(PRESS RELEASE VIA NERDFEST)
ELLIOTTSBURG — Gamers from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia and everywhere in between gathered in Perry County on May 14 to compete in Nerdfest, a multi-game marathon tournament, to raise funds for a good cause.
A field of 31 players came together to take on a 10-game tournament that lasted more than 13 hours. In the end, Joe “Grizz” Arcidiacono was the last man standing at Nerdfest X, winning the tournament with 78 points to defeat Andy Sandrik (75 points) and Kurt Bopp (71 points).
Tournament organizers are waiting on a handful of promised donations, but NF is proud to report that at least $2,330 has been raised for Extra Life Hershey, to benefit PSU Children’s Hospital. This donation, as it stands, is already a NF record, surpassing the $2,200 raised at NF9.
Arcidiacono, a frequent podium finisher at NF, finally took the next step, piling up points in 7 out of 10 games to narrowly defeat Sandrik for the title. His breakthrough came late in the tournament, when he defeated Chris “Sheep” Sheipe in the Smash Ultimate third-place match before sealing his tournament championship with a sixth-place finish in Mario Kart 8.
Sandrik finished second and earned wins in Tetris and Towerfall, while Bopp earned his spot on the podium by winning the Smash Ultimate title, pulling off an upset that earned him both placement and bounty points.
Sheipe, a five-time tournament champion, finished NFX in fourth, tied with Pat McVitty.
Defending champion Phil Miller earned wins in Halo 3 and Mario Kart 8, but faced some bad luck in the draws and landed in sixth place.
Perhaps the most entertaining story of NFX was Nick Maisano, who slammed the door on his hand and broke it the morning of the tournament. He went to Nerdfest, anyway, playing through pain and swelling while icing and bandaging between gaming sessions. Maisano attacked the brackets like an animal backed into a corner. He finished the tournament in eighth, but was two bounties shy of winning NFX by a landslide.
Nerdfest is looking forward to holding a sports-themed tournament in 2023. Check out “Nerdfest: The Page” on Facebook for all NFX-related info, as well as updates on the next tournament. Prospective players are encouraged to send a join request on Facebook to “Nerdfest: The Group.”
NERDFEST X STANDINGS
1. Joe Arcidiacono (Carlisle) 78; 2. Andy Sandrik (Carlisle) 75; 3. Kurt Bopp (Camp Hill) 71; 4. Chris Sheipe (Carlisle) 68; 4. Pat McVitty (Marysville) 68; 6. Phil Miller (Hershey) 67; 7. Adam Michael (Gettysburg) 63; 8. Nick Maisano (Mechanicsburg) 58; 9. Matt Sharp (Elliottsburg) 54; 10. Erich Hawbaker (Mercersburg) 50; 11. Spencer Kauffman (Duncannon) 39; 12. Chris Kuntz (Middletown) 30; 13. Donald Wood (Philadelphia) 28; 14. Ben Rapp (Mexico, Pa.) 26; 15. Joel Horvath (Mechanicsburg) 25; 16. Martin Speece (Harrisburg) 24; 17. Casey Thompson (Norristown) 20; 17. Tim Rutan 20; 19. Marissa Luke (Pittsburgh) 18; 20. Bryon Laird (Carlisle) 16; 20. Bobby Luke (Pittsburgh) 16; 22. Derek Wallace (Harrisburg) 14; 23. Ty Kauffman (Marysville) 11; 24. Deacon Derstler (Blain) 8; 24. Max James (Reading) 8; 26. Matt Kloss (Marysville) 2.
Also played: Ben Garrett (Carlisle); Brett Burnell (Marysville); Rodney Barrick (Newport); Preston Goodling (Newport); Seth Miller (Newport).
Game Winners
Tetris (SNES): Sandrik; Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo Switch): P. Miller; Towerfall (Nintendo Switch): Sandrik; WWF No Mercy (Nintendo 64):Hawbaker; Ice Hockey (NES): Michael; COD: Modern Warfare 2 (XBOX 360): McVitty; Super Smash Bros Ultimate (Nintendo Switch): Bopp; Halo 3 (XBOX 360): Miller, Sheipe, S. Kauffman, Sharp; Mega Man’s Soccer (SNES): Sheipe; Tetris Attack (SNES): M. Luke.