Lindekugel leads the 2017 bracketology pack

    Ray Lindekugel proved to be the best master of bracketology after the first weekend of March Madness.
    Lindekugel correctly picked 38 games in the NCAA tournament openers.
    Tracy Pribbeno and Penny Strand are right on Lindekugel’s tail, picking 37 games correctly.
    Six contestants picked 36 games correctly. They included Joel Burke, Matt Klima, Chris Lee, Doug Pribbeno, Jenna Schultz, and Tyler Spady, 36.
    Going into this weekend’s Sweet 16, there are 18 pickers who still have nine or more teams still in their bracket.
    Six pickers have 11 teams still in the tournament. Five have 10 teams and seven have nine teams. Only two others have eight teams left.
    The East Regional proved to be the real bracket buster for most contestants.
    Most picked defending champion Villanova and perennial favorite Duke to advance, but both lost in the second round, jinxing a number of the brackets.
    This year’s sponsors of the March Madness 2017 Bracketology contest include:
    The Imperial Republican, 509 Broadway; AACE Wash Systems; Adams Bank & Trust, Adams Drug; Adams Lumber Co., Beverage Barn; Colson Agency; Crop Production Services; Frenchman Valley Coop.;
    Grosch Irrigation; Harchelroad Motors, Inc.; Helena; Holiday Farms; Home Decor; Imperial Country Ford; Kwik Stop; M & M’s Natural JAZ, LLC; Markee Ag Services; Pinnacle Bank; Pivot Electric; Pizza Hut; Platinum T-Shirts & Embroidery; S & P Liquor;
    Schultz Construction—Nick Schultz; Southwest Title Co.; Trinidad Benham and Western Insurors—Jeffrey T. Wallin.    
    Leaders in the Imperial Republican’s bracketology contest after the first weekend are as follows:
Ray Lindekugel, 38; Tracy Pribbeno, 37; Penny Strand, 37; Joel Burke, 36; Matt Klima, 36; Chris Lee, 36; Doug Pribbeno, 36; Jenna Schultz, 36; Tyler Spady, 36; Alex Strand, 35; Donna Werkele, 35; Alan Carman, 34; Mike Frerichs, 34; Janice Kurth, 34; Chance Thayer, 34; Chandra Thayer, 34; Tyler Pribbeno, 33; Darrin Schultz, 33; Troy Spady, 33; Leann Weiss, 33; Brian Carman, 32; Tommy Estrada, 32; Mike Pribbeno, 32; Madelyn Clermont, 31; Ethan Clermont, 30; Mike Smith, 30; Leslie Chavez, 27; Uriel Gallegos, 26; Courtney Burke, 25 and Hesston Hamm, 7.