Both winners at the Carson Station and Pinon Plaza for Week 9 of the Pro Picks contest are longtime players who claimed their first win ever in the contest by picking 12 Sunday winners and then taking the Monday night tiebreaker.
-- Pinon Plaza winner Beryl Simonson of Carson City and her husband Lee have both played the contest since it started.
"My husband - we celebrated 50 years of marriage in May - won it once the first year, and he was third once a couple of years ago," said Beryl, who is 75 and was born in Minnesota. "I was second once a long time ago. I pick by gut feeling - no set pattern."
The couple are both retired. He from 22 years with NDOT and she was an assembly worker at Richdel for 10 years.
"I think it's great that I finally won," added Simonson cheerfully. "I can use the money ($250) at Christmas time."
Second place from the tiebreaker at the Plaza and $150 was won by Carson City's Al Paul and third place and $100 went to Carson's Chris Mauldin. There were 1,382 entries at the Plaza.
-- Carson Station winner Dave McCullough has been playing the contest for eight years, which was when he arrived in Carson City. He is 44 and was born in Gatesville, Texas.
"I've never even been second or third before this week," said McCullough. "I make my picks by hunch and am usually wrong - but not this week!"
McCullough works for Sierra Mold & Engineering Inc.
"I'm a machinist and have been with them for almost five years," he noted. "I'll use my $250 in winnings on my vacation. I'm going to Arizona next month and the extra money will come in handy."
In the tiebreaker, Carson City's Darlene Loff took second at the Station and won $150, while Jim Trout of Carson City was third and won $100. There were 1,186 entries at the Station.
-- Free entry forms are published daily in the Nevada Appeal Sports section. Complete rules are published every Friday and Sunday. Winners can claim their prize money at the gift shop where they won after 10 a.m. today
