This was a break-out year for the Carolina Invitational!  We moved to a new location – the beautiful Hilton – University.  We certainly hope that this will be our home for many years to come.  From the feedback we received, everyone loved the venue.  We had the most space we have ever had, including a 24 hour smoking room.  Attendance was up an incredible 34%, our 4^th consecutive year of double digit attendance growth!  A total of 90 players from 21 states and Canada vied for over $35,000 in prizes.

Once again, one of the highlights of the weekend was Paul Weaver's Saturday morning lecture.  Seventy players turned out for the Saturday morning presentation.  Our charity side event -- Skunk Dice -- was also popular.  We raised $250 for UNICEF to aid children in the aftermath of the Tsunami disaster.

And the winners are:

OPEN (48): 1-Phil Simborg (IL), 2-Carter Mattig (IL); 1C-Mark Rozans (LA), 2C-Carol Joy Cole (MI), 3C/4C-Gregg Cattanach (GA) / Rory Pascar (MD); 1LC-Joe Freedman (VA).

ADVANCED (32): 1-Carlos Azcarate (FL), 2-Lynn Lusk (CO); 1C-Karen Chung (MD), 2C-Cole Parker (TX), 3C/4C-Frank Patrick (GA) / Ben Elliott (NC).

NOVICE (10): 1-Tony Garcia (NC), 2-Kim Owens (VA).

QUEEN CITY CUP (24): 1-Stuart Thomson (GA), 2-Mark Rozans (LA), 3-Sho Sengoku (CA).

DOUBLES (22 teams): 1-Carlos Azcarate (FL) & Elayne Feinstein (FL), 2-Dave Rogers (NC) & Vadim Musaelyan (NC).

BLITZ (32): 1-John Struss (NC).

QUICKIE (64): 1-Buzz Hodous (MD).

AFTER TOURNAMENT TOURNAMENT (8): 1-Jon Vietor (CA).

SKUNK DICE: 1-David Wetzell (MN).