Aaron Bader 100% On Year - Can He Keep It Up?

1st Aaron Bader found that his winning percentage goes up when he doesn't have to play Mark all the time, going 4-0 +169.  Things got off to a great start as he beat last year's champ, Charles Reinke, 448-386.  Aaron's three bingos of DIALYSE, REVENGED, and MONGOOSE proved that extensive Collins knowledge doesn't have to stop you from bingoing.  To complete the "anti-Reinke", he also defeated Thomas Reinke by a score of 466-428, this time with just two bingos: RERAISE and MOORAGE.  His opponent likewise bingoed twice, with SLANDER and OLIGOMER (n. a type of polymer).  Not every game was as high-scoring, however: against Peter Schmiedicke, a final of 376-358 told a sad tale of not-quite-synergistic tiles, although OLESTRA and FRENETIC (both for 76 points) were well-received on Aaron's rack.

2nd Andy Bohnsack's 4-1 +202 performance easily slotted him into second place, but at only two bingos per game, he's going to have to up his bingo output if he wants to surpass last year's 2.23 per game.  His most impressive score was a 475-368 victory over Leslie Seltzer, whose higher-scoring INSPECT for 83 nevertheless was outdone by Andy's FEDORAS (75) and EPILATOR (74).  The two-bingo theme continued with ANGELUS and PERSONAL against Peter Schmiedicke, a usually high-scoring matchup that ended up "only" 415-341.  The singular loss blemishing Andy's scoresheet was provided courtesy of Thomas Reinke, who took advantage of the back-to-work schoolteacher's overtaxed brain to prevail 486-363.  Andy had ULTERIOR and TRELLIS, but Thomas pulled out the big guns with ELYTRUM for 110 points and the Word of the Week, CHIGETAI (n. a wild ass).

3rd Bryan Benwitz went 3-1 +364 to top the other 3-1 finisher, Thomas Reinke.  While many players started off the new club season with a victory, not did it in quite the fashion that Bryan did: a 569-251 win against Jordan Parker was easily the most dominating performance of the evening.  FIVE bingos found their way from Bryan's rack to the board: DENOTES, BONEHEAD, ADMIRE, SALLIER, and OVERAWED, the last one for 98 points.  A much closer game was played against Dave Gilligan, who put up a respectable 345 to Bryan's 382.  Dave had the unlikely three-S DISCUSS, but Bryan's more common PRINTED and INHALER (anagrams to HERNIAL) proved to be too much.  Andy Bohnsack took it upon himself to give Bryan his only loss, a 433-342 affair whose lopsided bingo counts in favor of Andy probably don't give Jordan much solace.

June Scott Starts New Year Off Right

1st June Scott has already achieved a feat that was not accomplished all of last season, going undefeated at 3-0 +92.  After two uneventful games with the Miuras that ended in her favor, June ramped up the intensity and piled on 378 points against Sue Goldstein's 325.  Of note was the high-scoring bingo of DIALERS for 92 points, leaving June with an average bingo score of...92 points!  Sadly, Jordan Parker's sole bingo of WANIEST scored 94, so June will have to be content with second place in that category.

2nd Sue Goldstein's scoresheet was a scene of purest equilibrium, with a 1-1-1 +72 record.  A 324-324 tie against Aki Miura ended without a bingo for either player, nor a real winner.  However, Sue's match with Sharlie Miura ended somewhat more convincingly with a 347-222 final.