'Nice revenge run' wins
Entering the Sweet 16, prospects weren't looking so sweet for Norman “Nutty” Voelker.
“I was tied for 44th place,” Voelker, 57, said of the Butler Eagle's annual March Madness contest. “I didn't like my chances.”
Then his fortunes sweetly turned.
Voelker correctly predicted seven of the teams that reached the Elite Eight. He entered the Final Four tied for third place — and wound up winning the contest and the $500 first prize.
“I had Kentucky going to the Elite Eight,” the Butler resident said. “Getting Auburn into the Final Four helped put me over the top.
“They (Auburn) won the SEC Tournament and were a hot team going into the tournament. That's why I picked them.”
He had Duke reaching the national title game, but had the Blue Devils losing to Virginia.
“I lucked out when Michigan State lost (to Texas Tech in the semifinals) because I'm sure a lot of the people at the top of the list had them winning it.
“When Virginia won, I thought I had a chance. If Texas Tech had won, I was done.”
Voelker wound up with 97 points, nipping the “Wise Women” of Niki and Poli Swidzinski of Butler by one point. Miguel Cuadros, 20, of Butler finished third with 95 points.
The Swidzinski sisters and Cuadros correctly picked Virginia beating Texas Tech in the title game. But Voelker had built up enough earlier points to hold them off.
“Virginia losing to a 16 seed in the first round last year ... I figured they'd have a nice revenge run,” he said.
There were 1,077 entrants in this year's contest. Voelker said he has entered every year since the Eagle began the contest.
Only a modest college basketball fan during the regular season, Voelker admitted he gets into the NCAA Tournament every year.
“I think it's better than the Super Bowl,” he said.
Niki and Poli Swidzinski received $250 for second place while Cuadros pockets $100 for third.
“We'll split the money,” Niki said. “I had Texas Tech going deep because I don't like Duke. I had to pick either Virginia Tech or Texas Tech to beat them and I went with Texas.
“I filled out that side of the bracket. My sister filled out the other side.”
Cuadros, a Butler graduate who played basketball through ninth grade, has been playing the Eagle's March Madness contest for six years.
“I was tied for 34th going into the last week,” he said. “I know Texas Tech got me a lot of late points.
“I've done well in this contest before. I've finished among the top 100 twice, but nothing like this.”
While Voelker and the Swidzinski sisters are unsure how they're going to spend their money, Cuadros has definite plans for his $100.
“It's going toward a new car,” Cuadros said.
