STERLING, Ill. — While competing with events such as vacations, fishing derbies, graduation parties, the Maryland Kubb Championship, SxS trail ride weekends, competitive cheerleading camps, and the St Louis Cardinals versus Texas Rangers baseball series, the once-growing tournament arrived back at its roots of 16 players, the same as 2020 when a few people were thrilled to have a kubb tournament to play in (due to so many others being canceled). Six of those original sixteen players have attended every year since, and one of those original six managed to secure his place on the trophy.
After seven qualifying rounds, the bracket seeding looked like this:
- Cody Glorioso (Wisconsin, first year)
- Brad Vock (Illinois, four years)
- Bryce Pecore (Wisconsin, four years)
- Kathy Wellnitz (Wisconsin, four years)
- George Sloan (Illinois, four years)
- Nick Keller (Wisconsin, four years)
- Brian Beling (Illinois, three years)
- Shelby Bashford (Illinois, two years)
- Jenny Terveer (Illinois, first year)
- Pilar Terveer (Illinois, two years)
- Shea McDonnell (Illinois, two years)
- Tricia Ebersole (Illinois, two years)
- Chad Hammer (Illinois, first year)
- Jill Poff (Illinois, first year)
- Everett Pecore (Wisconsin, first year)
- Ronnie Keller (Wisconsin, four years)
In the quarterfinals, Cody Glorioso and Ronnie Keller started off with a 2-0 win against Shelby Bashford and Jenny Terveer. George Sloan and Tricia Ebersole also took a 2-0 win from Kathy Wellnitz and Chad Hammer. Brian Beling and Pilar Terveer needed a rubber game to knock out Brad Vock and Everett Pecore 2-1, while Bryce Pecore and Jill Poff overcame a 0-1 deficit to advance to the semi-finals over Nick Keller and Shea McDonnell 2-1.
The four losing teams were mixed up for a random drawing to determine teammates for the “Kings of T5” round robin bracket. Vock and Wllnitz bowed out. The team drawings then saw Jenny Terveer and Everett Pecore grabbing a first round bye, while Nick Keller and McDonnell faced off with Hammer and Bashford in round one. Keller and McDonnell took the win, and after defeating Terveer and Everett in the second round, laid their claim to the inaugural “Kings of T5” cups.
Hammer and Bashford took the Silver Bracket Championship with a win over Jenny Terveer and Everett Pecore. Pecore took the inaugural “King of Diamonds” skills contest for a fantastic performance on the day that included a knock in the noggin with a baton and then gutting it out to get back into play.
In the championship bracket, Glorioso and Ronnie Keller grabbed the 2-0 win against Sloan and Eversole, while Bryce Pecore and Poff needed all three games to knock off Beling and Pilar Terveer. The Championship match ended with yet another 2-0 victory for Glorioso and Keller, although it was not without its dramatic turns. The Dickinson Trophy will soon have a brand new plaque with two new names.
It was hot, and dry, and another “heart-is-full” kubb reunion for tournament director Andy Terveer. Special thanks to everyone involved. At this juncture, due to nearly record low numbers, the future of this tournament is up in the air, but decisions will be made soon. Thanks to Owen and Rena Harrell and my wife, Jenny Terveer, for going way over and above to allow me to continue to live my kubb dreams!
Final Results
Championship
- Cody Glorioso , Ronnie Keller
- Bryce Pecore, Jill Poff
- George Sloan, Tricia Ebersole
- Brian Beling, Pilar Terveer
