Four readers still alive in Final Four Challenge

SANDPOINT — And then there were four.

The four teams heading to Atlanta are No. 1 Louisville, No. 4 Syracuse, No. 4 Michigan and No. 9 Wichita State, having navigated the minefield that is the NCAA tournament.

There are also four entries still alive in the Annual Bee Final Four Challenge, and chance to win $50 in cash.

Among the 48 entries in the free contest, only Duane Abromeit (Louisville, Michigan), Bob Bash (Louisville, Michigan), John  Hendricks (Louisville, Syracuse) and Vaila Hew (Louisville, Syracuse) had two final four teams, the first criteria in the challenge.

The next criteria is who picked the most finalists. Here is where Hew has a decided edge, as she has both Louisville and Syracuse in her final two, while the other three don’t have a finalist.

Should either Louisville or Syracuse advance to the finals, Hew is the automatic winner.

However, if Michigan or Wichita State both win in the semis, the final tie-break will go to whoever is closest to the total points scored in the championship.

Should it go that far, Abromeit (127 total points), Bash (136), Hendricks (138) and Hew (147) will be counting every point next Monday night.

A special thanks to the 48 readers who submitted an entry in the challenge. Better luck next year.