SONYA THOMAS TAKES WING BOWL XII

In a dramatic one-on-one overtime victory against top-ranked American gurgitator Ed Cookie Jarvis, Sonya Thomas won 610 WIP.s Wing Bowl XII this morning in front of 20,000-plus fans at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia.

Sonya set a new Wing Bowl record of 167 buffalo chicken wings in 30 minutes of regulation and two minutes of overtime. Cookie Jarvis lost by just two wings, consuming 165 in the same time period to come in second. Former champion El Wingador, Bill Simmons, consumed 151 wings in the 30 minutes of regulation to place third.

The event -- the brainchild of Al and Angelo -- is an elimination match with two 14-minute rounds followed by a final two-minute round.

Thomas, the stomach-stuffing starlet, was among an impressive group of four IFOCE gurgitators in the top-five final round and she will take home a new car for her efforts. IFOCE superstars Hungry Charles Hardy, known as "The Godfather" by Philly fans, placed fourth and Eric Badlands Booker placed fifth in the hotly contested battle of 25 eaters.

Hardy shocked the entire arena by consuming 80 wings in the first 14 minutes of eating to place first. However, when Hardy's pedigree became known the crowd realized the depth of the talent that was on the stage.

Don Lerman and Tefkac O'Karma put in powerful performances to make it to the second round and place in the top ten. Krazy Kevin Lipsitz showed considerable skill in the first round, barely missing the opportunity to advance.

O'Karma's entry into the arena will live in infamy. The contentious Cayahuga Falls eater raised shields embalzoned with the lopsided score of the Eagles recent loss, prompting a massive barrage of beer cans that immediately overwhelmed any protection offered by the shields.

Jarvis, who lost the event by only ounces, was clearly following a strategy, pacing himself with incredible precision during the first 20 minutes. He came on strong at the right time, but endured a squeaker of a loss in overtime. A world-class rivalry is shaping up.