Kempsey again turned on the sunny weather and hospitality for its annual invasion of Scrabble visitors including 10 Queenslanders and another 26 or so out-of-towners. Leah Jackson and three clubmates from Lismore were amongst them as were the travelling Pollards from distant Ulladullah. Home-made treats awaited travellers and locals at the RSL club and a buffet was served each evening for 54 hungry players. Trophies beckoned on the front tables, tempting all to do their best while a photographer from the local press recorded the action. Organizers Joy Smith, Vickie Underhill and the rest of the dedicated Kempsey Club helpers had prepared all year long to gain sponsorship from Kempsey RSL Club, the tournament venue, and the Moon River Motel where many of the travellers were accommodated. Now it remained to be seen - could the Qld team without Ed and Ann upset the more fancied NSW team? Perhaps a local player would emerge to upset some of the city slickers?
Well if you read the earlier report you would have discerned the answers. NSW won the Kempsey Challenge Cup! In A division, the top 3 places were taken by the top 3 ranked players who happened to be from NSW – Bob Jackman (highest game 566), Joanne Craig and Graeme Lock Lee. Robyn Flynn, now living in the NSW country, grabbed 4th place on margin from 3 others. 5th place was claimed by surprise-packet Maureen See from Qld (highest word 158 for HEREDITY) - not surprising because of her great result (whispers of her ability and potential had already reached Southern ears) but because her name is of Irish origin, not Chinese :) None other than good judge John Barker praised her gameplay and she managed an (harrumph) upset against me so I have to agree. Mind you I did leave an opening for a final turn bingo starting with O after checking that I had crossed off all the O’s and blanks on my tile-tracking sheet. Imagine my surprise when Maureen laid out an unlikely but valid ONSIDES underneath the J of my BENJ “blocker” to snatch the win. Coincidentally, this was one of three final turn bingos that I suffered to also lose to 2nd place-getter Joanne Craig and draw with Martin Waterworth. If only I had read the coaching manual as far as “B” for blocking :( The next-placed Queenslanders were Marilyn Smith at 8th, Martin Warterworth 11th and Olga Visser 12th. The unflappable and unstoppable Bob Jackman’s only loss was late on the second day to enigmatic Jean Noonan 9th who played noticeably better with each drink (ala convivial John Barker 7th).
Veena Mohe (highest word 140 for REQUOTE) played strongly to win B division while collecting a haul of 119 rating points. Husband Ram also collected 88 rating points in A division to qualify for the top division in the forthcoming Nationals so Kempsey will hold very fond memories for the Mohes. Peripatetic pair Sunny Wright (NSW) and Svend Grunnet (highest game 511) (Qld) had happy tournaments to grab trophies for the minor placings. The top-placed local player was enthusiastic Sherie Brown who came 5th and netted the tournament’s top ratings gain of 128 points which, combined with a big haul from her recent Baulkham Hills foray, has elevated her to 909 points after just a few tournaments. She is one to watch. Sherie, a motel manager, is planning to hold a tournament at nearby South West Rocks so keep an eye out for an August date.
I overheard some of the local players relating the highs and lows of their annual tournament experience. Wayne Jones (highest game 453), who is one of only two males in the Kempsey Scrabble club, won C division from Anne Mortel (highest word 122 for BENCHES) and Arie Holla, with excited Rita Louise fading to 5th after a reversal of fortune on day 2. Poor Vicki Underhill finished dead last in B division after winning it the previous year. Oh well there’s always next year!
Results after game 10
KEMPSEY CHAL/CUP 2004 -- A DIVISION
Rank Player Wins Mar
---------------------------------
1 Bob Jackman 9 1093
2 Joanne Craig 7 442
3 Graeme Lock Lee 6.5 331
4 Robyn Flynn 6 190
5 Maureen See 6 65
6 Ram Mohe 6 -96
7 John Barker 6 -122
8 Marilyn Smith 5 142
9 Jean Noonan 5 -124
10 Gary Pollard 5 -201
11 Martin Waterworth 4.5 -226
12 Olga Visser 4 116
13 Audrey Newman 4 -129
14 Karrin Henderson 4 -194
15 Daphne Bezudenhuit 4 -383
16 Alison Pollard 3 -6
17 Raya Wilkinson 3 -421
18 Richard Birch 2 -477
HIGH GAME: Bob Jackman 566
HIGH WORD: Maureen See 158
"HEREDITY"
Results after game 10
KEMPSEY CHAL/CUP 2004 -- B DIVISION
Rank Player Wins Mar
---------------------------------
1 Veena Mohe 8 591
2 Sunny Wright 7 398
3 Svend Grunnet 7 312
4 Ivana Duria 6.5 -14
5 Sherie Brown 6 2
6 Delores Barbon 6 -8
7 Liz Jackman 6 -30
8 Valerie Teare 5 407
9 Rick Kuhl 5 53
10 Helen Blanks 5 -45
11 Stacey Judd 5 -47
12 Gaile Clarke 5 -186
13 Helen Young@15 5 -219
14 Joy Smith 4 -7
15 Ern Foster 4 -218
16 Fay Van Oyen 3.5 98
17 Bill Bates 2 -410
18 Vicki Underhill 0 -677
HIGH GAME: Svend Grunnet 511
HIGH WORD: Veena Mohe 140
"REQUOTE"
Results after game 10
KEMPSEY CHAL/CUP 2004 -- C DIVISION
Rank Player Wins Mar
---------------------------------
1 Wayne Jones 8 510
2 Anne Mortel 7 581
3 Arie Holla 7 521
4 Jan Oddy 7 225
5 Audrey Edwards 6 213
6 Rita Loise 6 180
7 Olive Saul 6 60
8 John Vanderbyl 5 198
9 Jacky Booth 5 192
10 Mollie Pearson 5 48
11 Dee Hockley 5 -173
12 Alys Alexander 5 -399
13 Leah Jackson 4 -8
14 Jennifer O'Connor 4 -101
15 Dorothy Dixon 4 -413
16 Shirley Winkler 3 -210
17 Carole Dwyer 2 -563
18 Peggy Gray 1 -861
HIGH GAME: Wayne Jones 453
HIGH WORD: Anne Mortel 122
"BENCHES"
Stats for Tournament : KEMPSEY CHAL/CUP 2004
+--------------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| state Name | National | State | Wins | Rating Points
|
| | Old New | Old New | Exp Act | Old Change
New|
+--------------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+---------------+
+Section: *A DIVISION + + +
+
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| NSW Bob Jackman | 11 10 | 5 5 | 8.2 9.0 | 1743 +19 1762
|
| NSW Joanne Craig | 32 32 | 9 9 | 7.2 7.0 | 1645 -1 1644
|
| NSW Graeme Lock Lee | 34 38 | 10 12 | 7.4 6.5 | 1631 -15 1616
|
| NSW John Barker | 41 45 | 13 14 | 7.2 6.0 | 1606 -23 1583
|
| NSW Robyn Flynn | 47 56 | 15 16 | 7.0 6.0 | 1579 -18 1561
|
| QLD Maureen See | 294 227 | 27 22 | 1.6 6.0 | 1204 +111
1315 |
| NSW Ram Mohe | 282 229 | 68 58 | 2.4 6.0 | 1224 +88 1312
|
| NSW Jean Noonan | 125 123 | 31 31 | 4.9 5.0 | 1444 +5 1449
|
| QLD Marilyn Smith | 104 103 | 10 10 | 5.0 5.0 | 1473 +2 1475
|
| NSW Gary Pollard | 192 152 | 51 41 | 3.1 5.0 | 1365 +38 1403
|
| QLD Martin Waterworth | 141 147 | 13 13 | 5.0 4.5 | 1420 -7 1413
|
| QLD Olga Visser | 122 134 | 11 11 | 5.2 4.0 | 1450 -24 1426
|
| NSW Audrey Newman | 133 130 | 34 33 | 4.2 4.0 | 1433 -5 1428
|
| QLD Karrin Henderson | 127 139 | 12 12 | 5.3 4.0 | 1444 -23 1421
|
| NSW Daphne Bezuidenhout | 278 262 | 67 63 | 2.4 4.0 | 1231 +34 1265
|
| NSW Alison Pollard | 129 160 | 32 44 | 5.0 3.0 | 1437 -40 1397
|
| NSW Raya Wilkinson | 200 217 | 52 54 | 4.4 3.0 | 1351 -26 1325
|
| NSW Richard Birch | 184 213 | 50 52 | 4.4 2.0 | 1375 -47 1328
|
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------------+
+Section: *B DIVISION + + +
+
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| NSW Veena Mohe | 609 491 | 150 116 | 3.5 8.0 | 862 +119
981 |
| NSW Sunny Wright | 426 399 | 100 92 | 5.7 7.0 | 1041 +33 1074
|
| QLD Svend Grunnet | 583 511 | 80 67 | 4.1 7.0 | 886 +68 954
|
| NSW Ivana Duria | 664 555 | 162 133 | 3.0 6.5 | 829 +83 912
|
| NSW Sherie Brown | 733 563 | 186 136 | 2.8 6.0 | 781 +128
909 |
| NSW Dolores Barbon | 354 366 | 87 88 | 7.2 6.0 | 1126 -19 1107
|
| NSW Liz Jackman | 317 334 | 79 82 | 7.5 6.0 | 1173 -29 1144
|
| QLD Rick Kuhl | 331 371 | 31 41 | 7.6 5.0 | 1148 -46 1102
|
| QLD Val Teare | 373 410 | 42 47 | 7.0 5.0 | 1100 -37 1063
|
| NSW Stacey Judd | 645 602 | 156 151 | 4.0 5.0 | 840 +33 873
|
| QLD Gaile Clark | 534 516 | 70 68 | 4.1 5.0 | 927 +22 949
|
| NSW Helen Young | 418 428 | 97 99 | 5.6 5.0 | 1050 -11 1039
|
| NSW Helen Blanks | 539 523 | 128 123 | 4.2 5.0 | 924 +16 940
|
| NSW Joy Smith | 712 681 | 181 171 | 3.0 4.0 | 799 +23 822
|
| NSW Ern Foster | 542 542 | 129 128 | 4.0 4.0 | 921 +1 922
|
| NSW Fay Van Oyen | 381 449 | 89 105 | 7.2 3.5 | 1089 -69 1020
|
| NSW Bill Bates | 533 628 | 125 156 | 4.5 2.0 | 928 -73 855
|
| NSW Vicki Underhill | 494 597 | 117 150 | 5.0 0.0 | 976 -100
876 |
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------------+
+Section: *C DIVISION + + +
+
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------------+
|*NSW Wayne Jones | 0 574 | 0 141 | 8.0 8.0 | 898 898
|
| NSW Anne Mortel | 954 883 | 244 227 | 4.4 7.0 | 620 +53 673
|
| NSW Arie Holla | 844 804 | 213 203 | 5.8 7.0 | 699 +27 726
|
| NSW Jan Oddy | 870 810 | 222 205 | 5.7 7.0 | 681 +40 721
|
| NSW Audrey Edwards | 1057 951 | 282 247 | 3.7 6.0 | 542 +83 625
|
| NSW Rita Loise | 983 915 | 257 236 | 4.3 6.0 | 596 +54 650
|
| NSW Olive Saul | 819 820 | 207 209 | 6.0 6.0 | 715 +2 717
|
| NSW John Vanderbyl | 788 819 | 202 208 | 6.2 5.0 | 739 -22 717
|
| NSW Jacky Booth | 779 842 | 198 213 | 6.4 5.0 | 744 -42 702
|
| NSW Mollie Pearson | 962 979 | 247 258 | 5.5 5.0 | 617 -14 603
|
|*NSW Alys Alexander | 0 952 | 0 248 | 5.0 5.0 | 625 625
|
| QLD Dee Hockley | 955 977 | 164 167 | 5.5 5.0 | 620 -15 605
|
|*NSW Jennifer O'Connor | 0 1060 | 0 285 | 4.0 4.0 | 540 540
|
| NSW Leah Jackson | 1077 1083 | 294 297 | 4.1 4.0 | 526 -2 524
|
| NSW Dorothy Dixon | 1137 1109 | 314 308 | 3.8 4.0 | 500 +5 505
|
|*NSW Shirley Winkler | 0 1221 | 0 341 | 3.9 3.0 | 500 -27 473
|
| NSW Carole Dwyer | 1139 1222 | 315 342 | 3.9 2.0 | 500 -56 444
|
|*NSW Peggy Gray | 0 1223 | 0 343 | 3.9 1.0 | 500 -86 414
|
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------------+