A Blizzard of One

View the final standings

Nicholas Schultz, who goes by the name Blizzard T. Husky, is now officially the 2009 Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge Champion with 192 points, a score that ties the All-Time record for points in a single tournament. He edged out Eric Sturgeon by just one point, the closest finish in Challenge history. Sturgeon has already guaranteed another top three finish next year.

Leta Corwin earned the final prize-winning spot, finishing third with 188 points. Corwin’s 83% pick percentage also put her second on the All-Time list for pick percentage in a single season. Corwin now has two top three finishes in the past three years, and she didn’t even compete in 2008.

I feel bad for MSU and the Spartan fans (I am one, after all), but they must realize what they were up against. It wasn’t North Carolina’s basketball skills so much as it was Nicholas Schultz’s now-all-too-apparent preordination as the Champion of this tournament that did in the Spartans. The fact is that Blizzard T. Husky is not merely a man, he is the Ultimate Man, having won that title in a 13-event competition covered by Chippens in 2001. You simply cannot deny the Ultimate Man his destiny. With his victory, Blizzard now has two top three finishes in the past four years. The question now is whether he can become the first-ever two-time Challenge champion.

2009 was a record-setting year all around. Below, you’ll find the updated All-Time records list. There are many who are new to the lists and many who, sadly, have dropped out.

On Monday, the same day that Schultz won his Championship, Major League Baseball opened its season, so this week over at The Chippens Weekly we asked frequent Chippens competitors Bryan Timm and Matthew Melick, fans of the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals, respectively, to offer their reflections on Opening Day. Check that out while you’re looking up your spot in the final standings.

Thanks to everybody for playing this year; I hope you will all be back in 2010!


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

As of 4/7/09

Most Points in a Single Tournament:

1. 192, Nicholas A. Schultz, 2009
   
2. 192, Tyler Neal, 2007
3. 191, Eric Sturgeon, 2009
4. 188, Leta Corwin, 2009
5. 182, Justin Thompson, 2009
6. 179, Michael Theune, 2009
   
7. 178, Jake Smith, 2005
8. 172, Charles D. Corwin, 2009
   
9. 172, Mike Stump, 2008
10. 171, Lisa Corwin, 2009
    
11. 168, Jeff VanDellen, 2005
12. 165, Leta Corwin, 2007
13. 163, Michael Penney, 2005
14. 162, Adam Emery, 2009
    
15. 162, Rusty Flinchum, 2007
16. 162, Brandon Gamble, 2007
17. 159, Travis Kramer, 2009
18. 158, Liz Reinhart, 2009
    
19. 158, Adam Lombard, 2007
    
20. 156, Brandon Gamble, 2005

Highest Pick Percentage:

1. 84%, Tyler Neal, 2007
2. 83%, Leta Corwin, 2009
3. 79%, Justin Thompson, 2009
4. 78%, Michael Theune, 2009
5. 78%, Charles D. Corwin, 2009
6. 78%, Jason Jackson, 2009
7. 78%, Megan Byrne, 2009
   
8. 78%, Rusty Flinchum, 2007
9. 76%, Nicholas A. Schultz, 2009
10. 76%, Eric Sturgeon, 2009
11. 76%, Adam Emery, 2009
12. 76%, Liz Reinhart, 2009
13. 76%, Mike Stump, 2009
    
14. 76%, Michael Murphy, 2007
15. 75%, Lisa Corwin, 2009
    
16. 75%, Leta Corwin, 2007
17. 75%, Brandon Gamble, 2007
18. 75%, Adam Lombard, 2007
19. 75%, Lisa Corwin, 2007
20. 75%, Jake Smith, 2005

Most Top-10 Finishes Since 2005

1. 3, Brandon Gamble
2. 2, Nicholas A. Schultz
   
3. 2, Leta Corwin
4. 2, Lisa Corwin
   
5. 2, Garrett Davey
6. 2, Michael Penney
7. 2, Adam Lombard
   
8. 2, Tyler Neal

Best Lifetime Average Place Since 2005 (must have competed at least four times between 2005 and 2009; 30 players met that standard):

* - Denotes four-time player (out of a possible five)

1. 9, *Brandon Gamble
2. 16.25, *Leta Corwin
   
3. 16.6, Lisa Corwin
4. 19.6, Mike Stump
   
5. 22.5, *Nicholas Schultz
   
6. 22.5, *Adam Lombard
   
7. 23.6, Charles D. Corwin
   
8. 25.5, *Ryan Horrigan
9. 26, Loren DeHaan
10. 28, Jeff VanDellen
11. 28.6, Mike Penney
    

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!

2008: 64 players and 64 teams

Click HERE to view the tournament homepage for standings, results, player listing and picks, and much much more.

The field is set for the 2008 Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge, and it looks to be another stellar year. Participation numbers this year are close to an all-time high (even without the help of an entire seventh grade classroom like in 2005), and the tournament features a good mix of newcomers and grizzled veterans. Once again, the brackets came in from all over. This year, we received picks from three continents, thirteen states, and Washington D.C.

Returning to the field are past champions Angela Penney (2006), PJ Schroeder, Julie Gehrke (2001), and Jake Willis (2002). No one has ever won The Challenge twice, but these fine competitors will try to make history this year.

They join longtime veterans Bill Snider, Loren DeHaan, Ben DeHaan, Charles D. Corwin, Lisa Corwin, Jeff VanDellen, Tim Corwin, Zach Gorsage, Mike Penney, Adam Lombard, Nicholas Schultz, Wally Waltz, Garrett Davey, Ryan Horrigan, Stumper, Brandon Gamble, Van Miller and many more.

Rookies to watch:

Joining the field this year is Jeff Bergren, who is a new resident in Northern Michigan after living most of his life in Connecticut and, most recently, West Virginia. He’s still crowing about the Giants’ win in the Superbowl. He claims he “called the final score and the winning play,” and he’s pretty sure he’s going to duplicate his success in the Chippens Tournament.

I’d also look out for the man whose friends know him only as “Beast.” He may be making his debut this year in the tourney, but his reputation obviously precedes him. His Green Bay, Wisconsin home puts him only about 140 miles southwest of the Chippens Headquarters as the crow flies (or Coho swim, whatever).

Greg Gielczyk has been a sports writer for over thirty years, and the wily veteran has seen it all. He has Wisconsin running the table.

And last but not least, Brian Keilen [1, 2] joins us this year. He submitted his picks by declaring that St. Johns (yes, that dump of a place by Lansing) is better than Cadillac, so we already know that his judgment is skewed.

Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge History and Facts

2001 – “The Great Beginning”
Champion: Julie Gehrke

Notes: It all started in 2001 with 14 players and a $10 entry fee. The champion wasn’t determined until the final game, and a party was held at Chippens headquarters (parents’ basement) to celebrate the historic event. Duke beat Arizona to give the championship and an envelope full of cash to Julie Gehrke, upsetting early favorite Jake Willis, who would have to wait until 2002 to get his payday. Gehrke still claims that it is the proudest moment of her life.

2002 – “The April Fools Fiasco”
Champions: Katie Erdman (free) / Jake Willis (pay)

Notes: 2002 marks the first year that the tournament was held on the Chippens website. In order to accommodate a wider audience, organizers set up two pools, one for the gamblers and one for the novices.

Controversy broke out after the tournament ended when on April Fool’s Day the Chippens webmaster (CLC) told Mr. Willis that he had decided to give all the money to his then-girlfriend, Katie Erdman, since she had more points than Mr. Willis and had “paid her entry fee in secret” because she “didn’t want anyone to know she gambled.”

CLC completed his gag by initially sending Mr. Willis only enough money to cover the second place payout.

Mr. Willis was so enraged by this injustice that he sent out a mass email railing against Chippens and everyone associated with it. Little did he know that the rest of his money was already waiting for him in his paypal account.

A few minutes later, Mr. Willis sent out another mass email detailing how he’d been fooled, or as they say now, “punk’d.” He remains contrite to this day.

2003 and 2004 – “The Dark Ages”

Not much is known or remembered about these years. That’s probably because during the tournament the Chippens webmaster was on spring break in locales like New Orleans, Panama City, and Honolulu. Also, all official records were destroyed in the Great Chippens File Purge around this time (this was before the age of unlimited server space for mere pennies). If you have any information on these years, kindly send it to editor@chippens.com.

2005 – “The Modern Era”

Champion: Jake Smith
Runner-up: Jeff VanDellen

Notes: 2005 marked a new beginning for the Chippens Tournament Challenge. The scoring was standardized, and a record 78 people participated. Jake Smith finished first and Jeff VanDellen finished second, riding on the success of his Michigan St. Spartans, who made the Final Four that year.

Both Smith and VanDellen had to fend off a furious charge by Mackinaw Trail Middle School seventh grader Frank Fuzi, who correctly picked a flurry of amazing upsets and would have won it all had Illinois beaten North Carolina in the championship game.

2006 – “The Year of Utter Futility”

Champion: Angela Penney (WHAC)
Runner-up: Nicholas A. Schultz (Blizzard T. Husky)

Notes: 2006 marks the only year in which not one person picked the champion correctly. No one had the foresight to pick Florida to go all the way (most picked either UConn or Duke), and Angela Penney was the only player to have Florida and UCLA in the Final Four. Nicholas Schultz was the only player to have UCLA making it to the championships.

Schultz also finished second in the Div. III pool that year, finishing behind Van Miller.

2007 – “Back to Form”

Champion: Tyler Neal (The Rear Admiral)
Runner-up: Leta Corwin (MOM)

Notes: 2007 was a barnburner with several lead changes throughout the tournament. It was anybody’s game right up to the very end, but Tyler Neal belied his moniker as “The Rear Admiral” to emerge victorious. In doing so, Neal became the first-ever champion that is not a native of Cadillac, Michigan. He set tournament records with 192 points and an astounding 84 percent accuracy rate.

Finishing runner-up to Neal was Hart, Michigan native Leta Corwin, who was propelled to success mostly because her son is in law school at Florida (so she of course picked them to win it all), and the Gators just happened to win last year.

Past results:

2007
2006
2005

2007 Tournament Challenge

View official press release and pass it on!

The best NCAA pool on the planet, according to a poll conducted by chippens.com, is back for its seventh installment. In six years, we've crowned six different Champions. This year, Angie Penney from Kalamazoo, Michigan will be back to defend her crown and try to be our first 2x Champ. Critics have said that winning the Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge is the toughest achievement in spectator sports. Are you up for the Challenge?

In only six years, the Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge has already developed a rich history and earned a glowing reputation. It has grown from a small pool of only fourteen players in 2001 to 78 in 2005 and 58 in 2006 and has featured competitors from numerous states all over the U.S.A as well as from four continents. The Challenge, as it is known in Vegas, has launched the careers of famous spectator-athletes Jake Willis and PJ Schroeder, both former Champions. The legendary Bill "Great Sage" Snider, the Doyle Bronson of NCAA pools, is also an annual competitor. Fill out a bracket and get your name listed among these greats!

To enter your picks, follow this easy two-step process:

1. Click here to go directly to the Challenge homepage, or "NCAA Tournament Challenge" on the right margin of this web page and follow the link to the Challenge homepage

2. Click "enter your picks" on the Challenge homepage.

After you fill out your bracket and submit your picks, you will receive a confirmation email. After the entry deadline has passed, the website will be updated with a full report package and will continue to be updated by our staff throughout the tournament.

Good luck!

2007 Tournament Challenge

The field is now set for the 2007 Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge

CLICK HERE VIEW THE PLAYER LIST, PLAYER PICKS, CURRENT AND PROJECTED STANDINGS, AND MUCH MORE!

View Official Press Release!

Some bracket facts to ponder while you're making your picks:

Your best chance to knock off top seeds comes in the Final Four, where they are 19-17. They are 214-26 in the first three rounds. You have a 1 in 5.7 billion chance of correctly predicting every game in the NCAA Tournament. 69 percent of No. 1 seeds make the Elite 8, but only once has the Final Four had three No. 1 teams 11 times two No. 1 seeds have reached the Final Four Never have all four No. 1 seeds advanced to college hoops' Mecca. No. 2 seeds are 80-4 in Round 1, but 55-29 in Round 2 Of the 20 No. 2 seeds in the tournament since 2002, nine have been upset by a No. 7 or 10 seed in Round 2.

(From Yahoo! Sports)

Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge

The 2006 Challenge

Go to the tournament homepages to view current standings and many more reports on the contest.

Division one tournament homepage

Division three tournament homepage


Want to reminisce? Click here for 2005 tournament results.