Boston, MA, Resident Wins Northwestern Mutual NCAA® March Madness® Bracket Challenge

MILWAUKEE, May 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston, MA resident Jenn McDermott, 25, competed with more than 31,000 college basketball fans across the country to be crowned the champion of the 2013 Northwestern Mutual NCAA March Madness Bracket Challenge.

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During the second year of the challenge, sports fans were asked to predict winning teams throughout the 2013 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship. As the winner, McDermott receives a trip for two to the 2014 NCAA Men's Final Four^® courtesy of Northwestern Mutual.

McDermott's Bracket Challenge Team Captain Tim Bettencourt – a financial representative with Northwestern Mutual – will also receive the same prize package.

"March Madness unites some of the most passionate fans across the country, in an electrifying atmosphere that is second to none," said Conrad York, vice president of marketing at Northwestern Mutual. "We congratulate Jenn on winning the bracket challenge and look forward to offering additional opportunities for fans to engage in the exciting world of college sports."

McDermott, a marketing manager in Boston, is the second consecutive female player from the East Coast to win the Northwestern Mutual NCAA March Madness Bracket Challenge. She grew up on a steady dose of sports thanks to her father – an admitted sports fanatic – who always did his best to share his love for competition with the rest of the family.

According to McDermott, while her father has already taken the liberty of claiming her second ticket to next year's Final Four, she jokingly added that she'll be accepting additional offers of good faith from family and friends over the next year to see if she can field a better deal.   

"When I found out that I won the March Madness bracket contest, Tim and I both had an 'Are you kidding me?' moment," said McDermott. "I couldn't be more excited to make the trip next year and want to thank Northwestern Mutual for giving me the opportunity."

For more information about the 2013 Northwestern Mutual NCAA March Madness Bracket Challenge, including the Official Rules, go to brackets.nm.com.

To learn more about Northwestern Mutual's corporate partnership with the NCAA, go to northwesternmutual.com.

About Northwestern Mutual
Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, WI, and its subsidiaries. Northwestern Mutual is among the "World's Most Admired" life insurance companies in 2013 according to FORTUNE® magazine and has helped clients achieve financial security for more than 156 years.

As a mutual company with $1.4 trillion of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual has no shareholders. The company focuses solely and directly on its clients and seeks to deliver consistent and dependable value to them over time.

Northwestern Mutual and its subsidiaries offer a holistic approach to financial security solutions including: life insurance, long-term care insurance, disability income insurance, annuities, investment products, and advisory products and services. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC, broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company, limited purpose federal savings bank; Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company; and Russell Investments.

About the NCAA
The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 400,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports. Visit www.ncaa.org and www.ncaa.com for more details about the Association, its goals and members and corporate partnerships that help support programs for student-athletes. 

NCAA, Men's Final Four, Final Four and March Madness are trademarks owned or licensed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

SOURCE Northwestern Mutual