Apr. 7--Nine months remain in The Blade's year-long stock contest, but the initial leader still is solidly in first place and experts wonder whether an improbable stroke in the very first week may have sewn up the game for Aaron Howell of Tiffin.

On a blind search for a surgical laser manufacturer to include in his contest's imaginary portfolio, Mr. Howell, an insurance agent in Tiffin, chanced upon Advanced Medical Optics Inc., a $6-a-share stock.

But not even two weeks after he selected it, shares of the Santa Ana, Calif., company soared when health-care and pharmaceutical products giant Abbott Laboratories chose to buy the laser firm for $1.3 billion, or roughly $22 a share.

The stock eventually split, and Mr. Howell has been riding a 233 percent gain by Advanced Medical Optics ever since.

His other three picks are Apple Inc., up 32 percent;

Priceline.com, up 17 percent; and Parker-Hannifin Corp., down 11 percent.

"He now has over a thousand shares of [Advanced Medical Optics]. There's a long way to go, but it's going to be very interesting," said Andrew Weiner, a financial adviser at the Toledo office of Smith Barney, a contest co-sponsor that is tabulating the monthly results.

After three months Mr. Howell's portfolio is $67,057, a gain of 68 percent for the contest.

The 727 participants may be playing for second place. For the third consecutive month, a different contestant, Jill Wesolowski of Milwaukee occupies second place.

Ms. Wesolowski had been in seventh place after two months and her portfolio's value is now $52,739, up 32 percent overall. She chose Best Buy Inc., ITT Corp., Maxwell Technologies Inc., and Netflix Inc. as her four stocks.

In third place is Jay Sepanski of Sylvania whose portfolio is at $52,203, up 31 percent for the contest.

His stock picks were Big Lots Inc., Brigham Exploration Co., Bruker Corp., and Western Refining Inc.

Mr. Howell was thrilled to learn he is still in first place. "It's premature to say we're going to win it, but everything has been going my way. I hope it continues," he said.

But looking ahead, Mr. Howell added that he may dump his nonperformer, Parker-Hannifin, when contestants are allowed to swap out a stock at the contest's midway point.

Contestants had to select two New York Stock Exchange and two Nasdaq stocks, worth at least $3 a share, by Dec. 31, 2008, and divide an imaginary $40,000 evenly among the four picks.

The top-performing port- folio by the end of this year, even if it is worth less than the original $40,000, wins.

The winner of the contest gets $200 and a trip to either Chicago, Toronto, or Tampa, courtesy of contest co-sponsor Central Travel of Toledo. Second place gets $300, and third place gets $200.

The other contest leaders and their portfolio values are Terence Gorski, Sylvania, $51,918; Deb Pawlaczyk, Toledo, $50,984; Andrew Nycz, Toledo, $49,802; Dave Kvale, Toledo, $49,542; Gretchen Drummond, Oregon, $49,517; Donald Theis, Toledo, $49,334; and Kathy Laube, Tiffin, $49,174.

Contact Jon Chavez at: jchavez@theblade.com or 419-724-6128.

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