New Kid on the Block
Ed Arias
Supreme Health & Fitness Club (http://www.supremehealthfitness.com/) and
as always, it's good to see old friends and meet new ones as well as
play some hard racquetball and watch the Badgers beat up the
Boilermakers. Howie Grigg, Joe Wirkus and Carol Pellowski did a great
job in running the tournament...great matches, food, drink...videos of
the pros are always popular too ;-)
This year there's a new force on the WI tournament scene...Kevin
Graham. Originally from Eau Claire, WI Kevin lived in North Dakota for
a spell and moved back to Wisconsin last May calling Madison and Supreme
H&F his new home. For the whole summer many of us have had a chance to
play Kevin and it has only lifted our own games. His dominance of the
area started last weekend when he won the Open at Sun Praiarie AC (few
miles NE of the MadCity) but this weekend he definitely made his mark
winning 3 state doubles championships, Open, All Age and 30+ Open with 3
different partners. Kevin is not only a couple notches above everyone
else in his racquetball abilities but he also a class act and one of the
nicest guys you'll meet.
On the Women's side, once again it was Lori Harper dominating the top
divisions...winning Women's Open and All Age with partner Anne Coffman,
and also winning Mixed Open with Allan "Curly" Hansen. Lori is also a
classy lady and easy to look at ;-) Lori and Curly are from Eau Claire
AC and Anne is from the Wisconsin Athletic Club.
Congrats to Kevin and Lori (BTW both are Head players) on their
play...it's great to have such great players and ambassadors of the
sport here in Wisconsin.
Course when a bunch of old diehard rbers get together...the day doesn't
usually end with racquetball. After last nights play...a "full draw" of
us went out for some good eats and drinks. As our fearless leader, Kent
VandeHaar, pointed out...seeing old friends and going out together to BS
about anything and everything is what it's all really about...doesn't
matter what the tournament is, states just happen to always bring more
of us together...it's the "family" that's important...racquetball
players are family.
Throughout the discussions we enjoyed, such as the times we'd all been
shitfaced and done rather embarrassing stunts...the subject did come up
about diminishing numbers at tournaments...and there was a concerted
heart-felt appeal that it's up to us to get more people into the sport
and into tournaments. No mention of why the USRA or the WRA is doing
enough...just talk about US, the "racquetball family" doing more. I'm
sorry to say that I only played one division this time and only 2 of the
UW Rb club members showed up. But we all agreed that we have to do more
ourselves in getting juniors into the sport.
Well, I don't wanna be responsible for wet keyboards so I'll stop and
just report some of the results from the weekend.
Men's Open
1. Kevin Graham/Alex Weiss (Supreme H&F)
2. Bob Nelson/Kyle Veenstra (Stevens Point Y/Western AC)
Con. Ed Arias/Parks Hisey (Supreme H&F)
Men's All Age
1. Kevin Graham/Darryl Zaleski (Supreme H&F/Eau Claire AC)
2. Jay Wollenberg/Steve Sensiba (Wisconsin AC)
Con. Bob Nelson/Kyle Veenstra (Stevens Point Y/Western AC)
Men's 30+ Open
1. Kevin Graham/Howie Grigg (Supreme H&F)
2. Carl Evers/John Bechard (Wisconsin AC)
Con. Kieth Watts/Parks Hisey (Supreme H&F)
Men's 30+ B (RR)
1. Randy Rautenberg/Gary Baier (Beaver Dam Y/Steven's Point Y)
2. Butch Ledworowski/Bill Coon
Men's 35+ Open (RR)
1. Eric Lindquist/Kent VandeHaar (Chippewa Falls AC)
2. Gary Tanko/Tom Henke (Steven's Point Y)
Men's 40+ Open
1. Gary Tanko/Tom Heinke (Steven's Point Y)
2. Dave Rowe/Kent VandeHaar (Eau Claire AC/Chippewa Falls AC)
Men's 45+ Open
1. Don Gunderson/Bill Schultz (Steven's Point Y/Wisconsin AC)
2. Allan Hanson/Brad House (Eau Claire AC)
Men's 50+ Open
1. Dave Rowe/Brad House (Eau Claire AC)
2. Don Gunderson/Gary Curless (Steven's Point AC)
Con. Jim Pellowski/Fran Roman (Mukwanago AC/Southridge AC)
Men's A
1. Brian Crowley/Dan Loy (Southrigde AC/Wisconsin AC)
2. Brian Hullinger/Ken Chmielewski (Wisconsin AC)
Con. Steve Willan/Dan Henderson (Sun Prairie AC)
Men's B
1. Gary Baier/Randy Rautenberg (Steven's Point Y/Beaver Dam Y)
2. Rich Ford/Phil Chojnacki (Southridge AC)
Con. Randy Wurth/Allan Campbell (Janesville AC)
_______________________________________________________________
Women's Open
1. Lori Harper/Anne Coffman (Eau Claire AC/Wisconsin AC)
2. Kin Whalen/Kelly Whalen (Supreme HF/Wisconsin AC)
Con. Kathy Greb/Kathy Roskopf (Wisconsin AC)
Women's All Age (RR)
1. Lori Harper/Anne Coffman (Eau Claire AC/Wisconsin AC)
2. Kim Whalen/Kelly Whalen (Supreme HF/Wisconsin AC)
Women's A
1. Sandy Parsons/Mary Dykstra (Oshkosh Y)
2. Julie Spallas/Jean Kloes (Appleton Y/FonduLac Y)
Con. Joan Harris/Lois Henke (Stevens Point Y)
Women's B/C (RR)
1. Lavonne Kohlhapp/Barb Mai
Mixed Open
1. Lori Harper/Allan Hansen (Eau Claire AC)
2. Kim Whalen/Kyle Venstra (Supreme HF/Western AC)
Con. Kelly Whalen/Brian Crowley (Wisconsin AC)
Mixed 30+ Open (RR)
1. Linda Covault/Carl Evers (Wisconsin AC)
2. Julie Jacobsen/Corey King (Harbor AC/Prairie AC)
Mixed A
1. Mary Dykstra/Jeff Kemp (Oshkosh Y)
2. Sandy Parsons/Randy Parsons (Oshkosh Y)
Con. Jen Shull/Jim Pellowski (Southridge AC/Mukwanago AC)
Mixed B
1. Tami Cameron/Bob Simko (Racine AC)
2. Mark Allie/Michelle Mosser (Supreme HF)
Con. Audrey Lenroot/Wayne Klumstad (Eau Claire AC)
Great weekend...see ya all in Memphis.
Ed.