A pair of Minnesota Legends will be inducted into the Minnesota Handball Hall of Fame on Saturday, April 28, 2001. Larry Klein and Rich Ryan, a formidable doubles team in the 70’s and tremendous individual competitors will be this year’s honorees at the annual MSHA Hall of Fame and awards banquet.

At the December 2000 MSHA Board meeting, Rich and Larry were unanimously approved for induction into the Minnesota Handball Hall of Fame. Together they won the 1982 MSHA Open Doubles and the 1991 MSHA Masters A Doubles Championships. In State events, Larry finished second (six times), third (five times) and fourth (ten times. Rich finished second fourteen times, third eleven times and fourth six times.

Together they won the Winter Carnival Doubles eight times in the Open, Masters and Golden Masters divisions. They claimed Open Doubles titles in four Aquatennial Tournaments and five Open Doubles titles in the Ames, Iowa Slick Ball Sweaty Wall tournaments. They won the Central Regional USHA Open Doubles in Des Moines and were finalists in the Open Doubles National YMCA tournament held in Fargo, ND. They have been a team for over 30 years.

Rich accomplished a rare feat in 1988 when he finished second in all four of the MSHA Championships: Open Singles, Open Doubles, Master A Singles and Master A Doubles.

This year’s format is a departure from past events. The banquet will coincide with the final state championship tournament of the year, the Open Doubles. So that more out-of-town players and guests can attend, the banquet will be held Saturday night of the tournament. The new venue is the Gasthof Zur Gemutlichkeit, a famous German restaurant in NE Minneapolis. Congratulations to both Larry and Rich, a great Minnesota duo.