We haven’t had a winner at one of these for some time, so I’d say we were about due. Ryan didn’t just make Top 8 either — he came in first place after the initial 9 rounds, and walked away with second place for the entire event. As the winner, Ryan gets a featured interview, so let’s get on with it!
What made you decide to sign up for the Challenge?
“Umm I don’t know . . . to see my picture on the internet!” Ryan grinned. “More exposure!” his teammate Jake McNeely interjected. “No, put ‘because I knew I’d Top 8’!”
Did you think you’d win the Challenge?
“Not really.”
Was there any point yesterday when you knew you had it?
“Yeah, the 7th round.” (Ryan went undefeated yesterday.)
What prompted your choice of decks for the event? Did you have a second or third choice?
Oh, well . . . I didn’t know what to play, so I got hold of Kevin Cavanaugh, and he sent a decklist. I used one similar to his.
Were there any changes you’d have made, looking back?
“I wouldn’t run Soul Exchange; I didn’t use it the entire day. No, wait! I did use it against Jason, but still, I’d have taken it out.”
What was the best play you saw this weekend?
“When Jake sided out Graceful!” (I’m sure the prompting from Jake didn’t influence this choice in the slightest . . .)
How do you think this event compared to Arlington?
“I think the Top 8 was terrible, none of the pairings were very good. Arlington I think was harder.” “It was harder for me!” Jake threw in.
What was the weirdest or most inexplicable thing you saw?
“In the Top 8 match, my opponent used Torrential Tribute on my Sangan.”
Tell us a bit about Jake! (He was sitting right there, why not?)
“He’s a pro!” Jake grinned.
Got any shout outs?
“Yeah, Kevin for the decklist . . .” Jake whispered in his ear. “What?! NO!” . . . “Oh, yeah! Lazaro Bellido, because I pretty much net-decked him! We ended up with about the same deck build.”
Do you have any plans to travel to future events?
“I might go to Seattle or Anaheim.”
Do you hope to attend Nationals? How many times have you qualified?
I qualified at Arlington, at 2 regionals, and then here. I hope I’ll be able to attend.” “It should be in Texas!” Jake declared. “Right in the center!”
Second place is a double edged sword — it’s still pretty good as far as prizes go, but it’s hard to get so close to first and not make it. Still, Top 4 and then Top 2 at both Shonen Jumps in his area make for solid bragging rights, and I’m sure we’ll be hearing from Ryan again soon. Congrats again on winning the SBC!