Otto Schellhamer, a 14-year-old from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has set the internet ablaze in recent weeks. His biggest, most surprising accomplishment in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament. After two complete rounds of play, Schellhamer is the only–out of dozens of participants–with a perfect bracket remaining. He’s managed to be right on 48 of those correct selections from an initial bubbling cauldron of well over 60 teams. His incredible streak of flawless picking makes him the last man standing in an incredible field of 41.2 million brackets.
Now, as the 2016 College Cup tournament gets down to its final 16 teams, Schellhamer’s perfect record glows ever more impressively. The thrill of March Madness is in the air! This year’s competition is definitely stiff, and he is excited about the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 rounds coming up. Schellhamer, an 8th grader, told how excited he was that the tournament was creating so much excitement in his school.
“It’s all anybody can talk about. It’s been fun,” he noted, reflecting on the lively discussions surrounding the tournament among his peers.
Schellhamer, meanwhile, is now rooting for the University of Texas. This No. 1 seed is the highest winning No. 1 seed out of 33 total wins in the regular season! He believes that Texas has what it takes to dominate the remainder of the tournament and secure the championship title.
I’m absolutely rooting for Texas right now to bring it home,” he said.
With 16 more selections still to go, Schellhamer’s path to earning a perfect bracket might be even more record-breaking. Last year’s record for a perfect women’s bracket was the longest, going 57 straight correct selections. With every round that passes, fans and analysts alike will be watching with bated breath. They’re excited to find out if the young bracket master can continue his remarkable run.
Schellhamer’s remarkable performance has earned him a well-deserved spotlight outside his home community. He was recently profiled by Good Morning America, putting an even stronger spotlight on his improbable success in this year’s tournament.
“I just want everybody to know, this was all luck.” – Otto Schellhamer
