Special K

Alicia Kellogg, aka BrutalBrutis, is the 2010 Chippens NCAA Tournament Challenge Champion (see final standings). Kellogg was deep in the bottom half of the standings for much of the tournament, but she surged to top in the final two weekends as Michigan State and Duke kept winning.

Like Miss America, Kellogg will wear the crown, and the grand prize t-shirt, with pride wherever she goes this year, passing through legions of adoring fans and well-wishers from coast to coast and, indeed, around the globe. She’ll probably get carpal tunnel from signing so many autographs, but that’s a minor sacrifice. She has responsibility now; she has to carry the Chippens torch and be an inspiration to all.

Yes, now the whole world will get a chance to be inspired like I was back in the days when I was her supervisor at Camp Torenta—when I’d make her clean the toilets or mop out the entire cookhouse, or perhaps I’d tell her to stack a huge pile of wood or clean up seaweed from the beach, or maybe I'd even ask her to make hundreds of tie-dye t-shirts, or during certain Fantastic Fridays, I’d have her sit patiently while I instructed a bunch of 8-10 year-olds to play “beauty shop,” which basically involved making a sandcastle on her head with eggs and snails. Yes, while I shot baskets, played four-square, or sunned on the raft, I was amazed at how much work she could get done. Now, the entire planet is amazed at her abilities. 

Alicia’s triumph comes at the expense of WHAC (Angela Penney), who’s bid to be the first-ever two-time champion ended when Butler fell in the last seconds of the title game. Penney dropped to third place behind newcomer and runner-up Mary Kate Gergel.

Other notable finishes:

• Senior Moment (Bill Snider) had his best finish in six years, placing 10^th.
• Lisa Corwin’s 9^th place finish was her second-straight top-10 finish. She moved up to second on the All-Time Average Place list, and she’s now finished in the top 20 in five of the last six years.
• PJ had her best finish in six years, placing 12^th.
• Loren DeHaan had another solid year, placing 5^th. He’s now finished in the top 14 four out the last five years.
• For the first time ever, Chez managed to not place in the bottom four. She finished 48^th. 

The All-Time Records are now updated. See if you make the list!