70 players take the Challenge

Click HERE to view current standings, player listing, player picks, and much more! Daily Recaps:

• Day One

• Day Two

• Day Three

• Day Four

• Day Five

• Day Six & Seven

• Final Four Preview

• Championship Preview
  

The 2009 Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge is now officially underway! This year's competition is shaping up to be fierce with 70 spectator-warriors entering the fray.* That number is close to the all-time record 0f 73 players in 2005, a year in which an entire seventh grade class joined the competition. There were 57 players in 2006, 58 in 2007, and 64 in 2008.

Picks came in this year from 13 different states, three countries, Washington, D.C., and "Everywhere" (Cotter is a hobo), making 2009 one of the most diverse years on record.

*Jeff VanDellen and Cotter both have two entries. Only "Ape Face" and "Cotter" are prize-eligible.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Former champions Mike Stump (2008), Angela Penney (2006), Jake Willis (2002), and PJ Schroeder (2001) are back this year along with Loren DeHaan (runner-up, 2008), Leta Corwin (runner-up, 2007), Nicholas Schultz (runner-up, 2006), and Jeff VanDellen (runner-up, 2005).

Michael Penney, Garrett Davey, Adam Lombard, and Brandon Gamble are long-time veterans who are usually at the top of the standings.

No one has ever won The Challenge twice.

Welcome back to the many veterans, welcome to the many rookies, and good luck to all!

ALL-TIME RECORDS (scoring was standardized in 2005):

*2009 Player

Most Points (corrected 3/28/09):

1. 192, Tyler Neal, 2007
2. 178, Jake Smith, 2005
3. 172, *Mike Stump, 2008
4. 168, *Jeff VanDellen, 2005
5. 165, *Leta Corwin, 2007
6. 163, *Michael Penney, 2005
7. 162, Rusty Flinchum, 2007
8. 162, *Brandon Gamble, 2007
9. 158, *Adam Lombard, 2007
   
10. 156, *Brandon Gamble, 2005
11. 153, *Loren DeHaan, 2008
12. 152, *Brandon Gamble, 2008
13. 149, *Sean Smith, 2008
14. 149, *Rajiv Shah, 2007

Highest Pick Percentage:

1. 84%, Tyler Neal, 2007
2. 78%, Rusty Flinchum, 2007
3. 76%, Michael Murphy, 2007
4. 75%, *Leta Corwin, 2007
5. 75%, *Brandon Gamble, 2007
6. 75%, *Adam Lombard, 2007
7. 75%, *Lisa Corwin, 2007
8. 75%, Jake Smith, 2005
9. 73%, *Mike Stump, 2008
10. 73%, *Michael Penney, 2007
11. 73%, Billy Peterson, 2007
12. 73%, *Bryan Timm, 2007
13. 73%, *Jeff VanDellen, 2005

Most Top-10 Finishes Since 2005

1. 3, *Brandon Gamble
2. 2, *Garrett Davey
3. 2, *Michael Penney
4. 2, *Adam Lombard
   
5. 2, Tyler Neal

Best Lifetime Average Place Since 2005 (must have competed at least three times between 2005 and 2008; 30 players met that standard):

# - Denotes three-time player (out of a possible four)
* - 2009 player

1. 3.66, #*Brandon Gamble
2. 17, #*Adam Lombard
3. 17, #Lindsay Wilson Lauwers
4. 17, #Tyler Neal
5. 19, *Lisa Corwin
6. 19, *Michael Penney
7. 20.5, *Tim Corwin
8. 20.66, #*Leta Corwin
9. 21.5, *Mike Stump
   
10. 23.25, *Bill Snider

After this year, players will need to have competed in four Challenges since 2005 to be eligible for lifetime records.

Past Results:

2008
2007
2006
2005

Scroll down to the bottom of this post to read about the history of the Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge from 2001-2007.

Entry is open for the 2009 Challenge. Make your picks now!

***Special commentary on March Madness by esteemed sports blogger Brandon Christol is now posted on The Chippens Weekly. Check it out!***


Welcome to the home page for the 2009 Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge, which is now in its ninth consecutive year (see last year's results).

CLICK HERE TO MAKE YOUR PICKS FOR THE 2009 CHALLENGE! (Read through to the bottom of this post for complete instructions on how to submit and/or change your picks. Only one set of picks per person, please.)


NEW PRIZES THIS YEAR:

Chippens is offering three awesome prizes for this year's top three finishers. Third place will receive a custom Chippens bumper sticker, and second place will get a free Chippens fridge magnet!

But, competitors, I must say that this year's Champion will receive something so spectacular that I considered contacting my attorney to see if I would need to make players sign a health waiver before competing in case the winner went into immediate cardiac arrest brought on by the pure joy of winning this item. Indeed, I'm cautious about even posting a picture of the Grand Prize here lest even the thought of having the chance of winning--or even merely beholding--such an item causes widespread delirium. Please, folks, do not continue to scroll down this page to see the Grand Prize if you are pregnant, nursing, if you have a history of heart disease, or if you are easily susceptible to wild mood swings that usually result in harm to you, objects, pets, or people close by.

Ok, without further delay, here is this year's GRAND PRIZE:

Front:

Back:


Female Model:

Back:

That's right, this year's Champion will receive a custom Chippens t-shirt!

And, no, your eyes are not deceiving you. Appearing on the back of the t-shirt is none other than the magnificent Rob Deer, famed Detroit Tigers slugger and member of the Mullet Hall of Fame.

So, make your picks now and compete for this piece of history. Good luck!

Complete Instructions:

1. Enter your handle (nickname), location, and valid e-mail address in the fields at the top of the page.
2. Complete the ENTIRE bracket through the championship game. Scoring rules are listed at the top of the entry page.
3. Select "E-mail Me A Copy" to receive a copy of your picks in your e-mail inbox.
4. Add a comment for the webmaster if you wish.
5. Submit your picks.
6. If you want to change your picks, you have to either a) complete a new set of picks using the exact same biographical information, i.e. your handle, city & state, and e-mail (your new picks will then replace your old picks) or b) e-mail me by the deadline with specific changes you'd like to make.
   

E-mail at editor [at] chippens [dot] com with questions. If you don't think I'll recognize your name, include something about the NCAA Challenge in the subject line or I'll think it's spam and delete it.

Thanks for playing!