Her highest official rating was 187, corresponding to her highest national ranking of 10th, in 1996, which enabled her to take part in the 1997 World Championships, in Washington. The World Championships gave her her best achievement in Scrabble. She occupied a place in the Top 10 for much of the event, in the Top 20 for most of it, and finally finished 21st. That made her the World's best lady player at the time. Matt Graham, who won his way through to the final, and who played Penny twice during the course of the event, described her as "awesome". She was officially the "meanest" player in the World, having conceded fewer points then anyone-else.