July First Sundays: Savageau Takes the Floor at 1up Colfax

Savageau’s Unshakable Run at 1up Arcade

The Sunday happy hour crowd was moving steadily through the dive-bar arcade space at Denver’s 1up Colfax, setting a high-energy scene for the First Sundays July Monthly Tournament. A field of 21 players gathered for an eight-round Group Knockout format, drawing 19 competitors with active IFPA rankings and an average state rank of 105. The local talent pool was deep, featuring two players in the Colorado NACS top 10. Amidst a machine lineup spanning from 1989 to 2026, the overcast, 92°F evening belonged to Shawn Savageau.

The Denver local commanded the floor, turning in a clinic by taking the top spot on 5 of the 8 machines they played. It was a defining performance that reflected the steady rating gains Savageau has built over the past year to reach IFPA rank 3890. Throughout the evening, they demonstrated a level of consistency that proved too much for a solid local turnout to overcome.

Setting the Pace Early on the Floor

Savageau’s upward trajectory was on full display from the opening plunge. Round 1 placed them on Barrels of Fun’s 2023 release, Jim Henson’s Labyrinth. In a 28-minute match, Savageau captured first place, leaving Justin Hinman—the number 2 ranked player in the state of Colorado—in second, followed by Justin Searles and Tim Bruner. The momentum continued into Round 2 on Stern’s brand new Star Wars: Fall of the Empire (Premium). Savageau secured another commanding victory in a snappy 22-minute game, outpacing Kyle Delaney, Joey Sawicki, and Eli Lopez.

By the time they reached Round 3 on Chicago Gaming’s Attack From Mars (Remake LE), Savageau experienced a slight dip, taking third behind Griffin Carr and Ben Zatz in a fast 15-minute contest. However, their early foundation was already firmly established. Navigating the 18-machine lineup requires adaptability, and Savageau showed they were ready to adjust on the fly.

Grinding Through Familiar Rivalries

In a 21-player local knockout, competitors inevitably cross paths with their regular adversaries, and this Sunday was no exception. Savageau found themselves repeatedly matched against Griffin Carr. The two share an ongoing 18-tournament rivalry. In this event, Savageau kept a narrow edge, finishing ahead of Carr in 2 of their 3 shared games and extending their lead in the historical matchup.

Carr, meanwhile, was fighting battles on multiple fronts. He faced off against Ben Zatz in a rivalry that spans 25 shared tournaments. Zatz clawed back tonight, placing ahead of Carr in 2 of their 4 shared games and tightening an already-close historical contest. Zatz was on a mission to narrow gaps across the board; he did the same in his 54-tournament rivalry with Tim Bruner, pushing Bruner to a 21st place overall finish while Zatz aggressively climbed the ranks.

The Dungeons & Dragons Roadblock

If there was a true obstacle in Savageau’s run, it arrived in Round 5 on Stern’s 2025 release, Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant’s Eye (Pro). The 33-minute, four-player match pitted Savageau against Eli Lopez, Griffin Carr, and Mat Brundage. Brundage, carrying a formidable IFPA rank of 802 and a hot streak of four straight podium finishes, proved too much to handle here. Brundage claimed the full point, while Lopez took second and Carr took third, leaving Savageau with a rare fourth-place fraction of a point.

For players looking to conquer the D&D Pro machine, managing Dragon Multiball is critical: jackpot values decrease for every ball that drains. Because of this scoring mechanic, it is vital to use a Shield pre-emptively to keep balls in play and maintain those values.

Brumskill and Beck Battle the Castle

While the tournament leaders clashed, the rest of the field produced their own distinct highlights. A notable showdown occurred in Round 2 on Medieval Madness, the 1997 Williams table designed by Brian Eddy with art by John Youssi and Greg Freres. Thomas Brumskill, an unranked player looking to make his mark, went head-to-head with Eric Beck and Tim Bruner in a closely-matched 20-minute tilt. Brumskill emerged victorious, leaving Beck in second and Bruner in third.

Success on Medieval Madness requires a straightforward but demanding focus: shoot the castle repeatedly to open it up and score big points, with each subsequent castle increasing in value. For Beck and Bruner—who share a deep history of 9 and 23 overlapping tournaments with Griffin Carr, respectively—it was a tough loss in a grinding mid-pack contest.

Closing Out a Dominant Night

Following the setback on Dungeons & Dragons, Savageau wasted no time course-correcting. Round 6 brought a 28-minute battle on Pokémon (Pro), where Savageau returned to form with a first-place finish, shutting out Justin Searles and Justin Hinman. In Round 7, on Barrels of Fun’s Dune, Savageau claimed another victory in a quick 21-minute two-player match against Eric Bateman.

The final punctuation mark came in Round 8 on Stern’s The Uncanny X-Men (Pro). In a 22-minute match, Savageau outlasted Ben Zatz, Eli Lopez, and Mat Brundage to seal the victory. It was a dominant night on the floor for Savageau, securing first place by taking the top score on 5 of the 8 machines they played. Brundage’s consistent excellence and Zatz’s relentless climbing throughout the evening earned them both a well-deserved, tied second-place finish, proving the depth of the local talent pool on a classic Colorado pinball night.

• 1st: Shawn Savageau
• 2nd: Mat Brundage (Tied)
• 2nd: Ben Zatz (Tied)