Bridge Blog 1017: St. Catharines Sectional Recap

Maybe it’s time to become a tournament hound. On the heels of my second-best Buffalo Sectional last month comes the best-ever St. Catharines Sectional – 6.66 points – which also is my third-best sectional of all time.

A couple Buffalo players topped the list of winners in St. Catharines. Partners Christy Kellogg and Bert Hargeshimer corralled 27.46 points each. Bert and Christy piled up their points in the Friday afternoon open pairs (third place for 7.35), the Friday evening open pairs (first for 8.25) and third in the all-day Saturday open pairs (third again, this time for 11.22). The remaining fraction came from their play in the Swiss teams game on Sunday, where they were not among the leaders.

You have to look down to 21st place to find the next Buffalo representatives – Donna Steffan and Jay Costello. They each had 12.93, their reward for being part of the winning Swiss team on Sunday.

Then there’s Saleh Fetouh in 30th place with 9.43 and me in 44th place with my 6.66, between Amir Fasoud (6.86) and Selina Volpatti’s Friday partner, Rev. Christopher Kulig (6.51). Selina, meanwhile, was 34th with 8.48 points, thanks to our performance together in the Swiss teams.

Other Buffalonians in the Top 100 included John Bava and Ed Morgan, tied for 53 rd with 5.08; my Saturday partner Denise Slattery, 58 th with 4.69; and the Buffalo player with the most master points of all, Dan Gerstman, tied for 82 nd with 3.12.

In all, 280 players earned points and there were 252 tables. At the club game in St. Catharines on Friday, word was that the tournament lost money. Let’s break down previous years’ totals, for Swiss and total tables.

2018 – 40 Swiss, 252 total tables.

2017 – 49 Swiss, 355 tables.

2016 – 51 Swiss, 342 tables.

2015 – 54 Swiss, 356 tables.

2014 – 60 Swiss, 366 tables.

2013 – 46 Swiss, 311 tables.

2012 – 49 Swiss, 303 tables.

2011 – 54 Swiss, 347 tables.

2010 – 39 Swiss, 343 tables.

2009 – 59 Swiss, 343 tables.

2008 – 48 Swiss, 294 tables.

And now let’s review my performances, year by year.

2018 – 6.66.

2017 – 0.52.

2016 – 0.51.

2015 – 0.34.

2014 – 1.79.

2013 – 0.36.

2012 – none.

2011 – 1.81.

2010 – 3.85, thanks to winning Bracket 3 in the Swiss team game with Helen Panza, Paula Kotowski and John Kirsits.

2009 – 0.72.

None before 2009.