Craig Krempels is the 2004 United States National Champion!
In what would prove to be Skullclamp's swan song in Standard, Krempels ran the CMU/Togit Elf and Nail deck through Alex Melnikow and William Postlethewait, before defeating Bill Stead in the finals. Krempels will leave Kansas City with the National Championship, a spot on the US team at this year's World Championships, and a sizeable $25,000 prize for his performance this weekend.
Top 8 Final Standing
| 1. Craig Krempels (New Jersey) |
$25,000 |
| 2. Bill Stead (Florida) |
$12,500 |
| 3. Ben Zoz (Nebraska) |
$6,500 |
| 4. William Postlethwait (Florida) |
$5,000 |
| 5. Alex Melnikow (New York) |
$3,300 |
| 6. Brian Kibler (New Hampshire) |
$3,000 |
| 7. David Humpherys (California) |
$2,250 |
| 8. Michael Aitchison (Oregon) |
$2,000 |
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(Click here for complete final standings)
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Bill Stead, like Krempels, is one of America's most talented young stars. Both players have had significant success in competitive Magic, but have yet to truly distinguish themselves on the international stage. In San Francisco they will have that opportunity with the help of "relatively unknown" player Ben Zoz. Even though this is his first top finish, his abilities shouldn't be neglected. Other players, such as Eugene Harvey, Gabe Walls and Brian Hegstad have all made their initial impact as members of the U.S. National team. Whether or not Zoz will continue the trend remains to be seen, but he will certainly be given the opportunity to prove that he is for real.
If American Magic needs a youth movement to return to its past glory, this team may be the catalyst. The rest of the world will be gunning for the team title, and it will be up to Krempels, Stead and Zoz to keep the trophy where it usually resides. Be sure to check our coverage in September, as we find out how this trio fares at World Championships 2004!
Magic Weekend Coverage Blog - last updated: Sunday, June 20: 2:34 pm
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Quarterfinals |
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Semifinals |
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Finals |
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Champion |
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Alex Melnikow
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Craig Krempels, 3-0
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| 8 |
Craig Krempels
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Craig Krempels, 3-1
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| 4 |
William Postlethewait
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William Postlethewait, 3-2
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Craig Krempels, 3-1
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| 5 |
Brian Kibler
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| 2 |
Ben Zoz
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Ben Zoz, 3-0
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| 7 |
David Humpherys
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Bill Stead, 3-0
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| 3 |
Bill Stead
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Bill Stead, 3-0
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| 6 |
Michael Aitchison
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3rd/4th Place Playoff |
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William Postlethewait |
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Ben Zoz, 3-2 |
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Ben Zoz |
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EVENT COVERAGE
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INFORMATION
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Feature: Final JSS Results
by Event Coverage Staff
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Finals: Craig Krempels vs. Bill Stead
by Ted Knutson
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3rd Place Playoff: Ben Zoz vs. William Postlethwait
by Toby Wachter
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Semifinals: Bill Stead vs. Ben Zoz
by Ted Knutson
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Semifinals: William Postlethwait vs. Craig Krempels
by Toby Wachter
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Quarterfinals: Brian Kibler vs. William Postlethewait
by Ted Knutson
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Quarterfinals: Bill Stead vs. Mike Aitchison
by Brian David-Marshall
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Quarterfinals: Craig Kempels vs. Alex Melnikow
by Mike Turian
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Quarterfinals: Dave Humpherys vs. Ben Zoz
by Toby Wachter
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Decks: The Top 8 Decklists
by Event Coverage Staff
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Info: Day 3 Introduction
by Event Coverage Staff
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Blog: Day 2 Weekend Coverage Blog
by Brian David-Marshall
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Feature: The Top 8 Player Profiles
by Event Coverage Staff
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Round 14: Phimus Pan vs. Tony Goodson
by Ted Knutson
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Round 14: Neil Reeves vs. Alex Melnikow
by Toby Wachter
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Round 13: Alex Melnikow vs Mike Hall
by Paul Sottosanti
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Decks: Complete Standard Decklists
by Event Coverage Staff
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Deck Tech: Maindeck Card Breakdown
by Event Coverage Staff
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Deck Tech: Sideboard Card Breakdown
by Event Coverage Staff
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Feature: The Undefeated Drafters
by Toby Wachter
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Round 12: Dave Humpherys vs. Brian Kibler
by Toby Wachter
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Feature: Standard Metagame Breakdown
by Ted Knutson
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Round 11: Zvi Mowshowitz vs. Alex Shvartsman
by Ted Knutson
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Round 10: Peter Swarowski vs. Mike Hall
by Mike Turian
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Round 9: Alex Shvartsman vs. Gabe Walls
by Toby Wachter
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Round 8: Gabe Walls vs. Tony Gregg
by Ted Knutson
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Feature: Fifth Dawn Draft Strategies
by Paul Sottosanti
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Round 8 Draft: Drafting with Gabe Walls
by Ted Knutson
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Round 8 Draft: Drafting with Brian Kibler
by Toby Wachter
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Round 8: Pods
by Event Coverage Staff
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Info: Day 2 Introduction
by Event Coverage Staff
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Blog: Day 1 Weekend Coverage Blog
by Brian David-Marshall
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Round 7: Brian Kibler vs. Bill Stead
by Ted Knutson
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Round 6: Paul Rietzl vs. Gerry Thompson
by Paul Sottosanti
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Feature: Riffing with Randy – The Scoop on Bans, Fifth Dawn, and Sunburst
by Ted Knutson
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Round 6: Dave Humpherys vs. Mitch Tamblyn
by Toby Wachter
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Round 5: Justin Gary vs. Gerard Fabiano
by Toby Wachter
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Feature: The Clamp's Last Days
by Paul Sottosanti
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Round 4: Osyp Lebedowicz vs. Mike Long
by Ted Knutson
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Round 4 Draft: Drafting with Mitchell Tamblyn
by Ted Knutson
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Round 4 Draft: Drafting with Osyp Lebedowicz
by Toby Wachter
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Round 4: Pods
by Event Coverage Staff
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Round 3: Jordan Berkowitz vs. Tom Guevin
by Paul Sottosanti
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Deck Tech: Red, White and... Green?
by Ted Knutson
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Round 2: Osyp Lebedowicz vs. Seth Burn
by Toby Wachter
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Feature: Grinders Recap
by Paul Sottosanti
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Round 1: Mike Long vs. Gadiel Szleifer
by Ted Knutson
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Decklists: Top 4 Decks from Constructed Grinder 4
by Event Coverage Staff
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Decklists: Top 4 Decks from Constructed Grinder 3
by Event Coverage Staff
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Decklists: Top 4 Decks from Constructed Grinder 2
by Event Coverage Staff
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Decklists: Top 4 Decks from Constructed Grinder 1
by Event Coverage Staff
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Info: Day One Introduction
by Event Coverage Staff
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Info: Fact Sheet
by Event Coverage Staff
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