Round 5 Update: Division D E and F Leaders Shake Up the Standings

Round 5 tightened some races and widened others, with Divisions D, E, and F all showing very different shapes at the top. Division D has a two-player fight for first. Division E is just as tight, separated by only 10 spread points at the top. Division F has the most crowded lead group, with three players sitting at 4.0-1.0 and strong spreads behind them.

The biggest story is simple: wins still lead the table, but spread is starting to matter in a serious way. One close win, one blowout, or one missed chance could change the order fast.

Division D has two leaders but Joshua Ruark holds the edge

Joshua Ruark stayed on top of Division D at 4.0-1.0 with a +274 spread after a narrow 393-378 win over Chris Sitler. That 15-point result mattered. It kept Ruark in first while also stopping Sitler from climbing into the top group.

David Gill matched Ruark’s 4.0-1.0 record and made the loudest move of the division with a 548-238 win over Ed Bowe. That 310-point margin pushed Gill’s spread to +215 and put him within reach of first place. Ruark still leads by 59 spread points, but Gill’s Round 5 score showed how quickly that gap can shrink.

Andrew Wade sits third at 3.0-2.0 with a +113 spread after beating Karrie Bowe 427-304. Wade is not tied for first in wins, but the positive spread keeps him in a useful position if the leaders slip.

Tina Yates also helped herself with a 499-325 win over Cecilia Huber. Yates moved to 2.0-3.0, but her +79 spread stands out among the players with losing records. That gives her a clearer path upward than the record alone suggests.

Rank	Player	Record	Spread	Round 5 result
1	Joshua Ruark	4.0-1.0	+274	Won 393-378 over Chris Sitler
2	David Gill	4.0-1.0	+215	Won 548-238 over Ed Bowe
3	Andrew Wade	3.0-2.0	+113	Won 427-304 over Karrie Bowe
4	Tina Yates	2.0-3.0	+79	Won 499-325 over Cecilia Huber
5	Chris Sitler	2.0-3.0	+15	Lost 378-393 to Joshua Ruark
6	Karrie Bowe	2.0-3.0	-68	Lost 304-427 to Andrew Wade
7	Ed Bowe	2.0-3.0	-359	Lost 238-548 to David Gill
8	Cecilia Huber	1.0-4.0	-269	Lost 325-499 to Tina Yates

Division D takeaway: Ruark leads, Gill is charging, and Wade remains close enough to pressure both.

Division E is decided by inches at the top

Division E has the closest first-place spread gap of the three divisions. Craig Bushman leads at 4.0-1.0 with a +183 spread, just ahead of Mitch Mathias at 4.0-1.0 and +173.

Bushman’s Round 5 win could not have been much tighter. He beat Connie Breitbeil 399-397, a two-point result that protected first place. That kind of match can swing a division. If two tiles, one play, or one endgame decision goes the other way, the standings look very different.

Mathias also won a close one, beating C Donna Courtney 310-297. The 13-point margin kept him tied in wins and within 10 spread points of Bushman. The race between them is now razor thin.

Pete Baney has the strongest spread in Division E at +312, even though he ranks third at 3.0-2.0. His 507-316 win over Diane Kerner was the round’s biggest Division E result by margin. Baney is a win behind the leaders, but his spread gives him a powerful tiebreak position if records tighten.

Chukwuemeka Bosah also moved to 3.0-2.0 after a 393-290 win over Joyce Stock. Bosah’s +128 spread keeps him in the upper half and within striking distance.

Rank	Player	Record	Spread	Round 5 result
1	Craig Bushman	4.0-1.0	+183	Won 399-397 over Connie Breitbeil
2	Mitch Mathias	4.0-1.0	+173	Won 310-297 over C Donna Courtney
3	Pete Baney	3.0-2.0	+312	Won 507-316 over Diane Kerner
4	Chukwuemeka Bosah	3.0-2.0	+128	Won 393-290 over Joyce Stock
5	Diane Kerner	3.0-2.0	-153	Lost 316-507 to Pete Baney
6	Connie Breitbeil	2.0-3.0	-117	Lost 397-399 to Craig Bushman
7	Joyce Stock	1.0-4.0	-238	Lost 290-393 to Chukwuemeka Bosah
8	C Donna Courtney	0.0-5.0	-288	Lost 297-310 to Mitch Mathias

Division E takeaway: Bushman has first place, Mathias is almost level, and Baney may be the most dangerous player one win back.

Division F has the deepest race for first

Division F produced the most packed race of the round. Prince Barlow, Keith Pringle, and Linda Nervis are all 4.0-1.0, and all three won in Round 5.

Barlow holds first with a massive +630 spread after beating Teresa Stone 410-306. That result did two things at once. It protected Barlow’s lead and slowed Stone, who entered the round close enough to stay in the chase. Stone is now 3.0-2.0 with a +105 spread, still competitive but no longer part of the top tie.

Pringle stayed second at 4.0-1.0 with a +511 spread after a 373-186 win over Christina Ruark. That 187-point margin kept pressure on Barlow. Pringle’s spread is still 119 points behind first, but it is strong enough to keep the race open.

Nervis also stayed tied in wins, moving to 4.0-1.0 and +317 with a 369-335 win over Curtis Nash. The 34-point victory was smaller than the wins posted by Barlow and Pringle, so Nervis remains third despite sharing the same record.

Marc Arenberg is fourth at 3.0-2.0 with a +275 spread after defeating Carley Lauer 396-329. Arenberg is one win back, but the spread keeps him relevant if the top three split future results.

Rank	Player	Record	Spread	Round 5 result
1	Prince Barlow	4.0-1.0	+630	Won 410-306 over Teresa Stone
2	Keith Pringle	4.0-1.0	+511	Won 373-186 over Christina Ruark
3	Linda Nervis	4.0-1.0	+317	Won 369-335 over Curtis Nash
4	Marc Arenberg	3.0-2.0	+275	Won 396-329 over Carley Lauer
5	Teresa Stone	3.0-2.0	+105	Lost 306-410 to Prince Barlow
6	Curtis Nash	2.0-3.0	-93	Lost 335-369 to Linda Nervis
7	Carley Lauer	0.0-5.0	-563	Lost 329-396 to Marc Arenberg
8	Christina Ruark	0.0-5.0	-1182	Lost 186-373 to Keith Pringle

Division F takeaway: Barlow has the strongest position, but Pringle and Nervis are right there on wins.

What to watch next

The next round should make spread even more important. Division D and Division E both have two players tied at the top, while Division F has three. That means one head-to-head result or one large margin could reorder the leaderboard quickly.

The players in the best position after Round 5 are:

• Joshua Ruark in Division D, leading on both record and spread

• Craig Bushman in Division E, holding first by only 10 spread points

• Prince Barlow in Division F, leading a three-way race with the biggest spread of the group

  
  

The standings are not settled. Round 5 created separation in some places, but it also made the races at the top sharper. The leaders have control for now, and the next round will show who can protect it.