NACC Day 4: Kevin Fraley takes home the title
What does it take to earn the title of North American Collins Champion? Oh, nothing - just surviving a gauntlet of the absolute strongest competitors on the continent for four days straight, including a pressure-packed knockout bracket on the final day. No big deal.
And as it turns out, our champion Kevin Fraley did more than just survive the final day's playoffs - he absolutely dominated them. Faced with a brutally tough pair of matchups in world-class players Austin Shin and Dave Wiegand, Kevin proceeded to dismantle them each 2-0, sweeping the championship rounds to win the trophy and the $3,000 top prize.
It's hard to imagine a more worthy champion than that.
THE WINNERS
Kevin took the top prize with a clean sweep. Dave Wiegand, who topped Kolton Koehler in the semis before coming up short against Kevin, took second place; Kolton then prevailed over Austin Shin in the match for third place.
1st place, winning $3,000 - Kevin Fraley
2nd place, winning $1,500 - Dave Wiegand
3rd place, winning $750 - Kolton Koehler
4th place, winning $450 - Austin Shin
Class prize, $300 - Brad Whitmarsh
Meanwhile, in Division 2, another Kevin captured NACC glory. Kevin Schutz outlasted the rest of the field, including runner-up Ayotunde Adeyeri. Here's the complete rundown...
1st place, winning $500 - Kevin Schutz
2nd place, winning $250 - Ayotunde Adeyeri
3rd place, winning $150 - Lindsay Shin
4th place, winning $100 - Vera Bigall
Class prize, $100 - Chris Sjöholm
GAME OF THE DAY
Feast your eyes on the final game, in which Kevin (Fraley, that is) took down Dr. Bing to win the title. It's a doozie.
ALL THE GAMES
Thanks to our crack annotating squad of Jason Katz-Brown, Scott Jackson, and Josh Sokol, we were able to record every move of every game in the Division 1 playoffs. Feel free to peruse...
Semifinals, Round 1: Kevin Fraley vs. Austin Shin
Semifinals, Round 2: Kevin Fraley vs. Austin Shin
Semifinals, Round 1: Dave Wiegand vs. Kolton Koehler
Semifinals, Round 2: Dave Wiegand vs. Kolton Koehler
Semifinals, Round 3: Dave Wiegand vs. Kolton Koehler
Third Place Match, Round 1: Austin Shin vs. Kolton Koehler
Third Place Match, Round 2: Austin Shin vs. Kolton Koehler
Third Place Match, Round 3: Austin Shin vs. Kolton Koehler
Finals, Round 1: Kevin Fraley vs. Dave Wiegand
Finals, Round 2: Kevin Fraley vs. Dave Wiegand
COMING UP TOMORROW
It's time to go home! Thanks to everyone who attended the NACC, whether from near or far. Whether you're heading back across town or across North America, either way, we wish you safe travels.