The third and final leg in the BPA Triple Crown is its Sportsmanship Award. Coupled with the Caesar for prowess on the gameboard and our GM of the Year which honors those who sacrifice their time to make the events possible, the Sportsmanship winner completes our virtual Hall of Fame by reminding us that there is no fun to be had with these games without an affable and enjoyable opponent with which to cross vicarious swords. While some get caught up in the quest for “wood,” our Sportsman of the Year always subscribes to a higher standard…a shining example of sportsmanship that we should all aspire to. These folks are the ones that make it all bearable for our GMs and contribute most to the “club” atmosphere of the convention. Their shining example contributes to the remarkable esprit de corps and camaraderie for which the WBC has always been noted by those in the know.

There are those who liken the Sportsmanship vote to a popularity contest. If that’s so, there’s little doubt remaining who is WBC’s sweetheart after this year’s vote. It seems like just yesterday that this young lady made hobby headlines by being the first person to win four tournaments in one WBC. The enthusiastic teenager showed us old folks how it was done on the gameboard at the ripe old age of 14 and apparently she made an impression, because this year’s voting was the most lop-sided in the history of the award. Rebecca Hebner received 73 of the 267 votes cast to garner 27% of the total vote among the 17 nominees. Runner-up Bruce Wigdor followed with 16% of the vote. Rounding out the top six finalists were Andrew Chitwood, William Cooper, Tedd Mullally and Greg Smith. In a year when another woman is making political history in presidential politics, Rebecca showed that being the lone representative of her gender is not a disadvantage in an election.

The Stanford sophomore was nominated for leaving her event to fill in for an absent GM in the Junior’s room. Although jeered by her peers for being such a soft touch, she’ll be the one laughing this summer as she takes in WBC from the comfort of her free room courtesy of the BPA. Thanks, Rebecca for being such a good citizen.