I've been mulling it over, and I honestly think the best way to handle this is to just stick with the original plan; three highest from each, 9 man free-for-all.
Seeing how much interest and activity we've managed with this tournament, I don't want to see interest in it wain because people can't keep up the pace they have been for the past week. The idea of having to try and go through all of that, *two* more times to try for the win fills me with a quiet despair that I doubt I am alone in experiencing.