58 art collectors met in Seven Springs to show the best that their exhibits could muster! It matched the highwater mark for the past seven years for this event and was enough in the year of WBC’s first attendance downturn to return the event to the Century for the first time since 2011.
The three heats each had two rounds, mixing the players in each round so as not to play the same people again. Heat 1 drew 30 collectors - two of whom, Jon Gemmell and Sharee Pack, managed to win in both rounds- thereby confirming their ticket to the semifinals. Due to a shortage of games, one table began nearly 40 minutes late but still managed to complete their second game well within the allotted two hours. Heat 2 saw only one of 26 collectors earn a perfect 10 (first place in both rounds); John Pack. The participation continued to dwindle in the third heat with only 20 collectors on hand - none of whom could generate double wins.
In an attempt to fill a 25 person semifinal round, all scores of seven or higher qualified. But as so often happens, qualifiers found other things to occupy themselves - including sleep given the 9 AM start. Three alternates with a score of six or lower were accepted, but even so the semifinal could not fill 20 seats and had to settle for a 19-player Round 2. As in the heats, two games were played in this round with the five highest scores advancing to a single game Final.
It was a close game. Before the first corner of the track was reached, all five were within a 5-space range. The pack remained close for most of the race (Adel is a racing game after all). On four turns all players chose the detective route whereas only one turn found all players thieving! As they rounded the corner into the home stretch Anne was in the lead with Philip second. Shea managed to steal from Anne, PJ and Michael while Arland’s detective caught the talented thief. Both Anne and Philip’s sets were broken and Arland moved up five spaces. For her once lovely display, Anne moved up three points, ending two spaces past the finish.
When Final exhibits were displayed: Shea Lawson had the best with 12 cards to move eight spaces, two past finish with Anne, but Shea’s better exhibit gave her the win. It was her first WBC tournament title.
Michael took second best exhibit with ten cards in his exhibit to advance four spaces, one shy of the finish line for a solid third place. When all was said and done, the five best art collectors in 2016 were separated by six spaces or less. |
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Three different generations compete
as Eyal Mozes,
Holiday
Saccenti and Brandon Bernard engage
in
some hoity toity art collecting.
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Original grognard Glen Petroski opposes
the moose pied piper, Dave Meyaard, and
Laura Brown in a different
kind of battle.
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Gillian Gemmel and Linsay Saccenti
were just two
of the 20 ladies in this year's field as the fair
sex
ventured to Seven Springs in force.
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Shea Lawson and Alyssa Mills
both won
their first WBC tournaments as the ladies took
home
15 titles in 2016.
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The finalists clockwise from
left: Michael McKibbin, Arland Kane, Philip Livingston, Anne
Norton and Shea Lawson. |
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