The National Points Race resumed on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville last weekend for the 40th edition of the Florida Blue Key Speech and Debate Tournament. 76 extempers from eight states battled it out over three days of competition, which included five preliminary rounds and three elimination rounds.
Charlotte Reitman of the University School (FL) won her second career National Points Race tournament, edging out last year’s George Mason University Patriot Games winner Taylor Burris of the Potomac School (VA) by one rank.
Burris was a sixth place finisher in last year’s Blue Key.
The three-judge panel for finals each gave their first place ranking to different competitors and rarely agreed, creating a situation where all of the final round competitors from Reitman to sixth place finisher Chloe Leng of the Hawken School (OH) were separated by one rank.
#9 Ronak Patel of the American Heritage School – Broward (FL) was the only ranked extemper to reach the Blue Key final round. Patel placed fourth.
Third place was earned by Robert Zhang of Elkins High School (TX) and fifth place was awarded to Kate Liu of Plano East Senior High School (TX).
#5 Brandon Cheng of Flintridge Preparatory School (CA) was in the field but dropped in quarter-finals. Cheng was trying to get back to finals as he placed third at last year’s event.
Siddharth Sudhakar of Nova High School (FL), who finished fourth last year, was also eliminated in the quarter-final round.
All of the extempers who reached the final round will earn National Points Race points. Since Blue Key was a fifth tier tournament, Reitman will earn 40 points for her win. New standings will be posted on our website this weekend.
Here are the results of the 2023 Florida Blue Key Speech and Debate Tournament (Click here for tab sheet):
Champion: Charlotte Reitman (The University School, Florida)
2nd: Taylor Burris (The Potomac School, Virginia)
3rd: Robert Zhang (Elkins High School, Texas)
4th: Ronak Patel (American Heritage School – Broward, Florida)
5th: Kate Liu (Plano East Senior High School, Texas)
6th: Chloe Leng (The Hawken School, Ohio)
Semi-Finalists
*Jack Aaron (Trinity Preparatory School, Florida)
*Jacob Chanmugam (Lake Highland Preparatory School, Florida)
*Alex Olshanky (Nova High School, Florida)
*Meredith Vorndran (The Potomac School, Virginia)
*Vanessa Wu (The Bronx High School of Science, New York)
*Alina Zaidi (Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy, Florida)
Quarter-Finalists
*Mansi Arora (Nova High School, Florida)
*Brandon Cheng (Flintridge Preparatory School, California)
*Rohan Dash (Pine View School, Florida)
*Kai Forbach (Durham Academy, North Carolina)
*Max Goldberg (Park City High School, Utah)
*Emilia Hueller (Western High School, Florida)
*Layden Kennedy (Scarsdale High School, New York)
*Matthew Lombardi (Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, Florida)
*Isabel Marangoni (Lake Highland Preparatory School, Florida)
*Kendall Meachum (L.C. Anderson High School, Texas)
*Hannah Risin (Ransom Everglades High School, Florida)
*Landyn Spellberg (Western High School, Florida)
*Sven Stumbaeuer (Christopher Columbus High School, Florida)
*Siddharth Sudhakar (Nova High School, Florida)
*Mia Yang (The Bronx High School of Science, New York)
Extemp Central thanks the University of Florida for posting the results of the tournament online.