Bridge Blog 973: August over and out

Club points for the year, through Aug. 31: 101.42, up 16.10 since July. Despite maintaining my 15-point-per-month average, I'm eclipsed by Ken Meier and now residing in third place in the Ace of Clubs race (club play only) among Ruby Life Masters (1,500 to 2,500 points) in ACBL Unit 116 (Buffalo only).

Here's the Top 10: Mike Silverman, 138.47, also first among all Unit 116 players; Ken Meier, 115.04, fifth in the unit; me, 101.42, eighth; Allen Beroza, 101.35, ninth; David Millward, 90.71, 17th; Fred Yellen, 77.92, 21st; Dorothy May, 62.89, 30 th; Gene Finton, 61.38, 32nd; Chuck Schorr, 31.54, 82nd; and Art Morth, 30.30, 88th.

Among all Unit 116 players in the Ace of Clubs race, the Top 10 looks like this: Mike Silverman still on top, 138.47; then Jerry Geiger, 132.46; Liz Clark, 125.44; Airport Bridge Club August master point race champ Denise Slattery, 116.18; Ken Meier, 115.04; Judi Marshall, 112.30; John Ziemer, 108.82; me, 101.42; Allen Beroza, 101.35; and Mike Ryan, 100.20. Just missing the century mark are Martin Pieterse, 99.87; Ron Henrikson, 97.46; and Martha and John Welte, both 95.83.

Overall points for the year, as of Aug. 31: 119.49, up by just those 16.10 club points since July. Here again I slip down a notch in the Mini-McKenney race (all points earned everywhere) to fourth among Ruby Life Masters in Unit 116, surpassed by Allen Beroza.  

         Here's how the leaders look: Ken Meier, 221.73 (fifth among all Unit 116 players, up from sixth); Mike Silverman, 143.92 (holding steady in 12th overall); Allen Beroza, 126.20 (19th), me, 119.49 (still 22nd); Fred Yellen, 105.68 (29th); David Millward, 104.97 (30th); Dorothy May, 68.43 (53rd); Gene Finton, 68.40 (54th); Art Morth, 41.80 (87th); and Chuck Schorr, 33.31 (109th).

This month five of the overall Unit 116 Mini-McKenney leaders are above the 200-point mark and there are new faces on top – Martha and John Welte, both with 261.94 points. Right behind them is Davis Heussler with 259.48.

Then it's Mike Ryan, 225.58; Ken Meier, 221.73; John Ziemer, 188.81; Jay Levy, 188.77; Linda Burroughsford, 180.86; Liz Clark, 158.41; Jerry Geiger, 157.20; Dian Petrov, 154.96; and Mike Silverman, 143.92.

District 5 (Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh) Ace of Clubs. Ruby Life Masters. I’m hanging in at third place in my division, and 18th overall, down one notch from 17th. We Buffalo players have the top four spots and six of the Top 10.

Mike Silverman is the leader with 138.47. He continues to be  fourth among all District 5 Mini-McKenney players. Second is Ken Meier, 115.04 (12th overall); then me, 101.42 (18th); Allen Beroza, 101.35 (19th); Allen Selling of Erie, Pa.; 96.20 (26th overall); Chantal Whitney of Bratenahl, Ohio, last month, Boca Raton, Fla., this month, 94.58 (37th); David Millward, 90.71 (40th); Susan Konig of Bridgeville, Pa., 82.45 (50th); Fred Yellen, 77.92 (59th); and Doris Kirsch of East Springfield, Pa., 72.86 (67th).

         District 5 Ace of Clubs overall. Here Arlene Port of Pittsburgh (161.68) has overtaken last month's leader, Robert Alexander of Mentor, Ohio, (151.29).

They're followed by Asim Ulke of Monroeville, Pa., 143.12; Mike Silverman, 120.13; Stephanie Alexander of Mentor, 135.45; Jerry Geiger, 132.46; Richard Katz of North Versailles, Pa., 131.75, jumping ahead of Patricia Katz of Pittsburgh, 131.17; Liz Clark,125.44, slipping past Barbara Belardi of Pittsburgh, 118.85; Denise Slattery, 116.18; and Ken Meier, 115.04.

District 5 Mini-McKenney. Ruby Life Masters.  Sue Lan Ma of Kirtland Hills, Ohio, continues on top by a wide margin. She’s got 614.04. First in the division and first in the district overall. The rest of the Top 10: Craig Biddle of Pittsburgh, still second with 411.82 (eighth overall); William Lindgren of Slippery Rock, Pa., still third with 241.34 (22nd); Ken Meier, 221.73 (28th); Charles Ladiha of Vermillion, Ohio, 176.84 (51st); Russell Sheldon of Pittsburgh, 151.68 (63rd); Mike Silverman, 143.92 (68th); Jean Picone of Pittsburgh, 128.05 (82nd); Leroy Hackenberg II of Pittsburgh, 127.05 (84th); Allen Beroza, 126.20 (86th); Wayne Heritage of North Olmsted, Ohio, 123.63 (91st); and me! 119.49 (still 12th among Ruby Life Masters, but 98th overall, down from 94th).  

         District 5 Mini-McKenney overall. Sue Lan Ma, 614.04; Reanette Frobouck still second, but only advancing about 17 points to 455.94; Kathleen and Don Sulgrove of Twinsburg, Ohio, 444.54 and 439.18, respectively; with Phillip Becker of Beachwood, Ohio, leaping up between them with 443.83.

Then it's Bernie Greenspan of Beachwood, Ohio, slipping one notch to sixth with 435.34; followed by Philip Goulding of Wexford, Pa., 424.14; Craig Biddle of Pittsburgh, 411.82; and Robert and Stephanie Alexander of Mentor, Ohio, 390.19 and 374.02.

Nationwide. Ace of Clubs. Ruby Life Masters. Still Thomas Roberg, Raleigh, N.C., 235.28; then a shuffle in the next four places – Robert Shearer of Diberville, Miss, 222.04; Ben Franz, Edgewood, N.M., 220.07; Gary Waldron, Laguna Beach, Calif., 218.29; Dennis Harris, Corvallis, Ore., 215.03 – and a couple more over 200, Barry Nish of Little Neck, N.Y., 207.54; and Sidney Perutz of Dallas, 205.88. Mike Silverman is 73rd up from 76th. Ken Meier is 168th, up from 394th. I'm 292nd, up from 320th. Alan Beroza checks in at 294th. David Millward is 450th. The list cuts off at 87.65.

Nationwide. Ace of Clubs overall. A shakeup at the top. Bill Kulbersh of Atlanta (464.69) overtakes Bella Ionis-Sorren of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (417.86), who drops to third behind Gail Wells of Dallas (430.10). Kay Schulle of Purchase, N.Y. (381.25) stays in fourth place, followed by Irva Neyhart of Corvallis, Ore. (362.79); Marion Gebhardt of Richardson, Texas, 343.32; and Sheila Gabay of Newton, Mass., 342.07. No Unit 116 players here and only two from District 5 – Arlene Port is 326th and Robert Alexander is 438th. The list cuts off at 145.53.  

Nationwide. Mini-McKenney. Ruby Life Masters. Here it continues to be Gillian Miniter of New York City, 769.65; Sudhakar Divakaruni of Scottsdale, Ariz., 700.65; District 5's Sue Lan Ma, 614.04; Jeff Edelstein of Riverview, Fla., 502.20; and Mark Blanchard of Bay Shore, L.I., 454.51. Unit 116's Ken Meier is 118th. Mike Silverman is right where the list cuts off at No. 500 with his 143.92.

Nationwide. Mini-McKenney overall.  Ongoing leader Chris Compton of Dallas has surpassed the double-century mark with 2,032.87. Then it's Kevin Dwyer of Melbourne, Fla., 1,831.45; Mark Itabashi of Murrieta, Calif., 1,696.81; Greg Hinze of San Antonio, Texas, 1,611; and Jeff Meckstroth of Clearwater Beach, Fla., 1,605.95. 

Former Buffalonian Joel Wooldridge is 26th with 1,162.04. Sue Lan Ma is 118th, up from 133rd. Reanette Frobouck is 269th, down from 193rd. Ten District 5 players make the list before the it ends at 353.75.