Jesse Day ’09 was in first place going into the last day of the National Scrabble Championships, but eventually finished in fifth.

“All throughout the last day I felt that my decision-making was sharp and that I was playing confidently, even though the results didn’t turn out as I would have hoped,” Day said in an email to the News.

After winning the first game of the last day, Day lost against defending world champion and eventual tournament winner Nigel Richards.

The opportunity to play high-level games against some of the best players in the world is all he can ask for, Day said.

Day stared playing Scrabble around the beginning of his senior year of high school and went to his first National Championships in 2005.

Robert Quigley ’09 was also competing in the tournament.