union pacific  

Updated Nov. 12, 2014

2014 WBC Report    

 2015 Status: pending December 2014 Membership Trial Vote

Curt Collins II, PA

2011-14 Champion

Event History
2000    Joe Lux    67
2001    Jamie Tang    77
2002    Bruce Young    84
2003    Arthur Field    73
2004    Luke Koleszar    64
2005    Jeff Mullet    65
2006    Fred Minard    40
2007    Steve Shambeda    44
2008    Paul Bolduc    32
2009    Curt Collins    64
2010    Bruce Reiff    46
2011    Curt Collins    48
2012    Curt Collins    38
2013    Curt Collins    39
2014    Curt Collins    30

Euro Quest
BPA Event History
2003    Arthur Field    28

 Laurels

Rank  Name              From  Last  Total
  1.  Curt Collins II    PA    14    130
  2.  Arthur Field       SC    06     92
  3.  Bruce Reiff        OH    12     57
  4.  Luke Koleszar      VA    04     48
  5.  Steve Shambeda     PA    13     46
  6.  Fred Minard        PA    14     43
  7.  Jeff Mullet        OH    09     43
  8.  Joe Lux            NY    06     34
  9.  Bruce Young        SC    02     30
 10.  Jamie Tang         MD    01     30
 11.  Cliff Ackman       PA    13     28
 12.  Brandon Bernard    PA    12     24
 13.  Jeff Senley        PA    14     22
 14.  Scott Pfeiffer     SC    02     21
 15.  Paul Bolduc        FL    08     20
 16.  John Wetherell     PA    07     19
 17.  Barb Flaxington    NJ    12     18
 18.  Jeff Meyer         MA    10     18
 19.  Rodney Davidson    AZ    09     18
 20.  Jim Carvin         PA    07     18
 21.  Tom Stokes         NJ    03     18
 22.  Davyd Field        SC    02     18
 23.  David Fritsch      VA    00     18
 24.  Sean McCulloch     OH    12     15
 25.  Jason Arvey        VA    14     12
 26.  Dan Mathias        MD    13     12
 27.  Bob Wicks          CT    11     12
 28.  Mike Backstrom     MN    04     12
 29.  Debbie Gutermuth   TX    03     12
 30.  Harald Henning     CT    03     12
 31.  Stu Hendrickson    VA    02     12
 32.  Bill Edwards       VA    00     12
 33.  Jason Ley          WA    11      9
 34.  Rich Meyer         MA    10      9
 35.  Chris Terrell      VA    05      9
 36.  Cathy Kratz        ID    04      9
 37.  Kathy Stroh        PA    01      9
 38.  Max Jamelli        PA    08      8
 39.  Jed Shambeda       PA    07      8
 40.  F. de Bellefeuille qc    13      6
 41.  Christin Kolstad   SC    12      6
 42.  Chris Trimmer      TX    11      6
 43.  Lisa Gutermuth     NC    10      6
 44.  Bruce Bernard      PA    09      6
 45.  Mark Guttag        VA    07      6
 46.  Matt Calkins       VA    05      6
 47.  Rich Zelano        RI    04      6
 48.  Ewan McNay         CT    03      6
 49.  Tom DeMarco        NJ    03      6
 50.  Evan Davis         IN    02      6
 51.  Michael Mahady     TX    01      6
 52.  Mike Hazel         SC    00      6
 53,  Jeff Jackson       MN    14      4
 54.  Tom Johnston       IL    08      4
 55.  Robert Kircher     RI    11      3
 56.  Thomas Saal        MI    05      3
 57.  Chris LeFevre      AZ    02      3
 58.  Kim Foster         TX    01      3
 59.  Steve Scott        CA    00      3
 60.  Brad Sherwood      PA    14      2
 61.  Mark F. Smith      SC    13      2
 62.  Peter Staab        PA    03      2

2014 Laurelists
Repeating Laurelists:

Jason Arvey, VA
2nd

Fred Minard, PA
3rd

Jeff Senley, PA
4th

Jeff Jackson, MN
5th

Brad Sherwood, PA
6th

Past Winners

Joe Lux, NY
2000

Jamie Tang, MD
2001

Bruce Young, SC
2002

Arthur Field, SC
2003

Luke Koleszar, VA
2004

Jeff Mullet, OH
2005

Fred Minard, PA
2006

Steve Shambeda, PA
2007

Paul Bolduc, FL
2008

Curt Collins II, PA
2009, 2011-14

Bruce Reiff, OH
2010
       

Rick Miller and John Dextraze

Steven Squibb and Bill Peeck

2007 champ Steve Shambeda and Mark McCandless

2006 champ Fred Minard and Mike Stanley

Four & Counting ... maybe

Union Pacific ran once again as a non-stop Swiss tournament held on Monday afternoon. This year the event added a semifinal round instead of going three heats directly into a Final. The thought being it was better to settle things on the field (or on the board) than to let tiebreakers get in the way. Of course, there is a price in player convenience to be paid for that line of thinking. Attendance took a big hit and sank to an alltime low as only 30 players took to the rails, but the games that were played were spirited and well fought nonetheless.

Among all of the preliminary highlights, 2007 champion Steve Shambeda set a mark for what could be described as the most unlikely of events over the course of two games. During his two games, Shambeda drew the dividend card EIGHT times - going 4 for 4 in each game. The semifinal round did what it was designed to do - eliminate the total dependence on tie-breakers. Only one was needed to fill the eighth spot in the semi's. Bobbi Warczak's total points of 342 was just enough to edge Brandon Bernard's 341.

Among the semifinalists, 2006 champ Fred Minard and Jason Arvey took first and second place in the first semifinal, outlasting Warczak and Frank Bragg. Defending champ Curt Collins II and Jeff Senley outlasted eventual 5th and 6th place laurelists Jeff Jackson and Brad Sherwood to take the other two spots.

All four opening investments in the Final were unique and only one player built a track using his initial investment. Track play and investment continued until Fred triggered the first dividend payments. Minard would also trigger the third dividend payout. The big railroad earner on the board was the Billings Northern Light which, at the end, was worth $16 to Fred. Collins was fortunate in the end that Fred did not pull the fourth dividend right before Collins was able to invest one last time in the Denver Midlands and Sioux Falls Royal Blue to secure a Captainship in Denver and a tie in Sioux Falls. Denver being worth $10 and Sioux Falls worth $8, coupled with Collins' overall captainship in the UP Stock, enabled him to just barely pass Arvey's $116 by all of $2. Minard finished third with $115 while Senley brought up the rear with $105.

If the December votes are fothcoming, Union Pacific will return to WBC in 2015 with a similar structure, but a new schedule. It is my hope that this new schedule will bump attendance upwards again. Curt Collins II has won this event five times in the past six years. Will he get another chance in 2015? That's up to you.

 Max Jamelli in his ever lovin' Yankees cap with his finalists.

 GM     Max Jamelli  [2nd Year]  NA
   maxjamelli1@yahoo.com   NA 

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