Round 3 Recap: Mack Meller, Dan Stock and Linda Nervis Stay Perfect

Three rounds are in the books, and the standings have already started to separate the steady starters from the crowded chasing packs.

After Round 3, Mack Meller, Dan Stock, Joshua Ruark, and Linda Nervis remain perfect in their respective divisions. Meller, the 2024 and 2026 US Champion, is the lone undefeated player in Division A at 3-0 with a commanding +222 spread. Stock, better known to many as the Purple Man, leads Division B at 3-0 with a +122 spread. Ruark has opened the widest gap of any perfect player so far, sitting at 3-0 and +262 in Division D. Nervis stands alone in Division F at 3-0, with four players close behind at 2-1.

The middle divisions are even tighter. Division C has no undefeated players left, while Division E has an even denser cluster near the top, with six of its eight players sitting at 2-1.

The players have reached the lunch break, and play is expected to resume at about 2 p.m.

Division A has one clear leader after three rounds

Division A now runs through Mack Meller, at least for the moment.

Meller is the only player in the division still unbeaten, and the quality of that start shows in the spread. At 3-0 and +222, he has not just won three games, he has built a sizable cushion. In standings where records come first and spread can shape pairings, tiebreaks, and momentum, that number matters.

His position is even more notable because the chasing group remains close enough to keep pressure on him. Jeff Fizbein, Josh Kopczak, and Joey Krafchick are all 2-1, each within one result of joining the lead if Meller stumbles in the next round.

That makes Division A the kind of race that can shift quickly. A 3-0 start gives Meller control, but it does not give him room to coast. With three players right behind him, the fourth round could either strengthen his hold on first place or pull the division into a tie at the top.

The current Division A picture:

Player	Record	Spread
Mack Meller	3-0	+222
Jeff Fizbein	2-1
Josh Kopczak	2-1
Joey Krafchick	2-1

Meller’s early performance gives Division A the clearest top line of the day so far. The rest of the division still has plenty of room to respond, especially with so much tournament left after lunch.

Division B belongs to Dan Stock for now

Dan Stock has taken control of Division B through three rounds.

Stock, the Purple Man himself, stands alone at 3-0 and +122. That record matters more than the modest spread at this stage. He has handled each assignment so far, and three wins in three rounds is enough to separate him from the rest of the field.

Still, Division B remains close. Kristy Zurbrick, John Healy, and Doug Szymkowiak are all 2-1, which means Stock’s lead is only one game. The spread gap is not listed for the chasers, but the standings shape is clear: Stock has the clean record, while three players are positioned to take advantage of any opening.

A +122 spread also suggests Division B has not been a runaway. Stock may be perfect, but the margin leaves the division feeling active rather than settled. The next round could either give him breathing room or turn the standings into a four-player battle.

The Division B leaders after Round 3:

Player	Record	Spread
Dan Stock	3-0	+122
Kristy Zurbrick	2-1
John Healy	2-1
Doug Szymkowiak	2-1

Stock has done the most important thing through the morning session: he has kept winning. Now the question is whether he can protect that narrow lead once play resumes.

Division C is already crowded at 2-1

Division C has taken a different shape from the divisions with perfect players.

There are no undefeated players remaining in Division C after Round 3. That alone makes the division one of the most open races in the event. With no 3-0 leader to chase, the standings are compressed, and every future result will carry extra weight.

The field is tight enough that five of the eight players currently hold a 2-1 record. That creates a very different pressure than a division with one perfect player on top. A single win could push someone into first. A single loss could drop that same player back into the pack.

This is the kind of division where pairings after lunch may do a lot to define the next phase. With five players holding the same record, head-to-head results, spread, and consistency will likely shape the order as the day moves forward.

The most important detail in Division C is not one name. It is the density of the standings:

Division C status	Count
Undefeated players	0
Players at 2-1	5 of 8

That makes Division C one of the hardest divisions to call right now. Nobody has separated from the field, and most of the field is still sitting near the top.

Joshua Ruark has built the biggest early number in Division D

Joshua Ruark owns one of the strongest starts of the day.

Ruark leads Division D at 3-0 and +262, the highest listed spread among the undefeated players in this recap. That kind of number signals a commanding morning session. Like Meller in Division A, Ruark is not simply ahead by record. He has created real distance on the scoreboard.

His lead is not fully secure, though. Chris Sitler and David Gill are both 2-1, giving Division D a clear chasing pair. They are close enough to make the next round meaningful, especially if either gets a direct shot at Ruark or a chance to gain ground while he faces pressure.

For Ruark, the task after lunch is straightforward: keep converting the strong start into wins. A big spread is valuable, but the unbeaten record remains the key. If he reaches 4-0, the rest of the division will have to start playing catch-up in a more urgent way.

For Sitler and Gill, the path is just as clear. Stay within range, protect the 2-1 position, and wait for the opening. In a multi-round division race, the best chasing position is often one game back with time left to play.

Division D after three rounds:

Player	Record	Spread
Joshua Ruark	3-0	+262
Chris Sitler	2-1
David Gill	2-1

Ruark has the cleanest combination of record and spread so far among the listed leaders. That gives him a strong lunch-break position, but it also makes him the player everyone in Division D is measuring against.

Division E is the tightest race on the board

Division E may be the most compressed race through three rounds.

Even Division C, with five of eight players at 2-1, does not match the crowd in Division E. Here, six of the eight players are sitting at 2-1. That leaves very little separation and almost no margin for a slow fourth round.

With six players sharing the same record, Division E has the feel of a reset heading into lunch. The players have three rounds of results behind them, but the standings remain bunched so tightly that the next round could create an entirely new order.

This type of division can become volatile quickly. A player at 2-1 can move into a tie for first with a win. A player at 2-1 can also fall into the middle or lower half with a loss, depending on what happens around the room. Spread may become more visible as the group stays packed together.

The Division E snapshot is simple and dramatic:

Division E status	Count
Players at 2-1	6 of 8

That number tells the whole story. Division E has not produced a runaway leader. Instead, it has created a large group of players with nearly equal claims to the top.

Linda Nervis stands alone in Division F

Linda Nervis has done what no one else in Division F has managed so far: she has reached lunch without a loss.

Nervis leads the division at 3-0, making her the sole undefeated player in Division F. That gives her the best possible record through the opening three rounds and puts the pressure on the rest of the division to chase.

The chase group is substantial. Keith Pringle, Teresa Stone, Prince Barlow, and Curtis Nash are all 2-1. Four players one game back means Nervis has company close behind, even if she has the only perfect record.

This race has a different shape from Division B. Stock has three challengers at 2-1. Nervis has four. That makes Division F more crowded behind the leader and raises the stakes for every matchup involving the top group after lunch.

The Division F leaders:

Player	Record
Linda Nervis	3-0
Keith Pringle	2-1
Teresa Stone	2-1
Prince Barlow	2-1
Curtis Nash	2-1

Nervis has earned the clean lead. The next test is whether she can turn that perfect start into separation.

The lunch break arrives with several races still unsettled

The lunch break arrives at a useful moment. Three rounds have created clear leaders in some divisions, but very few races feel settled.

The biggest early storylines are clear:

• Mack Meller is the only undefeated player in Division A

  His 3-0 record and +222 spread give him a strong early lead.

  
  

• Dan Stock holds the Division B lead

  His 3-0 start has him alone on top, with three players at 2-1.

  
  

• Division C has no perfect records left

  Five of eight players are tied at 2-1.

  
  

• Joshua Ruark has made the largest early statement by spread

  His 3-0 record and +262 spread put him firmly in front of Division D.

  
  

• Division E is packed tight

  Six of eight players are currently 2-1.

  
  

• Linda Nervis leads Division F by one game

  Four players are chasing her at 2-1.

  
  

When play resumes at about 2 p.m., the perfect players will try to stretch their leads, while the crowded 2-1 packs will have a chance to reshape the standings. Round 3 gave the tournament its first real structure. The next round will show which leads can hold.