Triathlon Season 2015

Yesterday my 2015 triathlon season commenced and being it was a whole 9 degrees when I left the house yesterday morning I was thanking my lucky stars that the race was indoors. This indoor tri, was an ‘hour of power’ if you will and once the hour was over, power was one thing I no longer had. I finished with sore muscles, slight dehydration, a headache, a sense of accomplishment, but power was not an attribute I could correlate with my current bodily state. This triathlon was uniquely different than any other tri I had competed in before. For starters it was held completely indoors which I had never experienced, the scoring was based on how much distance the athletes covered over a designated amount of time rather than speed and very little training on my part had been conducted before the event started. Also for any of you that have competed in a triathlon before or supported a triathlete you know we do not travel lightly, however yesterday was an exception; I only had to take myself, swimsuit, goggles, swim cap, and biking/running clothes and shoes. That may still seem like a lot, but trust me when I say I have a check list that typically the night before a race I have check everything off and laid it all out to make sure I am not forgetting a helmet, bike shoes, wetsuit, ect. Yesterday’s race started with a 10 min swim and thank heavens I have been taking a combat swim class in sub 0 water because it prepared me for the freezing water we swam in yesterday….I joke about the water temperature, kind of. I sadly was trying so hard to not drown that I forgot to count the laps I swam in 10 mins, but if I were a guessing girl I would say 14-16. After the swim we were given 10 mins to transition from the swim to the bike. This lengthy amount of time was due to the gym wanting a safe transition and to remove all wet clothes and replace them with dry clothes for the bike ride in their state of the art spin room. Once I arrived at my designated bike I had all of 2 mins to get all settled into the saddle. In the 30 min allotted time slot for biking I managed to squeeze in 10.3 miles averaged 20.7 miles an hour (don’t do the math I may be off a point or two on that average) and was the top girl in distance in our wave. I nearly vomited, nearly passed out when I got off the bike and had not had a drink of liquid since this fiasco started…I may or may not have been in rough shape. The transition between the bike and run was not quite as luxurious; we had 5 mins to get from the bike to the treadmill. As I began my run a huge side pain started to make routs in my rib cage and I was done. I have run through a side stich before and once was enough for me to learn my lesson. I had to walk the majority of the 20 min run portion of the race. I was frustrated, annoyed and realized even more the importance of doing those things your life that are very important but you hate, like cleaning the toilets, picking up after the dog on walks and running. Moral of this story…eat less candy and run more miles! Cheers to a triathlon season that will no doubt be riddled with adventures, disappointments, frustrations, fulfillment, joy, laughter, tears and accomplishment.

Happy New Year 2015

Today I woke up in disbelief that we are on our way to enjoying another year. I am not quite sure where 2014 went or 2013, 2012, or 2011; heck I am not sure where the past 12 years since college graduation went, but I digress. As I mentioned yesterday 2014 was a year of epic porportion, I feel so blessed to be where I am in my life, but I also look forward to 2015. It will be a year filled with challenges, opportunities to grow, joy, accomplishments & dreams realized. I start grad school next week after being out of school for over a decade, talk about anxiety, excitement & trepidation all rolled up into one trembling gal. Summer will bring a challenge like none I have ever faced before as I hope to complete my first 1/2 Ironman (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, & 13.1 mile run, all to equal 70.3 miles covered in one race). Technically I start training in February but with the daunting idea of racing that far training has already commenced for me. Come Sunday I will see how the training I have done so far Will paid off when I complete my first triathlon of the season. I hope 2015 bring health, happiness, accomplishments, joy & success to us all.

Chronicles of 2014

As 2014 comes to an end and I look back on the epic amount of blog entries I have written this past year I realize I will be hard pressed to out write 2014 in the upcoming year…I kid. I love writing, I love sharing positive experiences and I love the idea that a small part of my life’s journey may inspire someone else.

2014 has been a pretty epic year even though it was not document well here. Since my blog was…for lack of a better word…neglected this past year I will take a moment to chronicle my year that was.

February containing a week that has become near and dear to my heart, I choose this past year to be real with myself and others. I was able to come to terms with being uniquely me and embracing the life that has formed me into the woman I am today. It was huge for me to face my fear of judgment and publicly share my life’s journey through the eyes of a recovering eating disorder patient. Facing my fears allowed me to grow greatly and realize my deepest dreams of helping others find their joy, their worth, and the life we all deserve to live.

I realize as I look back on 2014 that February was a month of growth for me in many ways. After the heartbreak of the job I loved being illuminated in December 2013 and the uncertainty of floating around completing special projects I was brought in to the fold of the compensation department. This decision, made 75% out of fear and 15% out of interest allowed me to learn valuable lessons that I otherwise would not have been given the chance to learn. Beyond all else I learned that I should never make decisions based off of fear, 0 patients and a sense of failure; but rather I need to trust in my God and know that everything is going to work out just like it is supposed to. In November of this year my work like did just that, it worked out.

I somehow turned a year older.

Neither my brother or I were able to make it back home to see our parents for the holidays so we planned a spontaneous trip to Oregon to surprise my mother for her birthday. It was a perfect trip, filled with fun, family, friends, love, laughter and everything a surprise birthday celebration should be.

I got on a rather large health kick and wanted to detoxify my body, after much research, knowing my financial limits and body limits I decided to try an ionic foot detox. The theory behind the process is through an ionic balancing process in which toxins are pulled from the body through the feet. The water in which the feet are placed in for the 30 min procedure changes from clear water to a nasty color. The color of the water once the treatment is complete is supposed to represented the part of the body most of the toxins were pulled from. The water my feet sat in was a green brown color which is supposed to indicate toxins being pulled from the Gallbladder; the irony is that I do not have a Gallbladder. My uneducated advice would be to not waste your money on a ionic foot cleans.

Two of my favorite foreign DaVita teammates came to Denver for business and we met up for a shopping trip and drinks.

I joined a golf league; I loved nearly every min of being with girls and for me attempting to hit the ball. Good news is, I did improve over the course of the summer, I really enjoy the game and plan to be part of the league again this coming summer.

I ran as part of one of the DaVita corporate relay teams in the Colfax Marathon. My leg of the race was 6 miles uphill. This is not a dramatic comment similar to those our parents use to make, remember those…”I use to walk uphill both ways in the snow to school”. My leg of the race really was entirely uphill the, when I handed the baton off to Shilo I was slightly jealous that she got to run down the hill I just ran up.

A few baseball games were attended. Although the team being routed for by yours truly very rarely won, it was still fun to enjoy the sunshine, a cold beer, and the company of friends.

A sorority sister from Houston came to Colorado for a family vacations and a few of us Zeta’s living in Denver had the blessed opportunity to met up with her for dinner on her last night.

I went to Siesta Key, FL for the first time and nearly didn’t make it back, it was simply lovely. Others may argue I nearly didn’t make it to FL in the first place. Long story short, I locked the keys into my boyfriend’s which really didn’t seem like a big deal in that I had planned accordingly and had a lot of time until my flight. However, since I was driving a car in which I didn’t reside on the insure it was an act of Congress to get someone to come out to the airport to let me back in the car. If I had not also locked my purse in the car I would have just gone and gotten on the plan. After all how much does one really need in FL, I am thinking just a bathing suit. However, my purse was sitting on the front seat with my cell phone and wallet out in plain sight. Once I finally realized getting the car unlocked was going to take much longer than I had thought and that I was in fact going to miss my flight I called the airline to tell them. There were no more flights out that night and if I wanted to get out before the following Friday I was going to have to pay $400 for a new ticket. The car was finally unlocked and I was able to make my way to the airport. Although it was early in the evening I was not about to move the car for fear an additional disaster could occur. That said I spent the night in the airport, no sleep, freezing, no food and very very grumpy. I was beyond thrilled when I finally landed in Orlando, but I can tell you I will never live the experience down.

I painted, painted and painted some more to update many of the rooms at my boyfriend’s place.

I started taking Plexus, loved the results and became an Ambassador for the company.

We went horseback riding in the mountains. Although I am not sure anything could beat riding horses on the ranch in the wide open country of OK, I will tell you it is a close second.

PIC I found a gem outside Boulder when I went hiking at Chautauqua Park.

It is an understatement to say I love birthdays. I love celebrating the uniqueness, the specialness of friends and family, and I am incredibly enthusiastic about planning birthday celebrations where the birthday person has no idea. I planned and executed a top secrete birthday surprise mission for my boyfriend. It took weeks of coordination and it would not have been possible without his best buddies and his extraordinary family. The birthday celebration was a top secrete scavenger hunt of sorts, the kids gave him his first clue in which he was to go meet up with a few of his buddies for a round of golf. The tee time was all set up, his friends were going to meet him at the course, and most importantly it got him out of the house so we could prepare for the last mission. The additional clues contained gift cards, or sent him to other locations for my golf fun. By the end of the day I handed him his last clue to make his way back to the house where he found his birthday gift of a new lawn mower, I know we give exciting gifts, and a house full of his best friends. I was able to get about 25 people to come to the party. I was really proud of the success the day brought and above all else I think he loved the day which was my main mission _____ As mentioned earlier February was my month of growth, November was my month of dreams realized. My life has just not been the same without triathlons, my passion for them are deep seeded and although my life is happy, healthy, and filled with amazing people, I was still missing something, so I joined a triathlon team. I will begin training with them in February with the hoped to complete my first ½ Ironman during the summer of 2015. I was recruited, I interviewed and I accepted a new role within the DaVita Village as part of the communications team. The position turns out to be a perfect fit; I am thrilled to go to work every day. The team I work with proves daily to be phenomenal, the work I do is fulfilling and rewarding and the knowledge I seem to constantly be gaining is unmatched. A week after accepting the new position I found out I was accepted into grad school to pursue my dream of studying the brain, human behavior, and earn a degree to help others through difficulty, uncertainty, sadness, grief and loss to find joy, happiness, success, dream realized and the live we all deserve to live. ______ My life is made complete by the people in it. Although my life now is in CO and I could not ask for a better life than the one I am living there is a piece of my heart that still resides in OK. My closest friends and extended family still call OK home. Before starting work at DaVita I made it back to OK a lot, but once I started a big girl job I have been unable to travel as much and I really really miss my friends and family. So I drove to OK for Thanksgiving and got to spend quality time with a few of the people who have been my strength, my support, my courage, and those who have picked me up when I was unable to pick myself up during some of my darkest days. I will forever be indebted to the extraordinary family and friends I have in my life.

2014 is ending similar to way it was brought in, relaxing and surrounded by a few of the people who mean the world to me. I am making a similar resolution this year as I did last, to blog more frequently (fingers crossed). Cheers to an extraordinary 2015 filled with abundant opportunities, unending joy and unmatched successes.

Took the Money & Ran

After weeks of anticipation for you all I am sure, the final installment for 2014 from our March Madness MC. Hoop stars, I’m sure by now everyone is thinking that I pocketed the money in hopes that no one would call me out, well…. I got called out, thanks Rodell. Truthfully though, I haven’t forgotten about you fine people, and I’m proud to say that the lucky winners have their well-earned green on the way. It was a wild final four to say the least, and I’m more than happy, for just one shining moment, to harken back to the days of college basketball… oh, how I miss it. As most of you know already, number 1 overall seed Florida tanked on final four Saturday, losing to 7 seed UConn, a team of unmatched destiny, and as a result put the nail in the coffin of CannonVA tourney challenge 2k14, essentially handing the title to John and Will. Yet, Jennifer and Josh still had a shot if Wisconsin was able to beat an upstart Kentucky team who looked equally as destined to reach the final game. The Badgers came just 1 point shy of their first championship berth since 1941, as deja-vu struck the Kentucky wildcats. With just 5.7 seconds to go and Wisconsin up 73-71, Aaron Harrison spotted up from the left wing and drilled a 3 pointer to crush the badger dreams and with it the green dreams of Jennifer and Josh. It was the third game winner in a row for Kentucky and nearly the exact same scenario of the final seconds in Kentuckys elite 8 win over Michigan, unreal. It couldn’t possibly ring true 1 more time… We found out Saturday night who the winners would be, it was John and Will tied for 1st place and Mike holding on to 3rd. The only question going into championship Monday was who would win the tiebreaker and take home the top prize of $180. It was up to the final score, a final score which was wildly over guessed by the bulk of the pool, as defense showed it’s prominence with all on the line. UConn inevitably continued their dream tournament in glorious fashion, out-playing Kentucky in virtually all aspects, and relying on the unmatched dominance of gutty senior and unanimous all-tourney selection Shabazz Napier. The huskies found a way to get it done, beating the scrappy bluegrass squad 60-54, becoming the first #7 seed to win college basketballs most coveted hardware. We would find out 1 day later that the Husky women would make it a sweep for the second time in the last 10 years. It’s good to be a UConn fan. And so, we can officially crown the winners of CannonVA tourney challenge 2k14. Will and John as champions and Mike in a very heated battle for 3rd place. Congrats to the three of you. The tiebreak was almost a draw as Will’s final number came to 141 and Johns final number, 144. With the final score adding to 114, Will was able to edge out John by just 3 points, and with that scores the healthy margin of cash. I’d like to give a major shout out to Andrew, who’s final score projection, was, far and away, the closest at 58-52, well done AB, if only you had a few more points to your name. See below for final standings, for those of you tied, I used your final scores to determine pecking order, and, more importantly bragging rights. Thanks to all for joining in on the fun this year, it brings me great pride knowing the overwhelming interest in the best tourney challenge of the greater northeast. And thanks also for putting up with my endless novel updates. I do hope that they were enjoyable. Until next year, keep dreamin’ of those 40s…. Sorry, skeeball reference, but equally applicable to all arenas of life. Oh, and speaking of 40s, I’m still out $40. Without naming names, I’m sure you can figure out who you are, below. Thanks again! March madness MC, out! 1. Will D 87 pts $180 (final score 71-70) 2. John F 87 pts $120 (final score 76-68) 3. Mike Z 83 pts $70 4. Molly B 82 pts 5. Jennifer B 80 pts 6. Brent A 78 pts 7. Josh W 77 pts 8. Erik M 77 pts 9. Greg T 77 pts 10. Chad B 76 pts 11. Beth R 76 pts 12. Barbara A 75 pts 13. Carrie P 75 pts 14. Brian W 75 pts 15. Peter M 73 pts 16. Scott D 72 pts 17. Rodell P #2 72 pts 18. Andrew B 70 pts 19. Ashley D 70 pts 20. Preston T 68 pts 21. Rebecca F 68 pts 22. Kelly M 68 pts 23. Scott T 68 pts 24. Greg K 64 pts 25. Chris H 64 pts 26. Matt T 61 pts 27. Ryan M 60 pts 28. Rodell P #1 60 pts 29. Katie T 60 pts 30. Kristal E 60 pts 31. Ed A 58 pts 32. Justin T 57 pts 33. Lindsay M 55 pts 34. Abby M 53 pts 35. Bob F 53 pts 36. David P 48 pts 37. Deborah M 45 pts

FINAL FOUR

Hoop stars, Well, the regional finals over the weekend happened to narrow the field of contenders considerably, and today was known bracket wide as massacre Monday. I even received requests for flowers to be sent for the funeral services of a few brackets that crumbled in historic fashion. With Arizona, Michigan, and Michigan State all losing, the majority of dreams were crushed, especially with that Michigan State loss. Brian Wolf was sitting pretty after the round of 16, in first place and his champion intact. Come Monday, he finds himself in 14th position with no points left to be had. With the fall of Wolf, we now find ourselves back in familiar territory with Forgy and Will retaking at tie for first place. Unfortunately for those two, there are no points left to be had. The door is open for those with Florida and Wisconsin advancing. Saturday started off as expected, with overall #1 seed Florida taking care of the overmatched Cinderella squad from Dayton Ohio, 62-52, punching the first ticket to North Texas. The second game, however, was one for the ages. Top seed Arizona took on 2 seed Wisconsin in what would turn out to be a battle for the ages. Each team trading blow for blow deep into the second half. But much of the game, it became apparent that the Cats simply had no answer for the 7’-0” Badger center Frank Kaminsky, who aside from looking like he drools (the profound words of our defending champ Rodell), went absolutely bananas on a shellshocked Arizona squad, scoring 28 points, including 3-5 from beyond the arc. Yes…. Big boy can even hit the triple! Wisconsin won in an overtime thriller, 64-63. Had it not been for Kaminsky, Arizona would have surely advanced, heroic performance. Sunday proved even more exciting as we were treated to two marquee matchups, Michigan State vs. UConn and Michigan vs. Kentucky. Two critical games that would inevitably determine the fate of many pool goers. Michigan State took the floor first as the final four favorite out of the east region, and for most of the game proved worthy of the third slot in texas next weekend. But something odd happened to the Spartans. A historically well coached team that doesn’t often make mistakes, started making them, in epic fashion. Turnovers, lazy play, missed free throws, stagnant defense. For UConn fans, this was a highly unlikely dream that came so gloriously true and set the stage brilliantly for the baby face assassin known only as Shabazz. The kid, once again delivered and sent the much maligned and gravely under rated UConn Huskies to the final four. In the Midwest we were treated to yet another Kentucky moment, as the 8 seeded wildcats, yet again, came from behind to pull a shocker, this time over 2 seed Michigan. The Wolverines dominated most of the game, with Big 10 player of the year Nik Stauskaus raining in 24 points, en route to a 13 point advantage. Kentucky battled back though, quite valiantly, and with the game tied at 72 with just under 10 seconds left, we were staring another regional final OT game square in the face…. Until that supremely ill-advised, masterfully defended, fall away three pointer by freshman guard Aaron Harrison, found the bottom of the net. Game, set, match. Aside from last years championship loss, Michigan fans haven’t felt this much pain since the timeout heard round the world, Chris Webber, 1993 title game. And so we’re down to four, Florida, Wisconsin, UConn and Kentucky. No one was able to pick more than two correct final four teams, but two, somehow, someway were able to keep their championship game unblemished, those two are Jennifer and Josh, both with Florida beating Wisconsin, both with significant chances at scoring some cash. I’ve played out each of the 8 scenarios with the top 3 finishers below. It’s now just a 8 person race with John, Will, Mike, Jennifer, Josh, Erik, Greg T, and Brent battling for three spots. See below for scenarios and final four standings, those in red have locked in their final point totals. Best of luck to those still in the running! 1. John F (87 pts) 2. Will D (87 pts) 3. Mike Z (83 pts) 4. Molly B (82 pts) 5. Jennifer B (80 pts) 6. Brent A (78 pts) 7. Josh W (77 pts) 8. Erik M (77 pts) 9. Greg T (77 pts) 10. Chad B (76 pts) 11. Beth R (76 pts) 12. Barbara A (75 pts) 13. Carrie P (75 pts) 14. Brian W (75 pts) 15. Peter M (73 pts) 16. Scott D (72 pts) 17. Rodell P #2 (72 pts) 18. Andrew B (70 pts) 19. Ashley D (70 pts) 20. Kelly M (68 pts) 21. Preston T (68 pts) 22. Rebecca F (68 pts) 23. Scott T (67 pts) 24. Greg K (64 pts) 25. Chris H (64 pts) 26. Matt T (61 pts) 27. Ryan M (60 pts) 28. Rodell P #1 (60 pts) 29. Katie T (60 pts) 30. Kristal E (60 pts) 31. Ed A (58 pts) 32. Justin T (57 pts) 33. Lindsay M (55 pts) 34. Bob F (53 pts) 35. Abby M (53 pts) 36. David P (48 pts) 37. Deborah M (45 pts) Scenario 1&2 Kentucky over UConn OR UConn over Kentucky 1. John F (tiebreak) 2. Will D (tiebreak) 3. Mike Z Scenario 3 & 4 Florida over Wisconsin OR Wisconsin over Florida 1. Jennifer B 2. Josh W 3. Mike Z Scenario 5 & 6 UConn over Wisconsin OR Wisconsin over UConn 1. Jennifer B 2. Josh W 3. John F / Will D (tiebreak) Scenario 7 Florida over Kentucky 1. Mike Z 2. Jennifer B 3. Josh W / Erik M / Greg T (tiebreak) Scenario 8 Kentucky over Florida 1. Mike Z 2. Jennifer B 3. Brent A Chad (March Madness MC)

Elite 8

Hoop junkies, After a wild Friday night of basketball, the elite 8 is officially set, Michigan, UConn, Michigan State, and Kentucky joined Florida, Dayton, Arizona, and Wisconsin in the elitist of groups within just 1 victory of a final four berth. The night was definitely not for the faint of heart. We saw Michigan and UConn advance in the early games over Tennessee and Iowa State respectively. UConn continued its surprise run by handling a depleted Iowa State squad playing for the second game without star center Georges Niang. The huskies, behind a virtual lock for 1st team all-tourney, Shabazz Napier, continually bullied the oversized Cyclones. While Iowa State made a late rally, they were unable to hit free throws down the stretch and the 7 seed from the east advanced to the regional final. Props to Rebecca and Greg T for being the only ones to have the Huskies dancing to the elite 8. In the other early game, Michigan squeaked by 11 seed Tennessee by the narrowest of margins, 73-71, leaving big blue fans on the edge of their seats to the bitter end. The Wolverines enjoyed as much as a 15 point lead well into the second half, before the Vols made a furious rally to cut the lead down to a single possession late. However, it must have been the stroke of midnight because the orange glass slipper shattered as Tennessee left the floor wondering what could have been. Michigan advanced to its second straight elite 8 appearance and was poised for the prospective rematch of last years title game with Louisville. Only thing standing in the way of that destiny were the upstart 8 seed Kentucky wildcats… The dream matchup between bitter interstate rivals Kentucky and Louisville was realized almost out of fate. It’s as if the basketball Gods willed this epic rivalry into being when the stakes were highest. The hype didn’t disappoint. The first half was solid, as both teams exchanged blow for blow, with the defending champs taking a 3 point lead to the locker room. But the second half, my friends, left little to be desired, it simply had it all, pressure threes, tenacious dunks, gutty steals, it was a battle for the ages, true gladiator stuff. For those who were lucky enough to stay awake into the wee hours (Ed…. cough), it was a treat to say the least. With Louisville seemingly in control of the game, up 7 points with just over 4 minutes left, it was gut check time for Caliparis blue grass squad, and the wildcats delivered, in impressive fashion. Kentucky ended the game on a 15-3 run, squashing all dreams of a repeat for the Cardinals of Louisville, who lead the game for all but 65 seconds, wow. And so the 8 seed from the Midwest dances on to face 2 seed Michigan on Sunday for a shot at the final four. Congrats to Mike Z, Rodell #2, and Justin for accurately selecting the cats to the elite 8. For most though, the Louisville loss dealt a crushing blow especially, current 3rd placer Will and battling for the basement Abby who had the cards winning it all. The final game pitted final four favorite Michigan State against 1 seed Virginia in the east bracket. This game, just like Kentucky / Louisville did not disappoint. The Spartans controlled the game for most of the first half, leading by 4 at the break. Virginia came out strong in the second half and pushed the Spartans blow for blow down the stretch. However, in this game, the victory was clinched, not blown, from the free throw line. If you’re going to win a championship, you must make the easiest shot on the court. Michigan State did just that down the stretch and was able to squeak by a crafty UVA squad, who most definitely overachieved this season. And so we move on to regional finals today and tomorrow, with the final four to be set Sunday night at the conclusion of the Kentucky / Michigan game, tip 5:05 EST. See below for updated standings. Brian has taken the lead with 8 points last night, however he had Louisville in the championship game, so it’s still anyones game. The 5 of you highlighted below are the elite few who have your final four still intact, specific teams adjacent, incredible job. That means, these 5 have the most points still available. Those of you in red…. Well, that’s it. For Lindsay and Deborah, they have officially exhausted all resources, their brackets are done, RIP, funeral services to be scheduled, no further points to be had. For Deborah, she’s clinched at least a share for last place, impressive none the less. Bob may just owe her lunch, for saving his sports practice leadership, he still needs either Florida or Michigan State to win to alleviate himself of a tie for last. Curl that mustache for good luck Bob. Florida and Dayton tip tonight at 6:09 EST, just 4 hours from now. Good luck to everyone still in the running. We’ll have a clearer view of whos legitimately in the running coming Monday morning. Here’s to continuing the madness! Savor every last second, it’s gone all too soon… 1. Brian W (75 pts) 2. John F (71 pts) 3. Will D (71 pts) 4. Erik M (69 pts) 5. Chad B (68 pts) 6. Beth R (68 pts) 7. Mike Z (67 pts) Florida, Arizona, Michigan State, Kentucky 8. Molly B (66 pts) 9. Jennifer B (64 pts) 10. Rodell P #2 (64 pts) 11. Scott D (64 pts) 12. Ashley D (62 pts) Florida, Arizona, Michigan State, Michigan 13. Brent A (62 pts) Florida, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Michigan 14. Andrew B (62 pts) 15. Josh W (61 pts) 16. Greg T (61 pts) 17. Matt T (61 pts) 18. Kelly M (60 pts) Florida, Arizona, Michigan State, Michigan 19. Rebecca F (60 pts) 20. Rodell P #1 (60 pts) 21. Preston T (60 pts) 22. Kristal E (60 pts) 23. Barbara A (59 pts) Florida, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Michigan 24. Carrie P (59 pts) 25. Scott T (59 pts) 26. Peter M (57 pts) 27. Justin T (57 pts) 28. Chris H (56 pts) 29. Greg K (56 pts) 30. Lindsay M (55 pts) 31. Ryan M (52 pts) 32. Katie T (52 pts) 33. Ed A (50 pts) 34. David P (48 pts) 35. Bob F (45 pts) 36. Abby M (45 pts) 37. Deborah M (45 pts)

Terrific 12

Hoopsters, Last night we whittled the field of 16 down to 12. The first team to clinch an elite 8 spot was those surprising flyers of Dayton who handled 10 seed Stanford with relative east 82-72, proving that speed and quickness can beat size if you have the shooters and ability to finish at the rim. Now the pride of Dayton Ohio is just 1 win away from a final four appearance. Lindsay M must be beaming with hometown pride at the moment, even if she picked her alma mater over the fliers in round 1. Although Dayton will get a tough test on Saturday as they face #1 overall seed Florida. If the Cinderella somehow finds a way to keep dancing, all hell will break loose, as brackets will burst worldwide. The Florida win over UCLA was just another breath of fresh air for most, but our defending champion Rodell, must be stewing over his boneheaded decision to take the Bruins to the championship game, might just seal his fate. On the other side of the bracket, in the west, we saw Wisconsin crush an overmatched and overachieving Baylor squad 69-52, as the Badgers gave the Bears a little taste of what Baylor did to Creighton last weekend. All but 7 had Wisconsin in the elite 8. It was a tough pill to swallow for Bickell, who was the only one to have Baylor advancing. Had the Bears found a way to win, the one they call “tickle” would have made a huge jump up the standings. And then there was Arizona who did right by the majority of our pool, with the exception of those very few who said that surely….. surely Oklahoma State would beat the cats… What could have been. The 1 seed in the west got by a scrappy San Diego State squad who pushed them hard into the final minutes. For Forgy, who had SDSU winning, it was a tough loss, because now we have a 3 way tie for first place with John, Will, and Brian. The top 18 are only separated by 12 points, a lot of shuffling still to be seen. Tonight, 4 more games before we round out the elite 8. Tip of Tennessee vs. Michigan is set for 7:15. Let the beautiful madness continue!! Best of luck to all. See below for updated standings. 1. John F (67 pts) 2. Will D (67 pts) 3. Brian W (67 pts) 4. Chad B (64 pts) 5. Beth R (64 pts) 6. Molly B (62 pts) 7. Erik M (61 pts) 8. Josh W (61 pts) 9. Scott D (60 pts) 10. Mike Z (59 pts) 11. Scott T (59 pts) 12. Greg T (57 pts) 13. Matt T (57 pts) 14. Jennifer B (56 pts) 15. Rebecca F (56 pts) 16. Preston T (56 pts) 17. Chris H (56 pts) 18. Carrie P (55 pts) 19. Ashley D (54 pts) 20. Brent A (54 pts) 21. Andrew B (54 pts) 22. Peter M (53 pts) 23. Kelly M (52 pts) 24. Rodell P #1 (52 pts) 25. Greg K (52 pts) 26. Rodell P #2 (52 pts) 27. Katie T (52 pts) 28. Kristal E (52 pts) 29. Barbara A (51 pts) 30. Lindsay M (51 pts) 31. Justin T (49 pts) 32. Ryan M (48 pts) 33. David P (48 pts) 34. Ed A (46 pts) 35. Abby M (45 pts) 36. Deborah M (45 pts) 37. Bob F (41 pts) Chad (March Madness MC)