Teens from all across the United States gather in Indianapolis, Ind. on April 11 to compete in The American Legion's National Oratorical Contest. (Photo by Lucas Carter)

Finalists field set for National Oratorical Contest

Out of an original 52 contestants, only three remain as finalists in The American Legion High School Oratorical Scholarship Program, “A Constitutional Speech Contest.” The three survived two intense rounds of competition today and will vie for the championship during tomorrow’s finals which will be webcast live at 10 a.m ET at www.legiontv.org.

The top prize, an $18,000 scholarship, will be awarded to either Emma M. Skahill of Earlham, Iowa; Rowan P. Macwan of Naperville, Ill.; or Geeta P. Minocha of Ocala, Fla. The second- and third-place winners after tomorrow’s competition will receive $16,000 and $14,000 scholarships, respectively.

The contest, now in its 78th year, encourages young Americans to improve their communications skills and study the U.S. Constitution. More than 6,000 high school students begin competition annually at The American Legion post-community level. The national contestants all competed in Indianapolis, the headquarters city for The American Legion. Previous champions include Alan Keyes, Frank Church and Brent Bozell.

Also advancing to the semifinals were Oona MacKinnon-Hoban of Portland, Maine; Caroline Donaldson of Eden Prairie, Minn.; Aubrey Snider of Glencoe, Okla.; Jonathan Corbin of Palmyra, Va.; Cady Crosby of Burlington, Wash.; and Austin Muraille of Duisburg, Belgium.

For a complete list of contestants, by state, click here.