Mike is a math instructor and puzzle constructor from the Chicagoland area, where he has lived since the 1990s. When he is not eating deep-dish pizza or writing his bio, he enjoys crosswords, calculus, cats, coffee, the Chicago Cubs, chess, crosswords, and repeating himself. Mike posts puzzles (and cat pics!) weekly at Pun of a Kind. 

Emily is one half of Block Party Puzzles, who publishes crossword books themed around Detroit and Michigan. The second book comes out this November. You can find Emily checking out local bands (or playing in her own) or at home chipping away at her endless TBR pile, admiring her dog, and daydreaming about the day when "Haunted Chocolatier" finally comes out. A lifelong Michigander, she loves to get "up north" and swim in a lake any chance she gets. It's usually Lake Huron.  

Sala is the other half of Block Party Puzzles, who also created and host Grid Prix, a crossword tournament in Detroit. The second event will be March 2027. Follow Block Party Puzzles to keep up! This is Sala's third Midwest Crossword tournament! First as a competitor, then a volunteer, and now as a constructor - the trifecta! Other stuff she loves is playing mahjong (fwiw she was on the train before it got trendy), and rock hunting (ask her about her Petoskey Stone collection). 

Jess is a crossword constructor from Minnesota. She also provides child-centered, play-based therapy to elementary school students. She writes the Constructor Spotlights for Daily Crossword Links and is on the editing team at Lil AVCX. Jess contributed a puzzle to Midis for Minnesota earlier this year. Jess now lives in Colorado with her spouse, kiddo, and cat, but she'll always be a Minnesotan at heart. Her favorite water bottle sticker reads, “Make Lefse, Not War,” and, yes, she really does use “uff da” and “ope” in everyday conversation. 

Shannon is a puzzle constructor and tournament enthusiast from St. Louis, Missouri. She wanted to create a crossword tournament in the Midwest to showcase the depth and breadth of cruciverbal talent. She's a fan of coffee, burritos, knitting, swimming, and vacations in beautiful places. She wants to thank all of the constructors, editors, testers, volunteers, and most of all the solvers for making the Midwest Tournament a success. 

Sally is a crossword constructor (for various publications), editor (Lil AVC X), and blogger (Sally's Take on the USAT Crossword). When not crosswording, she enjoys traveling, reading, hiking, playing board games, and snuggling with her cat. Sally has lived in the Midwest since she was eight months old, first in Missouri, and now in the crossword-friendly state of Iowa.  

Christina is a crossword constructor and puzzle editor for the New York Times, currently living in Ames, Iowa. She grew up outside of Duluth, Minnesota, and after living on both coasts, she is happy to be back in the Midwest. She has two young kids, and loves playing games and doing puzzles with them. In her limited free time, she enjoys reading, hiking and cycling. 

Tracy is a puzzle editor for the New York Times and a co-founding editor for Inkubator, a publisher of puzzles by women and nonbinary creators.  Before changing careers in 2020, Tracy spent decades as a managing copy editor at Mathematical Reviews/MathSciNet in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she still resides.