Bridge Blog 963: 2017 midpoint (completed)

Club points for the year, through June 30: 65.62.

That puts me third in the Ace of Clubs race (club play only) among Ruby Life Masters (1,500 to 2,500 points) in Unit 116 (Buffalo only), well behind the leaders, but with a little breathing room between me and the man in fourth place. Here’s the Top 10:

Mike Silverman, 95.36 (first overall among all players in the unit, as well); David Millward, 81.37 (third overall); me, 65.62 (seventh); Ken Meier, 61.95 (12th); Fred Yellen, 46.95 (26th); Allen Beroza, 45.83 (28th); Gene Finton, 42.02 (31st); Dorothy May, 41.13 (33rd); Chuck Schorr, 23.51 (69th); Vince Pesce, 21.93 (80th).

Among all Unit 116 players in the Ace of Clubs race, the Top 10 looks like this: Mike Silverman, 95.36; Liz Clark, 86.62; David Millward, 81.37; Meg Klamp, 77.85; Jerry Geiger, 67.70; Sharon Benz, 65.78; me, 65.62; John Ziemer, 64.25; Mike Ryan, 64.08; and Judi Marshall, 63.33.

Overall points for the year, as of June 30: 83.69.

That places me fourth in the Mini-McKenney race (all points earned everywhere) among Ruby Life Masters in Unit 116. Here’s how the leaders stack up:

Ken Meier, 152.30 (fourth among all Unit 116 players); Mike Silverman, 100.81 (16th overall); David Millward, 95.63 (20th); me, 83.69 (25th); Fred Yellen, 74.71 (31st); Allen Beroza, 70.68 (33rd); Gene Finton, 49.04 (53rd); Dorothy May, 46.67 (55th); Art Morth, 31.75 (81st); and Bill Rushmore, 29.26 (88th).

And how many Unit 116 Mini-McKenney leaders have hit the century mark at midyear? Turns out there are 16:

Davis Heussler, 166.03; John and Martha Welte, both with 157.24; Ken Meier, 152.30; Mike Ryan, 144.79; Jay Levy, 134.22; Christy Kellogg, 126.92; Bert Hargeshimer, 123.97; John Ziemer, 121.67; Liz Clark, 115.93; Linda Burroughsford, 112.05; David Hemmer, 111.98; Saleh Fetouh, 104.71; Meg Klamp, 101.38; Dian Petrov, 101.12; and Mike Silverman, 100.81.

(to be continued with notations on District 5 and national leaders)

OK, many days later, let’s finish this off while the June results are still up.

District 5 (Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh) Ace of Clubs. Ruby Life Masters. I’m fifth in my division, 28th overall. We Buffalo players have four of the top six spots, starting with Mike Silverman, 95.36 (seventh overall). Then it’s David Millward, 81.37, 12th overall; Susan Konig of Bridgeville, Pa., 74.48; 17th; Allen Selling of Erie, Pa., 69.36, 21st; me, 65.62 (28th); and Ken Meier, 61.95 (33rd). Then we Buffalonians thin out. There’s only four more in the Top 30.

District 5 Ace of Clubs overall. Here the leader is Robert Alexander of Mentor, Ohio, with 111.50, followed by Arlene Port, Patricia Katz and Richard Katz, all of Pittsburgh (though Richard is officially from North Versailles, Pa.), with 105.04, 100.56 and 99.19. Then it’s Asim Ulke of Monroeville, Pa., 98.48; and Stephanie Alexander of Mentor, Ohio, 95.66; before we get to Mike Silverman’s 95.36, followed by another Buffalonian, Liz Clark with 86.62. Rounding out the Top 10 are Barbara Belardi and good old Reanette Frobouck, both Pittsburghers, with 85.59 and 84.78. Bubbling under are W. (for William) Tordella of Bemus Point, 83.77; and our David Millward, 81.37.

District 5 Mini-McKenney. Ruby Life Masters. No change in leadership here. It’s Sue Lan Ma of Kirtland Hills, Ohio, by a country mile. She’s got 443.82. First in the division and first in the district overall. The rest of the Top 10: Craig Biddle, Pittsburgh, 284.66, sixth overall; William Lindgren, Slippery Rock, Pa., 187.97 (15th); Ken Meier, 152.30 (28th); Charles Ladiha, Vermilion, Ohio, 109.02 (59th); Jean Picone, Pittsburgh, 103.31 (65th); Mike Silverman, 100.81 (71st); David Millward, 95.63 (80th); Jayne Stahr, Stow, Ohio, 91.46 (90th); and Monica Early, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, 87.99 (97th). I’m 15th, 109th overall in the district.

District 5 Mini-McKenney overall. Sue Lan Ma, 443.82; Reanette Frobouck on the rebound, 423.47; Kathleen and Don Sulgrove of Twinsburg, Ohio, 361.07 and 355.84; Robert and Stephanie Alexander of Mentor, Ohio, 290.33 and 274.49, with Craig Biddle of Pittsburgh coming between them with 284.66. Then it’s three guys from Beachwood, Ohio – Bernie Greenspan, 254.63; Phillip Becker, 240.48; and Brian Ellis, 239.33.

Nationwide. Ace of Clubs. Ruby Life Masters. Thomas Robert, Raleigh, N.C., 171.41; Paul Hassett and Russ Pearly, both of The Villages, Fla, 168.05 and 165.76; Barry Nish, Little Neck, L.I., 164.17; and Robert Shearer of Diberville, Miss., 164.11. Unit 116 and District 5 leader Mike Silverman is 103rd. David Millward is tied for 205th with someone named Lee Maddocks from Modesto, Calif. The list of 500 cuts off at 65.69. I’ve got 65.62.

Nationwide. Ace of Clubs overall. Totally stratospheric. Bella Ionis-Sorren of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 349.95. Bill Kulbersh of Atlanta, 311.56. Then there are 28 more with 200 or better, led by Kay Schulle of Purchase, N.Y., 279.54; Gail Wells of Dallas, 262.04; and Irva Neyhart of Corvallis, Ore., 252.96. No District 5 players on this list. It cuts off at 107.43.

Nationwide. Mini-McKenney. Ruby Life Masters. District 5’s Sue Lan Ma is third. It’s Gillian Miniter of New York City, 587.13; Sudhakar Divakaruni of Scottsdale, Ariz., 469.63; Sue Lan Ma, 443.82; Layne Noble of Ottawa, Ont., 391.75; and Jeff Edelstein of Riverview, Fla., 387.53. Eight players in all have more than 300 points. Unit 116’s Ken Meier is 164th and he’s our only representative. The list stops at 105.99.

Nationwide Mini-McKenney overall. Seventeen players with more than 1,000 points at midyear, led by Chris Compton of Dallas, 1,492.10; followed by Mike Passell of Plano, Texas, 1,324.96; the legendary Jeff Meckstroth of Clearwater Beach, Fla., 1,296.02; Eddie Wold of Houston, 1,213.76; and Kevin Dwyer of Melbourne, Fla., 1,190.96. Former Buffalonian Joel Wooldridge, now of Astoria, Queens, is 43rd with 621.49. District 5’s Sue Lan Ma is 118th. To earn a spot on this list, you need at least 252.61 points.