Matt Arons, Aaron Lutkowitz, and Jason Bell, who defeated her at Yale and the George Mason University Patriot Games, respectively, to come out on top…Chen is the second extemper to be invited from North Allegheny, building on teammate Jack Grennan’s invite last season…Chen is also one of three returning national finalists in this year’s field…A victory by Chen at this tournament, worth 100 points, would give her a strong cushion in the National Points Race heading into the second half of the year. However, she will most likely need to place in the top 5 to retain her lead…A victory would make Chen the third female extemper to win the Round Robin.
Nick Cugini
School:
Cypress Ridge High School
(Houston, TX)
Graduation Year: Senior (2009)
NFL Points: 2,022
Previous Invites to MBA:
One (2008)-DNF
Current Ranking in Extemp National Points Race: 3rd (80 pts.)
Last Year’s Ranking in Extemp National Points Race: NR
Notable Finishes This Season:
1st place (St. Mark’s US Extemp), 3rd place
(St. Mark’s International Extemp)
National Finishes Last Season:
CFL = DNA;
NFL (USX) = Quarter-Finalist
Outlook:
Strong showings at St. Mark’s made a strong case for inviting Cugini to the Round Robin…Cugini is the 2008 TFA State Champion in United States Extemporaneous Speaking, which is the portion that he won at St. Mark’s before losing the International extemp tournament to 2008 TFA IX State Champion Dillon Huff…Cugini is one of four Texas extempers invited to this year’s Round Robin, an amazingly high number, equaling the four extempers Texas had at the Round Robin in 2002 (Lily Wang, Joshua Johnson, Amanda Knight, and Derek Redmund)…Cugini’s advantage would appear to be in the United States extemp rounds, and it will be interesting to see him challenge Evan Larson and Alex Draime, two NFL US Extemp finalists, at the tournament…Cugini has a large advantage over many competitors in the Round Robin in terms of experience, having been invited to the tournament last year. This may make Cugini more comfortable and could give him an advantage in close rounds…A victory or top three placing could vault Cugini into the #1 spot in the Extemp National Points Race, depending on the performance of Stacey Chen and in-state competitor Dillon Huff.
Alex Draime
School:
Howland High School (Warren, Ohio)
Graduation Year: Senior (2009)
NFL Points: 1,404
Previous Invites to MBA: None
Current Ranking in Extemp National Points Race: NR
Last Year’s Ranking in Extemp National Points Race: 23rd (55 pts.)
Notable Finishes This Season: N/A
National Finishes Last Season:
CFL = Quarter-Finalist;
NFL (USX) = 6th place
Outlook:
Draime comes into this tournament short on a national circuit resume, but that is because he does not travel…His national performances, which include a CFL and NFL final (2007 and 2008, respectively), is nothing to take lightly…Those national finals, and Draime’s comeback from a disappointing CFL to make the final round of U.S. Extemp in Las Vegas helped Draime seal up this bid…Draime has an advantage in being used to competing on a national stage and weathering cross-examination under the strongest amount of pressure an extemper can experience…Watching a rematch of Draime against Evan Larson, a fellow competitor in the NFL U.S. Extemp final round will be one to watch…Draime is the first competitor to be invited to the Round Robin from Howland High School… In terms of the National Points Race, this tournament provides an opportunity for Draime to stock up points that he can build on for CFL and NFL Nationals. A strong finish here and final placings at CFL and NFL Nationals could eventually result in Draime becoming the National Points Race Champion of the 2008-2009 season…This tournament can also provide Draime with the tools necessary to be Ohio state champion in the second half of the season.
Dillon Huff
School:
Carroll High School (Southlake, TX)
Graduation Year: Junior (2010)
NFL Points: 1, 826
Previous Invites to MBA: None
Current Ranking in Extemp National Points Race: 2nd (90 pts.)
Last Year’s Ranking in Extemp National Points Race: NR
Notable Finishes This Season:
1st place (St. Mark’s International
Extemp), 2nd place (St. Mark’s U.S.
Extemp)
National Finishes Last Season:
CFL = DNA; NFL = Competed in Public
Forum (made round 10)
Outlook:
Huff’s strong performances at St. Mark’s, which included a first place victory in International Extemp ushered in his first invite to the MBA Round Robin…Huff is the 2008 TFA State Champion in International Extemp…Unlike other competitors in the field, Huff competed in a different event last year at NFL, Public Forum debate, and made the fourth elimination round before going out. His debate experience may prove to be an asset in the cross-examination portions of the ten round competition…Huff is the third of four Texans competing at this year’s Round Robin and like fellow TFA champion Nick Cugini, he will need to balance his expertise in International Extemp with domestic issues. However, his strong showing at St. Mark’s in United States extemp shows that he can do so…Watching battles with Cugini in the U.S. extemp portions as well as International extemp battles with Stacey Chen and Matt Arons will be intriguing…A win by Huff would nearly guarantee a jump to #1 in the National Points Race standings, and a top three finish could do the same if Chen falters…Huff is also looking for a strong performance to solidify a Round Robin bid for next season.
Amanda Johnson
School:
Eagan High School (Eagan, MN)
Graduation Year: Senior (2009)
NFL Points: 1,022
Previous Invites to MBA: None
Current Ranking in Extemp National Points Race: T28 (12 pts.)
Last Year’s Ranking in Extemp National Points Race: T38 (25 pts.)
Notable Finishes This Season:
6th place (St. Mark’s International Extemp)
National Finishes Last Season:
CFL = DNA; NFL (USX) = 7th place
Outlook:
Johnson joins a prestigious list of Eagan extempers have had the privilege to compete at the Round Robin, both of which won the tournament (Kevin Troy and Alex Stephenson)…Johnson’s next-out finish at NFL helped her get a bid into this year’s field and she has a national circuit final placing this year, a sixth place finish at St. Mark’s in International Extemp…Johnson was next out of the NFL US Extemp final round last year by five ranks…She will get a chance to avenge her sixth place finish at St. Mark’s against three Texas extempers who defeated her at that tournament, Dillon Huff, Nick Cugini, and Morgan Booksh…Johnson will also get to test her skills in U.S. extemp and measure her improvement in matchups against Alex Draime and Evan Larson, who made the NFL U.S. Extemp final round last year…A victory by Johnson would be the third by a female extemper in the history of the Round Robin and also would be the third victory by an Eagan competitor…A top five finish by Johnson would also vault her up the rankings in the National Points Race, which she can build on at NFL Nationals.
Jane Kessner
School:
Walt Whitman High School
(Bethesda, MD)
Graduation Year: Junior (2010)
NFL Points: 1,748
Previous Invites to MBA: None
Current Ranking in Extemp National Points Race: T20 (20 pts.)
Last Year’s Ranking in Extemp National Points Race: 33rd (37 pts.)
Notable Finishes This Season:
2nd place (George Mason University
Extemp Round Robin), 4th place (The
Glenbrooks)
National Finishes Last Season:
CFL = Semi-Finalist;
NFL (IX) = Quarter-Finalist
Outlook:
Kessner is one of the four female extempers at this year’s Round Robin and has a credible resume heading into the tournament…Kessner’s final at the Glenbrooks and her runner-up finish to Stacey Chen at the George Mason University Round Robin helped her secure her bid into the Round Robin…If the George Mason University Extemp Round Robin counted into the National Points Race, Kessner’s place in the standings would be higher as her current point total is solely based on her Glenbrooks finish…Kessner, like Jason Bell, has the unique distinction of being the first extemper invited from her state. In this case, this is Maryland’s first bid to the Round Robin…Like fellow competitor Dillon Huff, Kessner will be aiming for a high finish in order to secure a Round Robin invite for next year…Also, Kessner will have rematches against Stacey Chen and Ryan Pereira, competitors who she faced or was bested by at earlier national circuit competitions this season…Kessner may be able to secure an advantage from the George Mason Extemp Round Robin, because she is now more experienced in CX skills and the preferences of national extemp judges.
Evan Larson
School:
Bellarmine College Prep (San Jose, CA)
Graduation Year: Senior (2009)
NFL Points: 1,424
Previous Invites to MBA:
One (2008)—6th place
Current Ranking in Extemp National Points Race: NR
Last Year’s Ranking in Extemp National Points Race: 3rd (275 pts.)
Notable Finishes This Season: N/A
National Finishes Last Season:
CFL = 2nd place; NFL (USX) = 3rd place
Outlook:
Although Larson has not traveled on the national circuit yet this year, he may be the statistical favorite heading into this year’s Round Robin…Larson is the highest placing returnee to the Round Robin, having placed just outside of the Exhibition Round last year in 6th place. Larson is also the highest ranking individual in last year’s Extemp National Point Race to be attending this year’s Round Robin…Larson’s invite to the field was automatic, with two top three finishes last year at both CFL and NFL Nationals…Larson was also last year’s Berkeley tournament champion and the California state champion in United States Extemp…Larson will have an advantage in being familiar with the tournament, its setting, and some of its judges…Matchups between Larson and fellow U.S. Extemp finalist Alex Draime as well as Texas TFA United States Extemp state champion Nick Cugini will be interesting to watch…Being from Bellarmine College Prep, a school known for its strong speech and debate programs, also gives Larson a mixture of skills necessary to navigate the Round Robin…A victory by Larson would make him a strong favorite at this year’s national tournaments, although it may not vault him into first place in the National Points Race depending on the performance of Stacey Chen, Dillon Huff, Nick Cugini, Brennan Morris, and Morgan Booksh who are in the top six and are attending the tournament.
Aaron Lutkowitz
School:
Montgomery Bell Academy
(Nashville, TN)
Graduation Year: Junior (2010)
NFL Points: 543
Previous Invites to MBA: None
Current Ranking in the Extemp National Points Race: T7 (50 pts.)
Last Year’s Ranking in the Extemp National Points Race: T55 (20 pts.)
Notable Finishes This Season:
1st place (George Mason University Patriot
Games), 3rd place (George Mason
University Extemp Round Robin)
National Finishes Last Season:
CFL = DNA; NFL (IX) = No break
Outlook:
If you have never heard of Aaron Lutkowitz before you may want to take notice, especially after his victory at the George Mason University Patriot Games tournament over Jason Bell and National Points Race leader Stacey Chen cemented his bid into the Round Robin…Lutkowitz hopes to follow in the footsteps of MBA alumni Max Webster, who came the closest an MBA extemper has ever come to winning the Round Robin, placing second behind Rebecca Goldstein last year…As with all MBA competitors, Lutkowitz will have “home field advantage” at this tournament and will be used to the cold and layout of the area…Lutkowitz’s experience the previous month at the George Mason University Extemp Round Robin may also prove useful…By being one of the handful of junior competitors in the tournament, Lutkowitz seeks to establish a balance between gaining experience at the Round Robin and securing a high enough finish to justify a spot in next year’s tournament…Considering that Montgomery Bell Academy does not attend CFL Nationals, Lutkowitz will want a high finish to makeup for a loss of ground in the National Points Race, and a top three finish would vault him into contention nicely.
Brennan Morris
School:
Randolph-Macon Academy
(Fort Royal, VA)
Graduation Year: Senior (2009)
NFL Points: 1,891
Previous Invites to MBA: None
Current Ranking in the Extemp National Points Race: 5th (70 pts.)
Last Year’s Ranking in the Extemp National Points Race: 14th (116 pts.)
Notable Finishes This Season:
1st place (UPenn Liberty Bell Classic), 4th
place (Wake Forest University Early Bird)
National Finishes Last Season:
CFL = 4th place; NFL (IX) = No break
Outlook:
Morris’s victory at the UPenn Liberty Bell Classic and his final at last year’s CFL tournament paved the way for his entry into this year’s field…Morris is a skilled forensic competitor, with strong performances in Original Oratory, Impromptu speaking and extemporaneous speaking categories. In fact, Morris won the Wake Forest National Early Bird tournament this September in Impromptu, which showcases the diversity of his skills in limited preparation events…Morris is only the third Virginian to be invited to the Round Robin, and the first since 2002, when Ariel Schneller of Blacksburg High School last represented the state…Morris was also a finalist at last year’s Extemp Tournament of Champions at Northwestern University, where he placed sixth…As one of the regular competitors on the national circuit, Morris will be somewhat familiar with the other competitors he is facing and the judges that he will see, which can lend him a competitive advantage…Interestingly enough, Morris is the only competitor from the final round of the Wake Forest National Early Bird to be in this year’s Round Robin field…A victory here could vault Morris into the National Points Race lead and a top five finish is seemingly a must for him to retain his position in the top five in the standings.
Ryan Pereira
School:
Nova High School (Davie, FL)
Graduation Year: Senior (2009)
NFL Points: 1,503
Previous Invites to MBA: None
Current Ranking in the Extemp National Points Race: T11 (40 pts.)
Last Year’s Ranking in the Extemp National Points Race: 29th (31 pts.)
Notable Finishes This Season:
2nd place (The Glenbrooks)
National Finishes Last Season:
CFL = DNA; NFL (USX): 8th place
Outlook:
Pereira’s high finishes at NFL Nationals last year (8th place in U.S. Extemp) and The Glenbrooks this year (second place) created the opportunity for him to be invited to the Round Robin…Pereira is the fourth extemper to be invited to the Round Robin from Nova High School and it is Nova’s sixth bid as a school (Rana Yared and Josh Rovenger attended the Round Robin twice)…Pereira missed out on the final round of U.S. Extemp at NFL Nationals last year by six ranks…Pereira will have the opportunity to clash with many opponents he faced in the semi-final rounds at NFL last year in U.S. Extemp such as Evan Larson, Alex Draime, Amanda Johnson, and Jason Bell…Pereira will also get a chance to avenge his Glenbrooks loss against Stacey Chen…A top five placing at the Round Robin would vault Pereira into the top ten in the National Points Race, although acquiring the top spot would require a collapse of Chen since she sits in the top spot with 120 overall points…An advantage of Pereira will be in acquiring knowledge and helpful advice from a coaching staff skilled in the ways of the Round Robin and what it takes to navigate the field because Nova already has one Round Robin champion (Rana Yared in 2002).
Rahul Sangal
School:
Plano East Senior High School
(Plano, TX)
Graduation Year: Senior (2009)
NFL Points: 1,786
Current Ranking in the Extemp National Points Race: NR
Last Year’s Ranking in the Extemp National Points Race: T38 (25 pts.)
Notable Finishes This Season: N/A
National Finishes Last Season:
CFL = DNA; NFL (IX) = 7th place
Outlook:
Although Sangal has not accumulated any points in this year’s National Points Race, that does not mean that he should be taken lightly heading into the Round Robin. Sangal finished just outside of the final round at NFL in International Extemp last year in 7th place, missing the final round by eleven ranks…Sangal is a competitor who excels at limited preparation events, with an emphasis on extemporaneous speaking and Impromptu, although he has also competed in Oratory…Last season, Sangal did register a break at the Extemp Tournament of Champions at Northwestern University, being eliminated in the quarter-final round…Sangal is the last of the four Texas entries at this year’s Round Robin and he is the second extemper from Plano East to be invited to the tournament…The last time Plano East received a bid was for Lily Wang in 2002 (she finished in 5th place)…A top five placing would get points for Sangal in the National Points Race, although even a victory at the Round Robin will not propel him into first place…Sangal is the highest ranking returning IX competitor from last year’s NFL national tournament in the field, which is dominated by US Extemp competitors…Sangal’s clashes with last year’s TFA International Extemp state champion Dillon Huff will be ones to watch since Sangal will need to depose Huff to win that championship this season.
Alex Tolkin
School:
Newton South High School (Newton, MA)
Graduation Year: Senior (2009)
NFL Points: 1,034
Previous Invites to MBA: None
Current Ranking in the Extemp National Points Race: T20 (20 pts.)
Last Year’s Ranking in the Extemp National Points Race: 27th (46 pts.)
Notable Finishes This Season:
4th place (Yale University Invitational)
National Finishes Last Season:
CFL = Octo-finalist; NFL (IX) = No break
Outlook:
Tolkin is the only competitor in the field who can boast a national championship on their resume, due to his victory in Extemp Commentary at NFL Nationals last year…Tolkin sits outside of the top ten in the Extemp National Points Race, with all of his points currently coming from the Yale University Invitational in September…Tolkin is the fifth extemper to be invited from Newton South to the Round Robin and it is the seventh bid for the school since 2003…To win the Round Robin, Tolkin will need to defeat two competitors in the field who bested him at Yale, Matt Arons and Stacey Chen…If Tolkin wins the Round Robin it would give Newton South High School the most victories in the history of the tournament and would also be the second time a school has won the tournament in back-to-back years (Eagan High School was the first to do it in 2005 and 2006 with Kevin Troy and Alex Stephenson)…Last year, Tolkin also registered a break at the Extemp Tournament of Champions, being eliminated in the semi-final round with teammate and eventual NFL U.S. Extemp national champion Rebecca Goldstein…Tolkin can rely on the advice of past teammates who have competed at the Round Robin and also the coaching of Lisa Honeyman and Chris Palmer, who have coached two Round Robin champions (David Tannenwald in 2003 and Rebecca Goldstein last year).
Karen Zhou
School:
Lakeville North High School
(Lakeville, MN)
Graduation Year: Junior (2010)
NFL Points: 1,909
Previous Invites to MBA: None
Current Ranking in the Extemp National Points Race: NR
Last Year’s Ranking in the Extemp National Points Race: T38 (25 pts.)
Notable Finishes This Season: N/A
National Finishes Last Season:
CFL = Quarter-finalist;
NFL (IX) = 14th place
Outlook:
Last year at both national tournaments as a sophomore, Zhou showed that she is an up and coming star on the national stage, registering a quarter-final at CFL and a respectable semi-final finish at NFL Nationals in International Extemp against a strong field of competition…Zhou is one of only four juniors in the field and will look for a strong finish to receive an invite back next season…Zhou is the first competitor to compete at the Round Robin for Lakeville North High School…She will be joined from the state of Minnesota at this year’s Round Robin by Amanda Johnson of Eagan High School, who was also a semi-final finisher last year at NFL Nationals…Aside from Rahul Sangal, Zhou is the only IX semi-finalist from last year’s NFL national tournament in this year’s field…Like Sangal and fellow competitor Evan Larson, a victory by Zhou at the tournament will not give her first place in the Extemp National Points Race, but it will nearly guarantee a top five placing in the rankings by the next edition of The Ex Files…A victory by Zhou would be only the third time that a junior has won the Round Robin, although it would be the third time a junior has won the Round Robin in the last four years…A victory would also be the third time a competitor from the state of Minnesota has won the Round Robin and the third time a Minnesota competitor has won it in five years.