Wollongong Marj Babb Tournament 22nd June 2002


Report from Graeme Lock Lee

A lot of interest was generated for this year’s Marj Babb Tournament in Wollongong for several reasons. Our publicity officer, Rene Chelton, faxed media releases to TV, radio and the press and this resulted in a half page story and photo of Rod Talbot in one local paper, a feature story in the Illawarra Mercury newspaper, regular announcements and an interview with the loquacious Wilma Vialle on ABC radio, some news film footage by local WIN TV on the day, and a stream of interested spectators from the “the great unwashed”. This was also to be the last chance for NSW players to qualify for the Trans-Tasman team that competes in Wellington NZ in November. Our president, Rod Talbot, bravely put his Trans-Tasman place on the line and had some very nervous moments before surviving. A loss in his final game against Peter Shaw would have seen him surrender his Trans-Tasman team place. When Peter challenged Rod’s GORGIAS, Wilma happened to be on the challenge computer and just knew that Rod would have used the word deliberately as a homophone for one of her nicknames, GORGEOUS. The places of other entrenched TT members, Bob Jackman and John Holgate, were never seriously under threat but the Masters’ winner Jean McGiffen was left rueing that she hadn’t tried her luck in the Victorian Championships in an effort to gain a handful more of rating points. It was wonderful to see Betty Foreman pinch second place, beating Bob Jackman into 3rd place in the final game to miss 1st place by seven margin points but net the biggest rating gain of the day - 111 points. Rene Chelton was rewarded for her enterprise with 4th place in Masters’ after winning her opening four games.

After experiencing some anxious moments trying to be admitted to the premises while the first game was underway, peripatetic Tathra mum Sue Gordon managed to channel her angst brilliantly to triumph in Advanced ahead of the resurgent Moana Nepia and Richard Birch.

Home ground advantage seemed to play its part when other W.O.R.D.S. players achieved some personal highs – Keith Bioletti getting High Word in Masters’ along with a 45 point ratings gain, Esther Rolfe winning Intermediate and 56 ratings points in edging out Jann Pincott and Rex Shakespeare, Louise Ready 2nd behind Teresa Traynor in Recreation with excited new member Janine Whittaker finishing a meritorious 4th just behind the “crafty” Brian Irwin. After several years absence, we welcomed back famous children’s book authors, Di Bates and Bill Condon, who managed to play a tie in their match-up. There may be a story in that.

The Marj Babb shield was taken out by the Sydney “Beauties” team which included Jean McGiffen, Moana Nepia, Yvonne Edwards and Sue Tuckett. A confident Raya Wilkinson from last year’s winners, Blacktown, had told organisers that she didn’t know why she was bothering to bring in the Shield since she would be taking it back home again anyway. Her team managed 16 wins but were pipped by Sydney with 16.5 wins.

Results after game  7
GONG -- MASTERS

Rank Player            Wins     Mar
---------------------------------
  1  Jean McGiffen        6     308
  2  Betty Foreman        6     301
  3  Bob Jackman          5     232
  4  Rene Chelton         5     179
  5  Rod Talbot           4     235
  6  Peter Shaw           4     208
  7  Tony Hunt            4      73
  8  Keith Bioletti       4      71
  9  Graeme Lock Lee      4      68
 10  John Holgate         4      25
 11  Cristine Small       3     161
 12  Hanne Marks          3      32
 13  John Spaan           3     -19
 14  Audrey Newman        3     -26
 15  Jeff Chelton         3    -140
 16  John Barker          3    -328
 17  Betty Coleman        2    -103
 18  Ian Close            2    -350
 19  Jean Noonan          2    -441
 20  Alison Pollard       0    -486
HIGH GAME: Bob Jackman       537
HIGH WORD: Keith Bioletti    104
            "TRINKETS"

 Results after game  7
GONG -- ADVANCED

Rank Player            Wins     Mar
---------------------------------
  1  Susan Gordon         6     171
  2  Moana Nepia          5.5   577
  3  Richard Birch        5     229
  4  Liz Jackman          5     165
  5  Pat Schuberg         5     122
  6  Michael Adler        4     153
  7  Ram Mohe             4     115
  8  Gordon Meggs         4      97
  9  Edith Lowbeer        4     -37
 10  Raya Wilkinson       4     -51
 11  Cheryl Michler       3.5   306
 12  Margaret Berliner    3      99
 13  Hari Nanayakkara     3      46
 14  Gary Pollard         3      -4
 15  Natalie Tadday       3     -58
 16  Judy Hay             3     -96
 17  Therese Newman       3    -147
 18  Val Ryan             3    -257
 19  Nonie English        3    -305
 20  Fay Van Oyen         2    -210
 21  Denise Smith         1    -526
 22  Jean Balmer          0    -389
HIGH GAME: Gary Pollard      552
HIGH WORD: Pat Schuberg          140
            "REBITTEN"

 Results after game  7
GONG -- INTERMEDIATE

Rank Player            Wins     Mar
---------------------------------
  1  Esther Rolfe         6     370
  2  Jann Pincott         6     205
  3  Rex Shakespeare      5     342
  4  Ann Fiddler          5     114
  5  Veena Mohe           4     348
  6  Sunny Wright         4     311
  7  Dolores Barbon       4     114
  8  Yvonne Pollard       4     113
  9  George Khamis        4       5
 10  Mireille Minet       4     -12
 11  Betty Irwin          4    -112
 12  Heather Sorensen     4    -119
 13  Alan Gauci           3      15
 14  Sue Tuckett          3     -65
 15  Mary Craven          3     -95
 16  Merle Young          3     -99
 17  Ivana Duria          2.5   -49
 18  Tricia Shephard      2.5  -243
 19  Sharon Sorensen      2    -153
 20  Diana Hilly          2    -308
 21  Anne Schick          1    -313
 22  Pearl Gillott        1    -369
HIGH GAME: Ann Fiddler       493
HIGH WORD: Rex Shakespeare       134
            "ATTAINED"

 Results after game  7
GONG -- RECREATION

Rank Player            Wins     Mar
---------------------------------
  1  Teresa Traynor       6     438
  2  Louise Ready         5     281
  3  Brian Irwin          5     149
  4  Janine Whittaker     5     123
  5  Yvonne Edwards       5      71
  6  Maria Kaye           4     156
  7  Denis Mahon          4     109
  8  Joy Bresser          4      60
  9  Lila Tucker          4      16
 10  Merriss Adler        4     -87
 11  Jacquelin Hochmuth   4     -95
 12  Bill Condon          3.5    -6
 13  John Smith           3     164
 14  Maree Heynen         3      34
 15  Shirley Taylor       3      26
 16  Irene Brownlow       3     -22
 17  Beryl Christensen    3    -203
 18  Di Bates             2.5   -88
 19  Diana Field          2     -77
 20  Joy Morris           2    -279
 21  Elwyn Smith          2    -281
 22  Eleanor Ewart        0    -489
HIGH GAME: Brian Irwin       429
HIGH WORD: Brian Irwin           102
            "ELIXIRS"

Stats for Tournament : GONG

+--------------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| state     Name           | National  | State   |   Wins    | Rating Points |
|                          | Old  New  | Old New | Exp  Act  | Old Change New|
+--------------------------+-----------+---------+-----------+---------------+
+Section: *MASTERS                     +         +           +               +
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| NSW Jean McGiffen        |   33   30 |  11  10 |  4.8  6.0 | 1666 +29 1695 |
| NSW Betty Foreman        |  124   62 |  36  16 |  2.0  6.0 | 1466 +111
1577 |
| NSW Bob Jackman          |    6    7 |   2   2 |  5.6  5.0 | 1808  -6 1802 |
| NSW Rene Chelton         |  119   81 |  33  21 |  2.5  5.0 | 1472 +60 1532 |
| NSW Peter Shaw           |   66   61 |  17  15 |  3.1  4.0 | 1559 +19 1578 |
| NSW Keith Bioletti       |  134   96 |  40  24 |  1.9  4.0 | 1460 +45 1505 |
| NSW John Holgate         |    7    9 |   3   3 |  5.5  4.0 | 1807 -21 1786 |
| NSW Graeme Lock Lee      |   44   45 |  13  13 |  4.2  4.0 | 1620  -4 1616 |
| NSW Rod Talbot           |   12   20 |   4   6 |  5.7  4.0 | 1776 -31 1745 |
| NSW Tony Hunt            |  120  100 |  34  27 |  2.7  4.0 | 1472 +28 1500 |
| NSW Cristine Small       |   80   83 |  21  22 |  3.4  3.0 | 1536  -6 1530 |
| NSW Audrey Newman        |   75   79 |  19  20 |  3.6  3.0 | 1546 -12 1534 |
| NSW John Spaan :act      |   97   98 |  24  25 |  2.9  3.0 | 1501  +1 1502 |
| NSW Hanne Marks          |   95   95 |  22  23 |  3.0  3.0 | 1504  +2 1506 |
| NSW John Barker          |   55   65 |  15  17 |  3.9  3.0 | 1590 -18 1572 |
| NSW Jeff Chelton         |  118  120 |  32  35 |  2.9  3.0 | 1474  +3 1477 |
| NSW Betty Coleman        |   96  110 |  23  30 |  2.8  2.0 | 1502 -15 1487 |
| NSW Ian Close            |  133  142 |  39  41 |  2.6  2.0 | 1460 -11 1449 |
| NSW Jean Noonan          |  104  125 |  26  37 |  3.0  2.0 | 1490 -21 1469 |
| NSW Alison Pollard       |   67  114 |  18  32 |  3.9  0.0 | 1558 -75 1483 |
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------------+
+Section: *ADVANCED                    +         +           +               +
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| NSW Sue Gordon           |  169  158 |  48  46 |  5.1  6.0 | 1398 +19 1417 |
| NSW Moana Nepia          |  191  181 |  52  51 |  4.5  5.5 | 1363 +23 1386 |
| NSW Richard Birch        |  340  291 |  87  75 |  2.1  5.0 | 1135 +74 1209 |
| NSW Pat Schuberg         |  196  191 |  54  52 |  4.8  5.0 | 1357  +5 1362 |
| NSW Liz Jackman          |  208  206 |  57  56 |  4.8  5.0 | 1342  +5 1347 |
| NSW Gordon Meggs         |  253  254 |  64  63 |  4.2  4.0 | 1276  -5 1271 |
| NSW Ram Mohe             |  345  309 |  89  79 |  1.9  4.0 | 1126 +45 1171 |
| NSW Raya Wilkinson       |  275  272 |  69  68 |  3.9  4.0 | 1240  +3 1243 |
| NSW Michael Adler :act   |  287  278 |  74  70 |  3.3  4.0 | 1215 +16 1231 |
| NSW Edith Lowbeer        |  377  347 |  94  90 |  2.4  4.0 | 1092 +32 1124 |
| NSW Cheryl Michler       |  184  196 |  51  54 |  4.6  3.5 | 1374 -21 1353 |
| NSW Natalie Tadday       |  302  303 |  76  77 |  3.2  3.0 | 1191  -4 1187 |
| NSW Margaret Berliner    |  264  271 |  66  67 |  3.6  3.0 | 1256 -12 1244 |
| NSW Hari Nanayakkara     |  269  274 |  67  69 |  3.4  3.0 | 1250  -7 1243 |
| NSW Gary Pollard         |  217  238 |  58  60 |  4.6  3.0 | 1331 -32 1299 |
| NSW Nonie English        |  343  343 |  88  89 |  2.8  3.0 | 1127  +4 1131 |
| NSW Judy Hay             |  248  264 |  63  65 |  4.4  3.0 | 1281 -26 1255 |
| NSW Therese Newman       |  376  354 |  93  92 |  1.8  3.0 | 1093 +23 1116 |
| NSW Val Ryan             |  280  283 |  71  72 |  3.2  3.0 | 1228  -4 1224 |
| NSW Fay Van Oyen         |  319  342 |  80  88 |  3.2  2.0 | 1157 -25 1132 |
| NSW Denise Smith         |  357  389 |  92  96 |  2.6  1.0 | 1112 -32 1080 |
| NSW Jean Balmer          |  382  423 |  95 103 |  2.5  0.0 | 1087 -50 1037 |
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------------+
+Section: *INTERMEDIATE                +         +           +               +
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| NSW Esther Rolfe         |  454  406 | 113 100 |  3.6  6.0 | 1003 +56 1059 |
| NSW Jann Pincott         |  520  475 | 127 117 |  3.7  6.0 |  924 +53  977 |
| NSW Rex Shakespeare      |  439  424 | 106 104 |  4.2  5.0 | 1021 +16 1037 |
| NSW Ann Fiddler          |  399  387 |  98  94 |  4.5  5.0 | 1071 +12 1083 |
| NSW Sunny Wright         |  407  414 | 101 102 |  4.9  4.0 | 1062 -16 1046 |
| NSW Veena Mohe           |  641  607 | 165 157 |  2.7  4.0 |  818 +27  845 |
| NSW Dolores Barbon       |  443  444 | 108 109 |  4.1  4.0 | 1016  -2 1014 |
| NSW Betty Irwin          |  588  568 | 147 142 |  3.0  4.0 |  861 +20  881 |
| NSW George Khamis        |  449  458 | 111 113 |  4.5  4.0 | 1007  -9  998 |
| NSW Yvonne Pollard       |  589  579 | 148 146 |  3.4  4.0 |  859 +11  870 |
| NSW Mireille Minet       |  445  465 | 109 114 |  4.8  4.0 | 1009 -17  992 |
| NSW Heather Sorensen :ac |  606  572 | 156 144 |  2.6  4.0 |  846 +29  875 |
| NSW Sue Tuckett          |  584  588 | 145 148 |  3.1  3.0 |  863  -1  862 |
| NSW Alan Gauci           |  602  597 | 154 152 |  2.7  3.0 |  849  +6  855 |
| NSW Mary Craven :act     |  455  486 | 114 120 |  5.0  3.0 | 1003 -39  964 |
| NSW Merle Young          |  693  675 | 176 174 |  2.2  3.0 |  771 +16  787 |
| NSW Ivana Duria          |  494  528 | 121 128 |  4.4  2.5 |  950 -37  913 |
| NSW Tricia Shephard      |  694  691 | 177 177 |  2.2  2.5 |  771  +5  776 |
| NSW Sharon Sorensen      |  538  585 | 131 147 |  4.1  2.0 |  908 -43  865 |
| NSW Diana Hilly          |  643  654 | 167 171 |  2.5  2.0 |  816 -10  806 |
| NSW Anne Schick          |  727  788 | 187 204 |  2.6  1.0 |  741 -48  693 |
| NSW Pearl Gillott        |  720  749 | 186 194 |  2.1  1.0 |  750 -23  727 |
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------------+
+Section: *RECREATION                  +         +           +               +
+--------------------------------------+---------+-----------+---------------+
| NSW Teresa Traynor       |  840  773 | 220 200 |  3.7  6.0 |  651 +54  705 |
| NSW Louise Ready         |  821  795 | 211 206 |  3.9  5.0 |  668 +22  690 |
| NSW Brian Irwin          |  902  859 | 238 228 |  3.2  5.0 |  598 +36  634 |
| NSW Yvonne Edwards       |  738  725 | 193 187 |  4.5  5.0 |  735 +10  745 |
|*NSW Janine Whittaker     |    0  669 |   0 173 |  5.0  5.0 |  795      795 |
| NSW Denis Mahon          |  787  813 | 203 211 |  4.7  4.0 |  694 -14  680 |
| NSW Maria Kaye           |  878  867 | 233 232 |  3.6  4.0 |  617  +8  625 |
| NSW Lila Tucker          |  853  845 | 224 223 |  3.6  4.0 |  640  +8  648 |
| NSW Joy Bresser :act     |  762  769 | 197 199 |  4.4  4.0 |  718  -9  709 |
| NSW Jacquelin Hochmuth   |  976  945 | 259 248 |  3.2  4.0 |  551 +23  574 |
| NSW Merriss Adler :act   | 1014  991 | 275 265 |  3.1  4.0 |  524 +19  543 |
| NSW Bill Condon          |    0 1016 |   0 277 |  2.8  3.5 |  500 +22  522 |
| NSW Shirley Taylor       |  925  914 | 240 240 |  2.9  3.0 |  587  +4  591 |
| NSW John Smith :act      |  963  971 | 255 255 |  3.4  3.0 |  562  -8  554 |
|*NSW Irene Brownlow       |    0 1022 |   0 281 |  3.0  3.0 |  520      520 |
| NSW Maree Heynen         |  926  940 | 241 246 |  3.5  3.0 |  585  -9  576 |
| NSW Beryl Christensen    | 1045 1044 | 286 288 |  2.8  3.0 |  502  +4  506 |
| NSW Di Bates             |    0 1166 |   0 331 |  3.2  2.5 |  500 -21  479 |
| NSW Diana Field          | 1162 1165 | 327 330 |  2.8  2.0 |  500 -16  484 |
| NSW Elwyn Smith :act     |  950  997 | 249 267 |  3.6  2.0 |  570 -32  538 |
| NSW Joy Morris           |  944  983 | 247 262 |  3.3  2.0 |  574 -27  547 |
| NSW Eleanor Ewart        |    0 1167 |   0 332 |  2.8  0.0 |  500 -84  416 |
+-------------------------------------+---------+-----------+----------------+