If you’re very familiar with this topic, skip down to the section about winners! If you REALLY want to learn about it, read the bottom section about history (from Wikipedia).
The Grand National Teams (GNT) provides a chance for players to earn a National Championship by qualifying and winning in stages: at their local clubs, in their units, at their District, and finally at the Summer North American Bridge Championship (NABC).
In District 20, the GNT is contested online in the early stages, with the Summer NABC being the only face-to-face part of the competition.
There are four flights: Championship, Flight A, Flight B, and Flight C. Winning teams from each may advance to the National Finals, with first and second place teams from Flight B and C advancing when 8 or more teams participate in early stages. The travel costs for the teams are usually partly subsidized by the District.
District 20 Grand National Team National Representatives
The following team are advancing to the Finals in Chicago, which will start on Wednesday July 12:
Open teams:
Eric Stoltz- John Lusky
Roger McNay- Jeff Roman
Flight A:
Amy Casanova- Laurie Rowe
Rick Prouser- Ray Robert
Ed Lee- Dave Green
Note: Ben Bomber was a member of the qualifying team. When he moved out of the District he was replaced by Laurie Rowe.
Flight B:
Team 1
Jamie Sparks- Joe Wilson
Tim Rilling-Mark Mackenzie
Kevin Marnel-Frank Straulemann
Note: This flight B team added two players and changed two of their partnerships. They added Mark MacKenzie who will play with Tim Rilling and Frank Straulemann who will play with Kevin Marnell.
Team 2
Dennis Kendig-Doug Merritt
Michael Pavlik – Ted Marconi
Roger Thomas and Jim Weider were added to the Kendig team
Note:This team finished third-fourth in Flight B. They won a consolation match to become our second representative when the team of Roger Thomas – Jim Weider and Krista Garver – Jonathan Pulvers were not able to attend the NABC in Chicago
Flight C:
Team 1
Andrey Dashkov- Jasper Katz
Jane Urban-Carina Cassim
Team 2
Paula Koeller- Karen Douek
Elliot Wahba- Tara Mcmahon- Mary Sewell
Note: This team finished third-fourth in Flight C. They won a consolation match to become our second representative when the team of Dennis Viner – Cyndy Sidore and Sarah Rogers – Tara Fankhauser were not able to attend the NABC in Chicago
CONGRATULATIONS and GOOD LUCK in Chicago!
History (Thanks to Wikipedia!):
The United States Bridge Association, established by Ely Culbertson and his staff, conducted a Grand National Team-of-Four championship from 1934 to 1937 (the lifetime of the organization before merger created the ACBL).
The extended, grass-roots tournament was re-established in 1973, when about 1500 teams participated. Initial stages were contested in the 25 geographically defined ACBL Districts. Champions of eight Zones were determined in a semifinal stage, who qualified for the final stage at one of the North American NABC meets.
By 1980 there were 6032 teams in the first stage, although the distinct Canadian National Teams championship was introduced by the Canadian Bridge Federation that year, leaving only the 23 U.S. or partly U.S. districts in the GNT. (The ACBL encompasses Mexico and Bermuda, but each is entirely within a partly U.S. District.)
The Zonal stage was eliminated in 1985; since then every District champion qualifies for the final at the Summer NABC. Conditions within the Districts differ; some now hold a single weekend tournament. Winners received some money to pay expenses in part.
Also in 1985, the event was divided in three Flights called A, B, and C. The Championship Flight was added in 2001. That is, Flights B and C were added to the Open Flight in 1985, with player eligibility restricted by upper limits on career masterpoints. In 2001 the previously open Flight A was renamed “Championship” or “Superflight” and Flight A was restricted to players with fewer than 5,000 career masterpoints. As of 2012 the other ceilings were 2,000 points for Flight B players and 500 points for Flight C. In 2014 the cutoff for Flight A was raised to 6,000 masterpoints and the cutoff for Flight B was raised to 2,500 masterpoints.
The Open winners have their names engraved on the Morehead Trophy, donated by The New York Times in memory of its longtime bridge editor Albert H. Morehead.
