Bridge Blog 982: September Swan Song

Club points for the year through Sept. 30: 114.99, up 13.55 from August. 
     Just barely good enough to cling to 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 are the leaders: Mike Silverman, 151.21, Ken Meier, 129.27, me, 114.99, and Allen Beroza, 113.75.

David Millward, fifth among Unit 116 Ruby Life Masters last month, has been transferred by the ACBL to Vero Beach, Fla., allowing Fred Yellen to move up to fifth place with 88.08. Then it’s Dorothy May, 74.47, and Gene Finton, 64.74. 
     Art Morth, with 36.43, moves up to ninth. He displaces Chuck Schorr, now tenth, who adds nothing to last month’s total 31.54. Nipping at his heels is Carolyn Siracuse, with 31.14.

Among the entire spectrum of Unit 116 players in the Ace of Clubs race, last month’s runner-up has taken the lead. 
     The Top 10 looks like this: Jerry Geiger, 153.42; Mike Silverman, 151.21; Liz Clark, 133.59; Denise Slattery, 132.69; John Ziemer, moving up from seventh to fifth with 131.68; Ken Meier, 128.27; Judi Marshall, 124.19; me, 114.99, still in eighth place; Allen Beroza, 113.75; and Ron Henrikson, advancing from 12th place to 10th with 113.30. 
     Close behind are Martha and John Welte, both 111 even; Mike Ryan, dropping from 10th to 13th with 109.02; and Martin Peterese, down from 11th to 14th with 107.86. Also surpassing the century mark in Ace of Clubs points, Bud Seidenberg with 100.22 in 15th place.

Total points for the year, as of Sept. 30: 135.04, up 15.55 since August. 
     Among Ruby Life Masters in Unit 116, here's how the leaders look: Ken Meier, 237.66 (still fifth among all Unit 116 players); Mike Silverman, 160.74 (down to 14th from 12th overall); Allen Beroza, 138.60 (still 19th overall), me, 135.04 (up to 20th from 22nd overall); Fred Yellen, 132.22 (up to 22nd from 29th overall); Gene Finton, 89.44; Dorothy May, 80.01; Art Morth, 55.62; Chongmin Zhang, 38.51; and Bill Rushmore, 38.34.

Last month five of the overall Unit 116 Mini-McKenney leaders were above the 200-point mark. Now there are seven. Increasing the two-point lead they attained a month ago to a 26-point lead are Martha and John Welte, both with 290.88.

Then it’s Davis Heussler, 264.38; Mike Ryan, 243.50; Ken Meier, 237.66; John Ziemer, 217.96; Jay Levy, 215.18; Linda Burroughsford, 187.56; Jerry Geiger, 182.63; Dian Petrov, 176.14; Bert Hargeshimer, 166.99; and Christy Kellogg, 166.94.

District 5 (Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh) Ace of Clubs. Ruby Life Masters. I’m hanging in at third place in my division, and 20th overall, down two notches from 18th. We Buffalo players are the only ones with 100-plus points and we hold down the top four spots.

Mike Silverman is the leader with 151.21. He slipped from fourth to fifth among all District 5 Mini-McKenney players. Second is Ken Meier, 128.27 (14th overall, down from 12th); then me, 114.99 (20th, down from 18th); Allen Beroza, 113.75 (22nd, down from 19th); Chantal Whitney, formerly of Bratenahl, Ohio, now from Boca Raton, Fla., 96.20 (41st); Susan Konig of Bridgeville, Pa., 92.50 (48th); Fred Yellen, 88.08 (56th); and Doris Kirsch of East Springfield, Pa., 81.71 (62nd).

         District 5 Ace of Clubs overall. Here Arlene Port of Pittsburgh (174.86) retains the lead she took last month from Robert Alexander of Mentor, Ohio, (167.64).

They're followed by Asim Ulke of Monroeville, Pa., 158.24; Jerry Geiger, up from sixth place with 153.42; Mike Silverman, 151.21; Stephanie Alexander of Mentor, Ohio, 150.60; Patricia Katz of Pittsburgh, 145.65, stepping back ahead of Richard Katz of North Versailles, Pa., 142.86; Liz Clark,133.59, Barbara Belardi of Pittsburgh, 132.90; Denise Slattery, 132.69; and John Ziemer, 131.88.

District 5 Mini-McKenney. Ruby Life Masters.  Sue Lan Ma of Kirtland Hills, Ohio, continues on top by a wide margin. She’s got 662.05. First in the division and still first in the district overall.

The rest of the Top 10 plus one: Craig Biddle of Pittsburgh, still second with 413.62 (tenth overall); William Lindgren of Slippery Rock, Pa., still third with 261.42 (20th); Ken Meier, 237.66 (29th); Charles Ladiha of Vermillion, Ohio, 178.13 (56th); Mike Silverman, 160.74 (70th); Russell Sheldon of Pittsburgh, 157.34 (71st); Allen Beroza, 138.60 (82nd); Wayne Heritage of North Olmsted, Ohio, 138.44 (83rd); Jean Picone of Pittsburgh, 136.17 (89th); and me! 135.04 (up one notch to 11th among Ruby Life Masters, and up five places to 93rd overall).

         District 5 Mini-McKenney overall. Sue Lan Ma, 662.05; Phillip Becker of Beachwood, Ohio, jumping from fourth to second with 462 even; Reanette Frobouck of Pittsburgh slips to third on an off-month, only advancing about 5 points to 460.89.

Then it’s Kathleen and Don Sulgrove of Twinsburg, Ohio, 456.32 and 445.37, respectively; with Phillip Goulding of Wexford, Pa., leaping up between them with 451.44.

Then it's Bernie Greenspan of Beachwood, Ohio, down one notch to seventh with 440.32; followed by Robert and Stephanie Alexander of Mentor, Ohio, 432.62 and 416.25; and Craig Biddle of Pittsburgh, 413.62. The Unit 116 leaders, Martha and John Welte, are tied for 13th with 290.88.

Nationwide. Ace of Clubs. Ruby Life Masters. The top three hold their positions – Thomas Roberg, Raleigh, N.C., 270.66; and Robert Shearer of Diberville, Miss, 251.72; and Ben Franz, Edgewood, N.M., 250.42.
     Then it’s Dennis Harms, Corvallis, Ore., 242.89; Gary Waldron, Laguna Beach, Calif., 241.54; Sidney Perutz of Dallas, 232.98; and Barry Nish of Little Neck, N.Y., 230.62.

     Mike Silverman is 83rd, down from 73rd. Ken Meier is 178th, down from 168th. I'm 277th, up from 292nd. Allen Beroza checks in at 295th, down one from 294th. The list cuts off at 98.34.

Nationwide. Ace of Clubs overall. Bill Kulbersh of Atlanta (513.60) stays on top. Gail Wells of Dallas (479.67) remains in second ahead of Bella Ionis-Sorren of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (457.90).
     Kay Schulle of Purchase, N.Y. (430.49), stays in fourth place, followed by Irva Neyhart of Corvallis, Ore. (404.89); Sheila Gabay of Newton, Mass. (396.27); and Marion Gebhardt of Richardson, Texas (393.79). 
     No Unit 116 players here and only two from District 5 – Arlene Port is 364th, down from 326th, and Robert Alexander is 461st, down from 438th. The list cuts off at 164.05.  

Nationwide. Mini-McKenney. Ruby Life Masters. Big month for Sudhakar Divakaruni of Scottsdale, Ariz., who gathered 100+ points to reach 802.95 and slip ahead of Gillian Miniter of New York City, 790.87.

District 5's Sue Lan Ma, 662.05, continues in third, followed by Jeff Edelstein of Riverview, Fla., 531.58; and Mark Blanchard of Bay Shore, L.I., 479.87. Unit 116's Ken Meier is 122nd, down from 118th. Mike Silverman is 481st, up from 500th. The list cuts off at 158.51.

Nationwide. Mini-McKenney overall.  Ongoing leader Chris Compton of Dallas continues to be the only player who has surpassed the double-century mark, now with 2,175.49. Then it's Kevin Dwyer of Melbourne, Fla., 1,958.48; Mark Itabashi of Murrieta, Calif., 1,807.26; Shan Huang of Toronto, 1,692.86; Greg Hinze of San Antonio, Texas, 1,677.94; and Jeff Meckstroth of Clearwater Beach, Fla., 1,621.80. 
     Former Buffalonian Joel Wooldridge is up a notch, from 26th to 25th, with 1,200.66. Sue Lan Ma is 108th, up from 118th. Phillip Becker is 298th. Reanette Frobouck is 301st, down from 269th. Ten District 5 players make the list before it ends at 379.72.