First Female Quad Competitor Finishes 4th

Following a hot streak in Pool, first ever female Quadrathlon competitor Laura Sistrunk was not only able to complete all four challenging events*, but also managed to finish the event in 4th place overall. A feat many long-time competitors have never achieved.**

Deepening the controversy, Sistrunk's 4th place place finish also placed her higher than two time Quad runner-up Des Carroll (5th place). "This is complete horse$*!%," said Carroll in a colorful outburst following the event.

Laura's post event comments were short, saying only "I hope those black jackets come in women's sizes, because this is the last year I won't have one."

*List of Competitors not Strong Enough to Complete all 4 Events:

• Patrick Bryde
• Todd St.John
• Bob Reissmann

**List of Competitors to Never Finish 4th or Higher:

• Sean Hipps
• Dave Weigand
• Davis Burke
• Brian Bilbo
• Mark Shilstone
• Dean Higginbotham
• Scott Higginbotham
• Kevin Cooper
• Tim Hale
  

QCS Competitive Equation Values

The Quad Competitive Committee released the QCS Competitive Equation Values (QEV's) that will be used to determine the level of competitive skill in each competing location.

Quick Reference of Values:

1: Denotes highest level of demonstrated skill over the previous 3 Quads

2-4 : Serious contender for 1st - 3rd place in event

5-14 : Moderate to low skill

15 : Assumed skill level of first time competitors

16-20 : Demonstrated ability appears to be lower than a random beginner off the street

Individual competitors' event scores will be weighted by the average value of their on-site competition. Example: If Brian Bilbo were to compete in Disc-Golf vs. Zack, Travis, and Mark, his CEV would be (4+19+7)/3 = 10 CEV. CEV will then be combined with margin of victory to determine the player's QCS rank.

Official petitions for changes to individual CEV's can be made in the Comments section of this post.

QCS Overview

Event: Bowling
Scoring: Total Score, 3 consecutive 10-frame rounds.
Notes: Scorekeepers will be critical here. Competitors may play as many practice rounds as desired, but the beginning of official Quad play must be determined before the start of the game (read as: if you happen to throw a 250 during a practice game, you cannot decide after the fact to count that game as your first of 3). Please also note the games must be consecutive. This is not your best 3 games of 7, or in Johnny's case the best in the last year.

Event: Darts
Scoring: Total rounds required to close 2 full Cricket boards, called shots (gentleman's rules). One round = 3 darts. 3 hits each on 20,19,18,17,16,15, and Bull equals one cleared board. Called shots are just that -- you must specify at what number you are shooting before you throw. Luck or "trash" hits will not be counted.
Notes: This is an approved systemic change from standard Quad rules that provides an even scoring system for competitors in multiple locations, with the secondary benefit of stopping both of my brothers and father from complaining each year that they "drew the toughest first round board", allegedly causing them to finish poorly. It is still to be determined how all three of their different boards are simultaneously the toughest.

Event: Disc Golf
Scoring: 18 Holes, all holes Par 3. Individual scores will be adjusted using calculations that provide unified scoring amongst separate courses based on the level of competition and margin of victory.
Note: There must be at least 2 competitors scored on a given course to generate a computerized ranking. If you have never played, or if you are Dave, let's be frank -- just skip it. You will probably suck.

Event: Pool
Scoring: Double elimination 8-ball tournament. Rankings by location will be adjusted based on level of competition. Minimum of 4 players required to submit official scores.
Notes: Official scorekeepers must validate the legitimacy of the competitors. No playing against toddlers or imaginary friends this year, Big John.

Quadrathlon Championship Series Announced

With a series of logistical challenges facing the 2009 Quadrathlon, the Quad Competitive Committee has announced the implementation of the Quadrathlon Championship Series, or QCS.

Similar to college football's BCS, the QCS provides a mathematical system for comparing the relative Quad performances of competitors in different locations to determine a unified champion. The QCS uses a number of inputs, including individual event performance, strength of competition, and margin of victory.

"With the QCS, competitors around the country can all compete in separate locations and still have an undisputed champion," said Bart Sistrunk, QCS Chair and 6-time Quad champion. "Even better, families that normally choose to run and hide and/or request foreign deployment during the Quad now have no excuse for not competing."

Applications are being accepted online for Official Scorers, who must be present at each competing location to validate and submit official event results. Erin Bilbo, Quad Head Scorekeeper, took a very firm position on the need for scorers, saying "participants will not be allowed to self-score under any circumstances, as experience tells us somewhere between 100 and 110 percent of the competitors will cheat if given the chance."

Full rules and details are expected to be published in the next few days.

2008 Official Results