Wollongong's fabulous February frolics proved the old adage that "the show must go on" when, despite several glitches, a day of Scrabble was enjoyed by all. Last minute scratchings and one no-show saw 89 players pit their wits and tile draws against each other. Media attention was piqued by the event and the local television station and newspaper photographers were out in force.
Clean sweeps were the order of the day with Bob Jackman, Natalie Tadday and Pearl Gillott all winning their sections (Masters, Intermediate and Recreation, respectively) with eight wins. In Advanced, Jan Serisier won seven games to take the accolades (and the money!).
As TD, I was particularly grateful to the Advanced players who took the computer glitches (okay, I'll be honest and admit I must have done something wrong in the key-strokes) in their stride and continued on despite having no computer-drawn starts and incorrect table numbers.
Among the interesting plays and words, were Paul Cleary's "clarity" in finding CARNALITY through a floating NA. Paul was also responsible for ASPIDIA and UNFITTER. Bob Jackman graced the boards with VALUATOR and SIMULAR as well as hooking WEEVIL onto an ED to clinch a tight end-game against Rod Talbot. Nevertheless, Rod managed to salvage some comfort from his next game when he took out the high game award with 573. Chris May came back from a large deficit against Joan Rosenthal when he falsely hooked MUSIC, putting the S onto EWHOW. Joan challenged off and played a word that gave Chris an outplay of MISFOCUS to narrowly win the game. Nanette Reynolds made a similar recovery (not enough to win the game but enough to salvage a few margin points) with her desperate (but correct) attempt with ENWALLED.
And while the Scrabble tiles may not have fallen in her favour, Edith Lowbeer went home a happy soul after winning the lucky door-prize (wine well, bottle of wine and two wine-glasses) and first prize of $50 in the raffle. When somebody quipped that she didn't drink, she replied, "I will now"!
All in all, a fun day enjoyed by all.
Results after game 8
WORDS -- MASTERS
Rank Player Wins Mar
---------------------------------
1 Bob Jackman 8 501
2 Paul Cleary 6 555
3 Joanne Craig 6 289
4 John Holgate 5 295
5 Peter Shaw 5 266
6 Chris May 5 171
7 Betty Coleman 5 -21
8 Rod Talbot 4 264
9 Ian Close 4 15
10 John Barker 4 -6
11 Audrey Newman 4 -14
12 Jean McGiffen 4 -16
13 Hanne Marks 4 -192
14 Richard Farrington 3 36
15 Joan Rosenthal 3 -5
16 John Spaan 3 -26
17 Graeme Lock Lee 3 -61
18 Susan Macgillivray 3 -249
19 Betty Foreman 3 -291
20 Tony Hunt 3 -320
21 Keith Bioletti 2 -504
22 Kerry Constable 1 -687
HIGH GAME: Rod Talbot 573
HIGH WORD: John Spaan 140
"ADONISED"
Results after game 8
WORDS -- ADVANCED
Rank Player Wins Mar
---------------------------------
1 Jan Serisier 7 246
2 Val Ryan 6 396
3 Norma Tracey 6 168
4 Richard Birch 5 306
5 Christine Foot 5 247
6 Raya Wilkinson 5 139
7 Sue Gergelifi 5 132
8 Michael Adler 5 33
9 Rene Chelton 5 -24
10 Judy Hay 4 196
11 Gordon Meggs 4 159
12 Nanette Reynolds 4 -44
13 Hari Nanayakkara 4 -45
14 Angie Farrington 4 -95
15 Pat Schuberg 4 -102
16 Jean Noonan 3 101
16 Margaret Berliner 3 101
18 Jenny Templeton 3 -203
19 Joan Buchanan 3 -281
20 Liz Jackman 3 -322
21 Margaret Andrews 3 -350
22 Fay Van Oyen 2 -132
23 Moana Nepia 2 -209
24 Nonie English 1 -417
HIGH GAME: Moana Nepia 512
HIGH WORD: Jean Noonan 102
"HEISTED"
Results after game 8
WORDS -- INTERMEDIATE
Rank Player Wins Mar
---------------------------------
1 Natalie Tadday 8 572
2 Ram Mohe 6 480
3 Mireille Minet 6 374
4 Edith Lowbeer 5 233
5 Judy Hall 5 197
6 Judy McGuinness 5 105
7 Diana Hilly 5 -18
8 Ann Fiddler 4 228
9 Bev Purkis 4 182
10 Jean Balmer 4 69
11 Rex Shakespeare 4 12
12 Betty Irwin 4 11
13 Vi Phillips 4 -59
14 Sandra Elliott 4 -191
15 Merle Young 4 -554
16 Esther Rolfe 3 -228
17 Maureen Wilkins 3 -275
18 Yvonne Pollard 2 -108
19 Alan Gauci 2 -113
20 Veena Mohe 2 -185
21 Heather Sorensen 2 -339
22 Lynn Parnell 2 -393
HIGH GAME: Judy Hall 505
HIGH WORD: Bev Purkis 149
"CREOSOTE"
Results after game 8
WORDS -- RECREATION
Rank Player Wins Mar
---------------------------------
1 Pearl Gillott 8 520
2 Sue Tuckett 6 248
3 Yvonne Edwards 6 101
4 Beryl Pearson 5 258
5 Lila Tucker 5 126
6 Elwyn Smith 5 57
7 Louise Ready 5 19
8 Andree Lajoie 4 247
9 Brian Irwin 4 168
10 Teresa Traynor 4 126
11 John Smith 4 47
12 Audrey Crompton 4 -56
13 Joy Morris 4 -153
14 Merriss Adler 4 -166
15 Maree Heynen 4 -208
16 Diana Field 4 -256
17 Margaret Ackman 3 81
18 Rhonda Jefferson 3 -42
19 Noelene Chamberlain 2 -269
20 Beryl Christensen 2 -345
21 Mary Lyneham 2 -495
22 A Bye 0 -8
HIGH GAME: Sue Tuckett 479
HIGH WORD: Beryl Pearson 91
"SECTION"
Stats for Tournament : WORDS
+--------------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| state Name | National | State | Wins | Rating Points |
| | Old New | Old New | Exp Act | Old Change New|
+--------------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+---------------+
+Section: *MASTERS + + + +
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| NSW Bob Jackman | 10 4 | 4 2 | 4.9 8.0 | 1787 +79 1866 |
| NSW Paul Cleary | 3 3 | 1 1 | 5.8 6.0 | 1883 +5 1888 |
| NSW Joanne Craig | 20 15 | 6 5 | 4.7 6.0 | 1738 +25 1763 |
| NSW John Holgate | 4 5 | 2 3 | 5.7 5.0 | 1843 -9 1834 |
| NSW Peter Shaw | 107 77 | 29 18 | 2.6 5.0 | 1488 +53 1541 |
| NSW Chris May | 28 27 | 9 8 | 4.5 5.0 | 1685 +11 1696 |
| NSW Betty Coleman | 97 83 | 24 19 | 3.2 5.0 | 1499 +35 1534 |
| NSW John Barker | 56 55 | 14 13 | 3.7 4.0 | 1601 +7 1608 |
| NSW Rod Talbot | 6 10 | 3 4 | 5.6 4.0 | 1820 -25 1795 |
| NSW Jean McGiffen | 36 37 | 10 10 | 4.5 4.0 | 1663 -9 1654 |
| NSW Ian Close | 95 87 | 22 21 | 2.9 4.0 | 1500 +21 1521 |
| NSW Hanne Marks | 98 91 | 25 22 | 3.1 4.0 | 1497 +17 1514 |
| NSW Audrey Newman | 132 114 | 35 31 | 2.9 4.0 | 1448 +22 1470 |
| NSW Joan Rosenthal | 27 30 | 8 9 | 4.5 3.0 | 1705 -29 1676 |
| NSW Graeme Lock Lee | 52 58 | 12 14 | 4.5 3.0 | 1618 -29 1589 |
| NSW John Spaan :act | 61 70 | 15 17 | 4.5 3.0 | 1583 -30 1553 |
| NSW Richard Farrington | 120 121 | 34 35 | 3.1 3.0 | 1461 -2 1459 |
| NSW Susan MacGillivr:act | 88 98 | 19 25 | 3.8 3.0 | 1515 -15 1500 |
| NSW Tony Hunt | 144 143 | 39 39 | 2.8 3.0 | 1428 +4 1432 |
| NSW Betty Foreman | 109 110 | 30 29 | 3.5 3.0 | 1486 -10 1476 |
| NSW Keith Bioletti | 100 120 | 26 34 | 3.7 2.0 | 1494 -34 1460 |
| NSW Kerry Constable :act | 89 118 | 20 33 | 3.5 1.0 | 1512 -50 1462 |
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------------+
+Section: *ADVANCED + + + +
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| NSW Jan Serisier | 160 141 | 45 38 | 5.5 7.0 | 1400 +34 1434 |
| NSW Norma Tracey | 175 161 | 50 46 | 5.1 6.0 | 1382 +20 1402 |
| NSW Val Ryan | 324 264 | 80 65 | 2.4 6.0 | 1164 +94 1258 |
| NSW Richard Birch | 303 282 | 72 70 | 3.1 5.0 | 1190 +39 1229 |
| NSW Raya Wilkinson | 199 187 | 56 52 | 4.7 5.0 | 1349 +8 1357 |
| NSW Christine Foot :act | 301 284 | 71 71 | 3.1 5.0 | 1191 +38 1229 |
| NSW Rene Chelton | 155 154 | 42 43 | 5.1 5.0 | 1412 +1 1413 |
| NSW Michael Adler :act | 289 265 | 70 66 | 2.8 5.0 | 1210 +46 1256 |
| NSW Sue Gergelifi | 149 150 | 41 42 | 5.3 5.0 | 1421 -3 1418 |
| NSW Judy Hay | 178 180 | 51 50 | 4.5 4.0 | 1373 -9 1364 |
| NSW Gordon Meggs | 286 288 | 69 72 | 3.6 4.0 | 1215 +8 1223 |
| NSW Nanette Reynolds | 283 280 | 67 69 | 3.4 4.0 | 1220 +12 1232 |
| NSW Pat Schuberg | 271 269 | 65 67 | 3.6 4.0 | 1242 +9 1251 |
| NSW Angie Farrington | 274 272 | 66 68 | 3.8 4.0 | 1240 +6 1246 |
| NSW Hari Nanayakkara | 257 257 | 63 62 | 4.3 4.0 | 1276 -6 1270 |
| NSW Margaret Berliner | 258 260 | 64 63 | 3.6 3.0 | 1273 -10 1263 |
| NSW Jean Noonan | 170 200 | 48 55 | 5.1 3.0 | 1387 -42 1345 |
| NSW Jenny Templeton | 214 243 | 58 60 | 5.1 3.0 | 1332 -42 1290 |
| NSW Joan Buchanan | 321 323 | 79 79 | 3.4 3.0 | 1173 -9 1164 |
| NSW Margaret Andrews | 314 316 | 76 77 | 3.1 3.0 | 1181 -2 1179 |
| NSW Liz Jackman | 247 263 | 61 64 | 4.5 3.0 | 1286 -27 1259 |
| NSW Moana Nepia | 188 233 | 53 58 | 4.6 2.0 | 1356 -53 1303 |
| NSW Fay Van Oyen | 318 332 | 77 80 | 3.0 2.0 | 1175 -21 1154 |
| NSW Nonie English | 306 336 | 74 82 | 3.3 1.0 | 1189 -46 1143 |
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------------+
+Section: *INTERMEDIATE + + + +
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| NSW Natalie Tadday | 339 295 | 82 74 | 5.3 8.0 | 1139 +65 1204 |
| NSW Ram Mohe | 345 341 | 85 84 | 5.5 6.0 | 1126 +11 1137 |
| NSW Mireille Minet | 514 450 | 121 106 | 3.3 6.0 | 927 +65 992 |
| NSW Judy McGuinness | 342 349 | 84 85 | 5.6 5.0 | 1130 -12 1118 |
| NSW Judy Hall | 558 516 | 133 122 | 3.5 5.0 | 895 +31 926 |
| NSW Diana Hilly | 621 569 | 157 138 | 2.5 5.0 | 830 +56 886 |
| NSW Edith Lowbeer | 361 367 | 88 89 | 5.5 5.0 | 1098 -9 1089 |
| NSW Bev Purkis | 375 398 | 91 94 | 5.3 4.0 | 1081 -25 1056 |
| NSW Ann Fiddler | 446 440 | 106 105 | 3.7 4.0 | 997 +7 1004 |
| NSW Jean Balmer | 362 381 | 89 90 | 5.0 4.0 | 1096 -19 1077 |
| NSW Rex Shakespeare | 439 455 | 105 108 | 4.9 4.0 | 1007 -17 990 |
| NSW Betty Irwin | 574 565 | 140 136 | 3.6 4.0 | 879 +9 888 |
| NSW Vi Phillips | 602 574 | 146 141 | 2.5 4.0 | 851 +30 881 |
| NSW Sandra Elliott | 570 547 | 138 132 | 3.2 4.0 | 884 +18 902 |
| NSW Merle Young | 614 590 | 152 146 | 2.6 4.0 | 838 +27 865 |
| NSW Esther Rolfe | 403 433 | 95 102 | 5.0 3.0 | 1050 -39 1011 |
| NSW Maureen Wilkins | 523 536 | 125 128 | 3.5 3.0 | 917 -10 907 |
| NSW Yvonne Pollard | 606 632 | 149 159 | 3.2 2.0 | 845 -24 821 |
| NSW Alan Gauci | 561 595 | 134 147 | 3.7 2.0 | 894 -35 859 |
| NSW Lynn Parnell | 517 572 | 122 140 | 4.2 2.0 | 924 -43 881 |
| NSW Veena Mohe | 610 636 | 150 162 | 3.1 2.0 | 842 -23 819 |
| NSW Heather Sorensen :ac | 620 653 | 156 167 | 3.3 2.0 | 831 -26 805 |
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------------+
+Section: *RECREATION + + + +
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| NSW Pearl Gillott | 694 625 | 173 156 | 5.3 8.0 | 762 +63 825 |
| NSW Sue Tuckett | 640 646 | 164 164 | 6.4 6.0 | 815 -7 808 |
| NSW Yvonne Edwards | 836 806 | 218 205 | 4.3 6.0 | 640 +35 675 |
| NSW Beryl Pearson :act | 815 800 | 211 203 | 4.1 5.0 | 660 +18 678 |
| NSW Louise Ready | 779 774 | 195 191 | 4.8 5.0 | 691 +4 695 |
| NSW Lila Tucker | 872 836 | 232 218 | 3.7 5.0 | 613 +27 640 |
| NSW Elwyn Smith :act | 1015 968 | 274 256 | 3.5 5.0 | 506 +31 537 |
| NSW Andree Lajoie | 756 777 | 188 193 | 4.8 4.0 | 709 -17 692 |
| NSW Teresa Traynor | 828 828 | 215 215 | 4.1 4.0 | 648 -3 645 |
| NSW Brian Irwin | 816 841 | 212 220 | 5.1 4.0 | 659 -22 637 |
| NSW Joy Morris | 905 903 | 238 238 | 3.9 4.0 | 587 +2 589 |
| NSW John Smith :act | 948 940 | 247 247 | 3.6 4.0 | 553 +9 562 |
| NSW Merriss Adler :act | 1009 983 | 271 264 | 3.2 4.0 | 508 +16 524 |
| NSW Maree Heynen | 993 966 | 267 255 | 2.9 4.0 | 516 +22 538 |
| NSW Diana Field | 1020 1014 | 275 274 | 3.7 4.0 | 500 +7 507 |
| NSW Audrey Crompton | 1002 989 | 270 267 | 3.5 4.0 | 511 +9 520 |
| NSW Margaret Ackman | 698 785 | 176 197 | 6.4 3.0 | 756 -68 688 |
|*NSW Rhonda Jefferson | 0 1085 | 0 295 | 3.1 3.0 | 500 500 |
| NSW Beryl Christensen | 1024 1138 | 277 312 | 3.7 2.0 | 500 -34 466 |
|*NSW Noelene Chamberlain | 0 1140 | 0 314 | 3.7 2.0 | 500 -104
396 |
| NSW Mary Lyneham | 0 1139 | 0 313 | 4.1 2.0 | 500 -42 458 |
| --- A Bye | 1138 1142 | 1 2 | 0.3 0.0 | 0 -6 -6 |
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------------+