Minnesota State Handball Association

Minnesota State Handball Championships
Open Doubles Handball
University of Minnesota Recreational Sports Center, Minneapolis, MN
March 26-27, 2010

Some mighty fine handball was played at the 2010 Open Doubles championship at the university of Minnesota Rec. Center the weekend of March 26-27. A dozen teams squared off in the Open Division.  Last years winners, Steve Christoff and Matt Hiber did not return as a team to defend their title.  Instead, Matt team up with Ray Miller to draw the #1 seed.  The team looked destined to take the title with relatively straight forward wins including a 21-11, 21-13 semifinal over Ryan Maloney and Mike Gustafson. 

However, last years third place team of Andy Nett and John Nett worked their way to the finals defeating a strong Mike Wells/ John Stoffel team and then Steve Johnson and Tim Labey, both in two contested games.  Hiber and Miller looked strong taking the first game at 12 with accurate serves and great driving v-passes until they got the kill opportunity.  Andy did a great job digging the kills but the left side serves gave him trouble.  The Netts regrouped for the second game and Andy showed his conditioning and youthfulness.  There is a new drive and competitiveness in Andy and it carried them to a 19 point win to set up the tie-breaker.  The Netts got a quick lead and looked like they would run away with the game but Hiber and Miller worked their way back into only to fall short at 6.  Minnesota crowned a new (Andy) and a very seasoned (John) championship doubles team. Maloney and Gustafson claimed third over a defeated Tim Labey and Steve Johnson.

Losers in the Open on Friday played off for the A division title.  Mike Wells and John Stoffel claimed the win over Jeff Ryan and Matt Dobbins in an exciting 13-21, 21-6, 11-7 battle.  The third place match was equally entertaining as Tim Kappes and Brian Burke defeated Pete Crouser and Brian Coonce 15-21, 21-11, 11-8.

Jesse Fleck and Dane Swanson surprised a couple of teams in the B Division to advance to the finals from their fifth seed.  The young pair defeated the young and the old in matches against Ed Simonet and Ed Brazman and then Mark and Clancy Mylan.  Equally tough were Billy Craig and Matt Callanan, products of the Mankato State Handball program, defeating a very tough team of Matt Johnson (not from the U of M) and Danny Kieffer in their seminfinal match.  The final looked to be a show-down.  Craig and Callanan learned from their semifinal match and kept the pressure on to win the title in two games.  Johnson and Kieffer took third in a great match against the Mylans with a come-back 16-21, 21-15, 11-5 win.  John Laliberte and Gabriel Lopez took consolation honors over Simonet and Brazman.

It looked like the year for the lefty’s John Miller and Brett Broxey as they defeated Don Reiter and Bill Hickey with strong showing in the Golden Masters (50+) A Division semifinals.  Meanwhile, perennial champion Paul Dorland and his new partner Mike Kloos struggled in their semifinal against Phil Kleineschay and Tim Fichtel going to a tie-breaker.  Miller and Broxey looked strong winning the first game of the final at 16 and looked poised for the win serving at 20 in the second game.  The 21st point just wouldn’t come so it came down to a tie-breaker.  By that time, Dorland and Kloos had worked out their teamwork – let Paul take everything!  It was over at 11-3.  Reiter and Hickey took third place in an entertaining match against Kleineschay and Fichtel but it looked like the tough semi took a little too much away for a second tough match on Saturday.  John Nakasone and Mike Black defeated a recovering Gary Rohrer (two hip replacements) and a rusty looking Brad Baker for consolation honors.

Larry Larson took a few hours off of preparing tax returns to play a couple of tie-breakers on his way to a second place finish with Brian Mahaffy in the Golden Masters (50+) B Division.  However, Tom Bordenave and Tim Zigmund outlasted Larson and Mahaffy to take the crown in an 11-3 finish.  Mike Erdmanczyk and Don Weinberger took third.

It was a great showing of university students in the Novice Division where 13 year-olds Devin Ries and National Champion Tyler Stoffel beat all the first-year university students to take the title.  It was the first adventure in doubles for most of the university students as they have concentrated on mostly fundamentals and singles in classes.  They had a blast as they gained valuable teamwork knowledge as they played through the tournament.  Instructor Jim Carlson couldn’t have been more proud if they had been his own kids! Nick Balcos and Nick Olson took second and Returning student Kristi Knudson and Wes Bussler took third place over Allan Bates and Max Stahler. Andy Bucket and Daniel Van Aartsen defeated Ryan Weber and Phil Young for the consolation title.  Kate Cowger and Alisha Santorjiian took the top honors in the Womens Novice Doubles.

Kudos to the U of M and the MSHA for all the hospitality and a well-run tournament.

Open Doubles

Preliminary

· Tim Kappes(Maplewood)/Brian Burke(St. Paul) def. Mike McQuillan(St. Paul)/Steven Tamminga(Minneapolis) 21-13, 21-6

· Ryan Maloney(Cottage Grove)/Mike Gustafson(Burnsville) def. Marc Tobin(Inver Grove Heights)/Jim Grota(Rochester) 21-8, 21-10

· Mike Wells(Good Thunder)/John Stoffel(North Mankato) def. Mark Brissett(Duluth)/Matt Langhorst(Duluth) 21-4, 21-18

· Jeff Ryan(Maple Grove)/Matt Dobbins(Oakdale) def. Brandon Glaze(Eagan)/Mitch Van Eps(Burnsville)21-4, 21-16

Quarter Finals

· Ray Miller(St. Paul)/Matt Hiber(Shoreview) def. Kappes/Burke 21-3, 21-5

· Maloney/Gustafson def. Pete Crouser(St. Paul)/Brian Coonce(St. Paul) 21-10, 21-12

· Andy Nett(Winona)/John Nett(Winona) def. Wells/Stoffel 21-17, 21-5

· Tim Labey(St. Paul)/Steve Johnson(White Bear Lake) def. Ryan/Dobbins 21-9, 21-17

Semi Finals

· Miller/Hiber def. Maloney/Gustafson 21-11, 21-13

· Nett/Nett def. Labey/Johnson 21-16, 21-10

Finals

· Nett/Nett def. Miller/Hiber 12-21, 21-19, 11-6

Third Place

· Maloney/Gustafson def. Labey/Johnson forfeit

  

A Doubles (drop-down)

Quarter Finals

· Mike Wells (Mankato)/John Stoffel(Mankato) def. Marc Tobin/Jim Grota 21-14, 21-13

· Pete Crouser(St. Paul)/Brian Coonce(St. Paul) def. Mike McQuillan(St. Paul)/Steven Tamminga(Minneapolis) 21-7, 21-7

· Tim Kappes(Maplewood)/Brian Burke(St. Paul) def. Brandon Glaze(Eagan)/Mitch Van Eps(Burnsville) 21-14, 21-4

· Jeff Ryan(Maple Grove)/Matt Dobbins(Oakdale) def. Mark Brissett(Duluth)/Matt Langhorst(Duluth) 21-12, 21-15

Semi Finals

· Wells/Stoffel def. Crouser/Coonce 21-14, 21-10

· Ryan/Dobbins def. Kappes/Burke  21-12, 21-15

Finals

· Wells/Stoffel def. Ryan/Dobbins 13-21, 21-6, 11-7

Third Place

· Kappes/Burke  def. Crouser/Coonce 15-21, 21-11, 11-8

Consolation

· Tobin/Grota def. Langhorst/Brisset 21-11, 21-20

  

B Doubles

Quarter Finals

· Clancy Mylan(Minnetonka)/Mark Mylan(Mound) def. Adalberto, Jr Cordero(St. Paul)/Jesus Cordero(St. Paul) 21-1, 21-6

· Jesse Fleck(Minneapolis)/Dane Swanson(St. Paul) def. Ed Brazman(St. Paul)/Ed Simonet, Jr.(Stillwater) 21-11, 21-9

· Matt Johnson(St. Paul)/Danny Kieffer(W. St. Paul) def. John Laliberte(Shoreview)/Gabriel Lopez(Vadnais Heights) 21-4, 21-15

· Billy Craig(Mankato)/Matt Callanan(Mankato) def. Chris Drucker(Minneapolis)/Ben Olson(Minneapolis) 21-13, 21-13

Semi Finals

· Fleck/Swanson def. Mylan/Mylan 21-13, 21-20

· Craig/Callanan def. Johnson/Kieffer 21-15, 21-15

Finals

· Craig/Callanan def. Fleck/Swanson 21-9, 21-13

Third Place

· Johnson/Kieffer def. Mylan/Mylan 16-21, 21-15, 11-5

Consolation

· Laliberte/Lopez def. Simonet/Brazman 21-15, 21-8

 

Golden Masters (50+) A Doubles

Quarter Finals

· Paul Dorland(Mankato)/Mike Kloos(Woodbury) def. Rich Ryan(Woodbury)/Greg Taylor(Woodbury) 21-1, 21-2

· Phil Kleineschay(Maple Grove)/Tim Fichtel(Mendota Heights) def. Brad Baker(Edina)/Dr. Gary Rohrer(Minneapolis) 21-10, 21-13

· Don Reiter(Stillwater)/Bill Hickey(St. Paul) def. Sheldon Silberman(Golden Valley)/Henry Ulrich(Minneapolis) 21-6, 21-12

· John  Miller(Edina)/Brett Broxey(Brooklyn Park) def. John  Nakasone(St. Paul)/Mike Black(Mendota Heights) 21-4, 18-21, 11-4

Semi Finals

· Dorland/Kloos def. Kleineschay/Fichtel 21-11, 16-21, 11-2

· Miller/Broxey def. Reiter/Hickey 21-14, 21-12

Finals

· Dorland/Kloos def. Miller/Broxey 16-21, 21-20, 11-3

Third Place

· Reiter/Hickey def. Kleineschay/Fichtel 21-17, 21-14

Consolation

· Nakasone/Black def. Rohrer/Baker 21-15, 11-21, 11-5

  

Golden Masters (50+) B Doubles

Quarter Finals

· Mike Erdmanczyk(Vadnais Heights)/Don Weinberger(Inver Grove Heights) def. John Dockerty(Rochester)/Bob Melton(Oronoco) 21-12, 21-8

Semi Finals

· Larry Larson(Plymouth)/Brian G. Mahaffy(Minneapolis) def. Erdmanczyk/Weinberger  21-9, 18-21, 11-2

· Tom Bordenave(Hudson)/Tim Zigmund(St. Paul) def. George Langhorst(Moose Lake)/Lee Anderson(Cloquet) 21-11, 21-3

Finals

· Bordenave/Zigmund  def. Larson/Mahaffy 19-21, 21-10, 11-3

Third Place

· Erdmanczyk/Weinberger def. Langhorst/Anderson 21-20, 21-18

 

Novice Doubles

Quarter Finals

· Nico Balcos(Minneapolis)/Nick Olson(Red Wing) def. Andy Bucket(Minneapolis)/Daniel Van Aartsen(Minneapolis) 21-4, 17-21, 11-2

· Allan Bates(Roseville)/Max Stahel(Minneapolis) def. Adam Erickson(Lino Lakes)/Sean Morgan(Minneapolis) 21-13, 21-2

· Devin Ries(North Mankato)/Tyler Stoffel(North Mankato) def. Ryan Weber(Plymouth)/Phil Young(Chanhassen) 21-16, 21-2

Semi Finals

· Balcos/Olson def. Kristi Knudson(Rochester)/Wes Bussler(Websterr Grove)  21-17, 21-17

· Ries/Stoffel def. Bates/Stahel 21-2, 21-5

Finals

· Ries/Stoffel def. Balcos/Olson 21-9, 21-18

Third Place

· Knudson/Bussler def. Bates/Stahel 19-21, 21-13, 11-0

Consolation

· Bucket/Van Aartsen def. Erickson/Morgan 21-4, 21-17

 

Womens Novice Doubles

· Kate Cowger(Minneapolis)/Alisha Santoorjian(Minneapolis) def. Ashley Johnson (Minneapolis)/ Taylor Moore(Minneapolis) 21-10, 21-2