I need an advanced user's help with a function.

I am trying to get a cell to display the names of the top 5 participants in order based on another cell's value within that row.

In other words I am trying to show the top 5 people in order based on their point totals.

Function F8

Custom Sort is what you want to do. You have to go in and set the fields but it will do it.

Located inside Sort & Filter

Seems like a "basic" sort and filter. Like this?

I don't think that's it.

I don't want to sort the entire worksheet to show the top 5, I have a separate area for the top 5 names. I want them to change as the top 5 participants change

Yep. Sounds like you just need to setup filters (very very easy).

If you're using Excel often, I suggest checking out this place: http://www.excelforum.com/

They've saved me hours of Excel work.

Alt F4

I charge a small fee for advanced excel help. The free advice is it's a ID 10 T error or what 1shart recommended.

I can only pay in gifs

Bust out a v lookup

you obviously need to create a formula or a 3d formula.

I was playing around with this a little bit and I think I have a solution for you. Set you table up like this and put this formula in cell D2 and copy it down. If you want to display it somewhere else you will have to change the formula slightly.
=INDEX($B$2:$B$28,MATCH(1,INDEX(($A$2:$A$28=LARGE($A$2:$A$28,ROWS(D$1:D1)))*(COUNTIF(D$1:D1,$B$2:$B$28)=0),),0))

Can you tell I'm bored at work?

Lol, where do you work?

Messing around on Excel at midnight