MSHA Open Doubles

March 27-28, 2009

University of Minnesota Rec Center

He went out a winner. We were all saddened to lose Dick Baer to an apparent heart attack at the Open Doubles on Friday night, March 27. Dick and partner Dick Gauger won a great three game match. A half hour later, the ambulance was called as Dick keeled over. He was stabilized and was conversing with those around him as they took him off in the ambulance. Sadly, he did not survive the night.

Everyone thought Chris Iverson and Pete Crouser would win their record setting seventh straight Open Doubles championship – everyone except Matt Hiber and Steve Christoff as they dominated the defending champs with an 21-9, 21-8 finals, Hiber was focused and on fire keeping the former champs off balance with great defense and superb back wall shooting. Christoff made all the right moves as the left-side, but secondary member of the new champs. Matt dominated all players on the court. It might have been the tie-breaker than Kris Schaumann and Tom Bowman pushed Crouser and Iverson through in the semi-final match that made the difference. It looked like it in the 3^rd place match as Andy Nett and John Nett took the metal with a relatively easy win over Bowman and Schaumann. They obviously laid all out in the semis. Ray Miller and Jeff Ryan took consolation honors over Ryan Maloney and Mike Wells. There wasn’t an easy match anywhere to be found in the open division.

The Tournament Committee did a great job splitting up the open and Golden Masters A entries to make a very competitive A division. No one complained about the adjustmens and the competition was tremendous. Matt Langhorst and Marc Brissett sporting the youngest legs in the draw came out on top. Look out for these guys. Greg Taylor and Tim Fichtel looked pretty strong taking the 3^rd place hardware dominating Brian Mahaffy and Larry Larson. Tom Bordenave and Tim Zigmund were solid in grabbing consolation honors over Marc Tobin (filling in for an injured Dean Held) and Mike Leiter.

The B doubles took a tie-breaker to decide the champions. Brandon Glaze and Mitch Van Eps had a great match against the father and son team of Clancy Mylan and Mark Mylan. In a game filled with great shots, great gets and the typical B division hand errors the youngsters proved more resilient. Veteran players Ed Simonet and Jack Leveille claimed 3^rd place against Steve and John Laliberte and Billy Craig and Danile Schonhardt claimed consolation honors in a great three-game finally against Bob Victorin-Vanerud and Danny Kieffer.

A round robin can be a lot of fun and the C division players got plenty of fun in a five-team round robin. Everyone got to play four matches and it came down to the last match to find a winner. Will Camisa and Justin Nishioka claimed the prize over Matt Johnson and Jesse Fleck. Dane Swanson and Noah Odland took third.

The Novice division is an opportunity for neophyte handball players to get some of their first tournament experience. Some of the players had only been taking handball classes a few months but they were out there competing. Everyone was a winner in this round robin event, but Kristi Knudsen and Ben Olson got to take home the championship trophy. Sam Finklestein and Mitch Pajcic took second and Kevin Hirst and Gabe Garcia-Boler took third place.

2009 Hall of Fame inductee Paul Dorland defended his 2008 Golden Masters (50+) A title with a different partner. Jim Turk brought his rusty game to the tournament and found his old ways as everyone knew to stay away from Paul’s devastating front court play. Jim was up to the task and then some killing back wall shots from 38 feet and keeping everything in play. John Miller and Jim May put up a good fight but could never quite get the lead. Emil Weiler and Brett Broxey cleaned up 3^rd place over Rich Ryan and Brian Coonce. Phil Kleineschay and Mike Kloos won a tough battle against Don Reiter and John Nakasone for consolation honors.

There was little joy for Lyle Fisher and Jim Noren in winning the Diamond Masters (70+) division as one of their fellow competitors died of a heart attack during the tournament. Skip Kiland and Jerry Totall took second and Brian Wessel and Jerry Rice returned to competitive tournament handball after many years to take third place. We will miss Dick Baer and our hearts go out to his family and friends.

See photos from the 2009 Open Doubles Championships

Open Doubles

Quartefinals

• Pete Crouser (St. Paul)/Chris Iverson (Minneapolis) def. Matt Dobbins (Oakdale)/Tim Kappes (North St. Paul) 21-7,, 21-5
• Tom Bowman (Chanhassen)/Kris Schaumann (Inver Grove Heights) def. Ray Miller (St. Paul)/Jeff Ryan (St. Paul) 21-20, 21-11
• Andy Nett (Winona)/John Nett (Winona) def. Steve Johnson (White Bear Lake)/Tim Labey (St. Paul) 21-4, 21-19

• Steve Christoff (St. Paul)/Matt Hiber (Roseville) def. Ryan Maloney (Cottage Grove)/Mike Wells (Good Thunder) 21-17, 21-19

Semifinals

• Crouser/Iverson def. Bowman/Schaumann 18-21, 21-17, 11-6
• Christoff/Hiber def. Andy Nett/John Nett 21-14, 21-13

Finals

• Christoff/Hiber def. Crouser/Iverson 21-9, 21-8

Third Place

• Andy Nett/John Nett def. Bowman/Schaumann 21-13, 21-3

Coni

• Miller/Ryan def. Maloney/Wells 21-18, 21-19

A Doubles

Quartefinals

• Tim Fichtel (Mendota Heights)/Greg Taylor (Woodbury) def. Tom Bordenave (Hudson)/Tim Zigmund (St. Paul) 21-10, 21-16
• Mark Brissett (Duluth)/Matt Langhorst (Duluth) def. Scott Sayer (Medina)/Sheldon Silberman (Golden Valley) 21-8, 21-8
• Curt Schlenner (St. Paul)/Andy Staab (St. Paul) def. Dean Held (Chanhassen)/Mike Leiter (Eden Prairie) 21-2, 21-4
• Larry Larson (Plymouth)/Brian G. Mahaffy (Minneapolis) def. George Langhorst (Moose Lake)/Glenn Solin (Duluth) 15-21, 21-11, 11-6

Semifinals

• Brissett/Matt Langhorst def. Fichtel/Taylor 21-4, 21-17
• Schlenner/Staab def. Larson/Mahaffy 21-15, 11-21, 11-6

Finals

• Brissett/Matt Langhorst def. Schlenner/Staab 21-16, 21-6

Third Place

• Fichtel/Taylor def. Larson/Mahaffy 21-5, 21-4

Coni

• Tom Bordenave/Tim Zigmund def. Marc Tobin/Mike Leiter 21-12, 21-17

B Doubles

Quartefinals

• Brandon Glaze (Eagan)/Mitch Van Eps (Eagan) BYE
• John Laliberte (White Bear Lake)/Steve Laliberte (White Bear Lake) def. Danny Kieffer (W. St. Paul)/Bob Victorin-Vangerud (Minneapolis) 21-17, 9-21, 11-6
• Clancy Mylan (Minnetonka)/Mark Mylan (Mound) def. Billy Craig (Mankato)/Daniel Schonhardt (Mankato) 21-10, 21-12
• Jack Leveille (Golden Valley)/Ed Simonet, Jr. (Stillwater) def. Matt Nordahl (Mankato)/Christopher Yard (Mankato) 21-15, 21-12

Semifinals

• Glaze/Van Eps def. John Laliberte/Steve Laliberte 21-19, 21-15
• Clancy Mylan/Mark Mylan def. Leveille/Simonet 21-9, 21-18

Finals

• Glaze/Van Eps def. Clancy Mylan/Mark Mylan 6-21, 21-6, 11-5

Third Place

• Leveille/Simonet def. John Laliberte/Steve Laliberte 21-12, 21-13

Coni

• Billy Craig/Daniel Schonhardt def. Danny Kieffer/Bob Victorin-Vangerud 7-21, 21-16, 11-6

C Doubles – round robin

1. Will Camisa (Minneapolis)/Justim Nishioka (Minneapolis)

2. Jesse Fleck (Minneapolis)/Mathew Johnson (Minneapolis)

3. Noah Odland (St. Paul)/Dane Swanson (St. Paul)

4. Chris Delaney (Mankato)/Josh Salwey (Mankato)

5. Marshall Clark (Mankato)/Steve Totzke (Mankato)

Golden Masters (50+) A Doubles

Quartefinals

• Brett Broxey (Brooklyn Park)/Emil Weiler III (St. Paul) def. Bill Ingram (Woodbury)/Mike McQuillan (St. Paul) 21-2, 21-19
• Paul Dorland (Mankato)/Jim Turk (No. Mankato) def. Phil Kleineschay (Maple Grove)/Mike Kloos (Woodbury) 21-15, 21-11
• Brian Coonce (St. Paul)/Rich Ryan (Woodbury) def. John Nakasone (St. Paul)/Don Reiter (Stillwater) 21-15, 18-21, 11-7
• Jim May (Northfield)/John Miller (Edina) def. Chris Foley (Dellwood)/Jeff Palumbo (Grant) 21-5, 21-8

Semifinals

• Dorland/Turk def. Broxey/Weiler 21-19, 21-14
• May/Miller def. Coonce/Ryan 21-9, 21-15

Finals

• Dorland/Turk def. May/Miller 21-16, 21-14

Third Place

• Broxey/Weiler def. Coonce/Ryan 21-11, 21-1

Coni

• Phil Kleineschay/Mike Kloos def. John Nakasone/Don Reiter 21-13, 21-20

Diamond Masters (70+) Doubles – round robin

1. Lyle Fischer (Oakdale)/Jim Noren (Woodbury)
2. Skip Kiland (Shoreview)/Jerry R. Totall (Bloomington)
3. Jerry Rice (Prescott)/Brian Wessel (Hugo)
4. Dick Baer (White Bear Lake)/Richard R. Gauger (St. Paul)

Novice Doubles – round robin

1. Kristi Knudsen (Rochester)/Ben Olson (La Cresent)
2. Samson Finkelstein (St. Paul)/Mitch Pajcic (Mt. Prosp[ect)
3. Gabe Garcia-Boler (St. Paul)/Kevin Hirst (Minneapolis)
4. Chelsey Barber (Savage)/Callie Larsen (Minneapolis)