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2010 MSHA Open Singles

2010 MSHA Open Singles

2010 Spring Classic and State Open Singles
University of Minnesota Rec Center, Minneapolis, MN
April 16-18, 2010

It was a beautiful weekend for … golf with unusually sunny and warm weather for the middle of April.  Still, over 100 handball players came in from the outdoors to compete for the top singles spots in a dozen different divisions.  The tournament committee did a great job keeping the courts full and 150+ matches moving along all weekend.  The traditional great Minnesota hospitality kept the players and spectators well fed for the entire weekend.

In the Open Division everyone was pulling for a Matt Hiber - Andy Nett final and they were not disappointed.  Hiber wound through the early rounds never giving up more than 10 points while the younger Nett worked much harder even going to a 11-9 tie-breaker against Pete Couser in the semifinal match.  Andy came in strong but could not out-serve Hiber in the first game losing at 13.  Andy refocused and attempted to step up his serve and shoot strategy.  It did not look good as Matt served at 20-19.  But Andy was able to dig out the serve and eventually end the rally in his favor, finally getting to 20-20 setting up an ace serve to force a tie-breaker.  The tie-breaker was just as exciting as both Matt and Andy thrilled the crowd with first-class, pro-level handball.  Matt gained the tenth point with Andy stuck at 6.  Nett was able to dig out Hiber’s serves and force three side-outs while he advanced to 8.  The fourth time at 20 was the charm as Matt finished the match at 11-8 taking his third straight title and tenth overall.  Ryan Maloney showed surprising dominance over Pete Crouser in the third place match and Mike Wells defeated his regular match opponent John Stoffel 21-17, 21-11 in the consolation finals.

Tom Nett proved he is ready for the open division defeating several tough opponents in the A Singles to take the 2010 title.  It looks there is another Nett on the open horizon.  Erik Seiberlich defeated Michael Burke for the third place honors.

Mankato State alum Billy Craig demonstrated superior skill and training defeating U of Minnesota alum Jesse Fleck in the B Division in a tough two-game final, mirroring the Collegiate Cup results from the Fall Classic.  Brandon Glaze narrowly defeated Matt Callanan for third place and John Laliberte demonstrated that a few more years of experience pay off in gaining the consolation honors over Matt Johnson.

National 13 year-old champion Tyler Stoffel showed skill and experience beyond his age in defeating the field in the C Division.  Watch out for this youngster as he develops into what looks to be a championship caliber handball player.  No one scored over 8 points against the champ until the finals.  Michael Miller worked a little harder getting to the finals but was never seriously threatened.  The highly anticipated final was very entertaining as the more physically mature Miller hit the ball harder but the tireless Stoffel chased everything down and made incredible gets and shots making nearly every rally an adventure.  Stoffel lost the first game at 17 but rebounded with more defensive play and pin-point choices taking the second game at 13.  The tie-breaker was an all-out battle finally won by the champ at 7.  Ben Olson lost a little focus after a relatively easy first game in the third place match against Chris Drucker.  Olson regained the momentum taking the the tie-breaker 11-1.  Both Wes Bussler and Boonma Vang played four matches just to get to the consolation finals.  The last match of the tournament to finish went to a great 11-10 finish in favor of Bussler.  Both men were just excited to be there as the crowd cheered on the final contestants – a lifetime memory!

David Miller crushed the field in the Juniors round-robin, defeating every opponent.  Coming close was 13 year-old second place finisher Devin Ries who took Miller to 21-14, 21-20 in defeat.  Adrian Anderson took third.  Another great crop of handball players to watch out for.

The seeding committee got right with #1 seed Brett Broxey pitted against #2 seed Phil Kleineschay in the Golden Masters (50+) A Division.  Phil had a tough 3-game match against Hank Ulrich in the semis which may have played a part as Brett looked stronger in the end of their own three-game final defeating Phil in an 11-2 tie-breaker.  Hank turned it around defeating Mike McGraw for third place in two very tough games.

2010 Minnesota State Handball Hall of Fame inductee Sheldon Silberman successfully defended his 2009 2nd place finish in the Golden Master (50+) B Division.  George Langhorst looked to be in trouble from the start as Silberman rattled off the first dozen points in the first game.  Langhorst re-focused and Silberman seemed to let up but the deficit was too great.  The second game was a little different as Langhorst developed a commanding lead.  Silberman whittled the lead away but it was too little too late.  Silberman once again got the jump early in the tie-breaker but seemed to run out of shots as Langhorst cruised to the title.  Mark McQuillan took 3rd place over John Kunesh in another tie-breaker finish and Andy Staab defeated Mick Dobbins for consolation honors.

John Miller got a break in the semis when Greg Taylor pulled up lame with a hamstring injury.  The extra rest paid off as Miller defeated John Nett for the Super Masters (60+) title.  The Nett family did OK for the weekend with two seconds and championship – not what they had hoped for, but an incredible family showing!  Bill Ingram took third place by default as Taylor was unable to continue play.  Tom Bordenave, new the Supers this year, took consolation honors over Bill Brown in yet another tie-breaker final.

Another newby to an older age bracket, Don Krocak won in an entertaining, all-out battle against Jim Noren for the Diamond Masters (70+) championship.  It is hard to believe two 70 year-olds can run around like that, let alone hit a handball – what a game!  Ron Causton defeated Ted Bergstrom for third place and Skip Kiland bettered Bill Gimble for consolation.

Leah Betcher etched her name in the history books defeating all others in the Womens round-robin.  Only one player got to 15 points against Leah.  Kara Smith took second and Rebbeca Cole placed third.

In the Novice Womens Division, Alisha Santoorjian took top honors over fellow U of Minnesota student Kate Cowger 21-16, 21-13.  Sveta Gitelzon defeated Jessi Knudson in a tie-breaker for 3rd place and Alex McDowell took consolation honors.

Twenty players competed in the Novice Division.  Bob Quinn parlayed his #1 seed into a championship winning tie-breakers in the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals, each one closer then the previous match.  Ben Olson looked to take an easier path but could not defeat Quinn in a great 11-8 final game finish.  Nico Balcos took 3rd place.  In an interesting twist of fate, Brian Rue and Mikael Reiller played a preliminary match and met again in the consolation finals.  After loosing in two in their first match, Reiller demonstrated he can learn on the run by taking Rue to a tough 11-6 tie-breaker in the final match.  Reiller played 6 matches and Rue played five!

This was a great showing of youth in the state of Minnesota handball.  Thanks to all the collegiate help, the parents and the instructors for raising the level of play and interest in handball.

 

Open Singles

Preliminary Round

· John Stoffel (North Mankato) def. Tim Kappes (Maplewood) 21-11, 21-13

· Matt Langhorst (Duluth) def. Steven Tamminga (Minneapolis) 21-11, 21-15

Quarterfinals

· Matt Hiber (Shoreview) def. Langhorst 21-6, 21-5

· Ryan Maloney (Cottage Grove) def. Mike Gustafson (Burnsville) 21-18, 21-10

· Pete Crouser (St. Paul) def. Mike Wells (Good Thunder) 21-12, 21-12

· Andy Nett (Winona) def. Stoffel 21-14, 21-18

Semifinals

· Hiber def. Maloney 21-6, 21-10

· Nett def. Crouser21-14, 16-21, 11-9

Finals

·  Hiber def. Nett 21-13, 20-21, 11-8

Third Place

·  Maloney def. Crouser 21-17, 21-8

Consolation 

· Wells def. Stoffel 21-17, 21-11

 

 A Singles

Quarterfinals

· Michael Burke (St. Paul) def. Marc Tobin (Inver Grove Heights) 21-17, 21-19

Semifinals

· John  Nakasone (St. Paul) def. Burke

· Tom Nett (Winona) def. Erik Seiberlich (Roseville) 21-15, 21-16

Finals

· Nett def. Nakasone 21-6, 21-13

Third Place

·  Seiberlich def. Burke 21-8, 21-15

 

B Singles

Quarterfinals

· Billy Craig (Mankato) def. Dane Swanson (St. Paul) 21-8, 21-5

· Matt Callanan (Mankato) def. John Laliberte (Shoreview) 15-21, 21-17, 11-5

· Jesse Fleck (Minneapolis) def. Gabriel Lopez (Vadnais Heights) 21-17, 21-11

· Brandon Glaze (Eagan) def. Mathew Johnson (Minneapolis) 21-15, 21-14

Semifinals

· Craig def. Callanan 21-17, 21-5

· Fleck def. Glaze 21-19, 20-21, 11-6

Finals

· Craig def. Fleck 21-18, 21-10

Third Place

·  Glaze def. Callanan 21-20, 21-16

Consolation 

·  Laliberte def. Johnson 21-12, 21-10 

 

C Singles

Preliminary Round

· Vern Miller (St. Paul) def. Kristi Knudson (Rochester) 21-6, 21-5

· Michael Glasenapp (Rochester) def. Adalberto, Jr Cordero (St. Paul) 21-19, 21-18

· Boonma Vang (Hanover) def. Chase Sander (Minneapolis) 21-5, 21-14

· Jesus Cordero (St. Paul) def. Andrew Schneider (Prescott) 21-12, 16-21, 11-8

· Joe Nordahl (Edina) def. Emily Rund (Minneapolis) 21-7, 21-4

Round of 16

· Tyler Stoffel (North Mankato) def. Vern Miller 21-0, 21-0

· Steve Totzke (Mankato) def. Samson Finkelstein (St. Paul) 21-11, 13-21, 11-7

· Christopher Yard (Maple Grove) def. Wes Bussler (Websterr Grove) 21-16, 21-8

· Chris Drucker (Minneapolis) def. Glasenapp 21-17, 21-18

· Chris Delaney (Cedar) def. Vang 21-18, 21-5

· Ben Olson (Minneapolis) def. Jesus Cordero 21-5, 21-5

· Michael Miller (St. Paul) def. Glenn Oslin (Mankato) 21-0, 21-5

· Mark Mylan (Mound) def. Nordahl 21-13, 21-1

Quarterfinals

· Stoffel def. Totzke 21-2, 21-8

· Drucker def. Yard 18-21, 21-17, 11-6

· Olson def. Delaney 11-21, 21-7, 11-3

· Michael Miller def. Mylan 21-4, 21-6

 Semifinals

· Stoffel def. Drucker

· Michael Miller def. Olson 21-1, 21-15

Finals

· Stoffel def. Michael Miller 17-21, 21-13. 11-7

Third Place

· Olson def Drucker 21-5, 15-21, 11-1

Consolation 

· Bussler def. Vang 16-21, 21-14, 11-10 

 

 Juniors Singles (round robin)

1.David Miller (St. Paul)

2.Devin Ries (North Mankato)

3.Adrian Anderson (North Mankato)

4.Austin Kleineschay (Maple Grove)

5.Ben Kleineschay (Maple Grove)

 

Golden Masters (50+) A Singles

Quarterfinals

· Mike McGraw (Eden Prairie) def. Clancy Mylan (Minnetonka) 21-13, 31-20

Semifinals

· Brett Broxey (Brooklyn Park) def. McGraw 21-2, 21-2

· Phil Kleineschay (Maple Grove) def. Henry Ulrich (Minneapolis) 11-21, 21-11, 11-5

Finals

· Broxey def. Kleineschay 19-21, 21-16, 11-2

Third Place

· Ulrich def. McGraw 21-15, 21-18

 

Golden Masters (50+) B Singles

Quarterfinals

· John Kunesh (St. Paul) def. Mick Dobbins (Oakdale) 6-21, 21-8, 11-4

· Mark McQuillan (Shakopee) def. Andy Staab (St. Paul) 21-10, 21-19

· George Langhorst (Moose Lake) def. Tom Pearson (St. Paul) 21-11, 21-7

Semifinals

· Sheldon Silberman (Golden Valley) def. Kunesh 21-16, 12-21, 11-1

· Langhorst def. McQuillan 21-9, 21-8

Finals

· Langhorst def. Silberman 15-21, 21-16, 11-3

Third Place

· McQuillan def. Kunesh 21-12, 18-21, 11-1

Consolation 

· Staab def.Dobbins 21-12, 21-5

 

Super Masters (60+) A Singles

Preliminary Round

· Bill G. Brown (Shoreview) def. Ed Simonet, Jr. (Stillwater) 21-19, 21-13

Quarterfinals

· John Nett (Winona) def. Brown 21-6, 21-5

· Bill Ingram (Woodbury) def. Tom Bordenave (Hudson) 11-21, 21-11, 11-0

· Greg Taylor (Woodbury) def. Jack Leveille (Golden Valley) 21-4, 21-2

· John  Miller (Edina) def. Richard Pedtke (Deephaven) 21-5, 21-11

Semifinals

· Nett def. Ingram 21-3, 21-4

· Miller def. Taylor injury forfeit

Finals

· Miller def. Nett 21-15, 21-17

Third Place

· Ingram def. Taylor injury forfeit

Consolation 

· Bordenave def. Brown 21-15, 15-21, 11-2

 

 Diamond Masters (70+) Singles

Quarterfinals

· Jim Noren (Woodbury) def. Skip Kiland (Shoreview)  21-5, 21-5

· Ted  Bergstrom (St. Paul) def. William J. Gimble (Plymouth) 21-16, 2-21, 11-9

Semifinals

· Noren def. Ron Causton (New Brighton) 21-3, 21-17

· Don Krocak (Mankato) def. Bergstrom 21-9, 21-3

  Finals

· Krocak def. Noren 21-18, 21-12

Third Place

· Causton def. Bergstrom 21-5, 21-10

Consolation 

· Kiland def. Gimble 21-9, 21-10

 

 Womens Singles (round robin)        

1.Leah Betcher (Forest Park)

2.Rebbeca Cole (Mankato)

3.Kara Smith (Minneapolis)

4.Kate Quiram (LeSueur)

 

Novice Womens Singles

Quarterfinals

· Jessi Knudson (Minneapolis) def. Ashley Johnson (Minneapolis) 21-8, 21-1

· Sveta Gitelzon (Minneapolis) def. Alex McDowell (Minneapolis) 21-13, 19-21, 11-6

· Alisha Santoorjian (Minneapolis) def. Joelle Anderson (North Mankato)

Semifinals

· Kate Cowger (Minneapolis) def. Knudson 21-11, 21-3

· Santoorjian def. Gitelzon 21-5, 21-4

Finals

· Santoorjian def.Cowger 21-16, 21-13

Third Place

· Gitelzon def. Knudson 7-21, 21-14, 11-1

Consolation 

· McDowell def. Knudson forfeit

 

Novice Singles

Preliminary Round

· Taylor Giordano (Minneapolis) def. Philip Oommen (Minneapolis) 21-19, 14-21, 11-6

· Brian Rue (Mankato) def. Mikael Reiller (Minneapolis) 21-14, 21-13

· Tyler Douglass (Minneapolis) def. Anders Moe (Minneapolis) 21-7, 21-13

· Rodney Piepho (Owatonna) def. Tom Kohlbry (Minneapolis) 21-15, 21-11

Round of Sixteen

· Bob Quinn (Mankato) def. Giordano 21-20, 21-0

· Tyler Johnson (Minneapolis) def. Matthew Bartels (Madison) 21-4, 21-10

· Kevin Kettering (Terborg) def. Andrew Ford (Minneapolis) 21-1, 21-16

· Nico Balcos (Minneapolis) def. Rue

· Douglass def. Jon Lippert (Sioux Falls) 21-16, 21-15

· Max Stahl (Minneapolis) def. Zach Lincoln (Mankato) 21-4, 21-0

· Pim de Jong (Doesburg) def. Andy Bucket (Minneapolis) 21-18, 21-8

· Nick Olson (Red Wing) def. Piepho 21-18, 21-15

Quarterfinals

· Quinn def. Johnson 21-11, 17-21, 11-4

· Balcos def. Kettering 21-6, 21-4

· Douglass vs Stahl

· Olson def. de Jong 21-13, 21-15

Semifinals

· Quinn def. Balcos 9-21, 21-17, 11-6

· Olson  won by forfeit

Finals

· Quinn def. Olson 21-7, 11-21, 11-8

Third Place

· Balcos won by forfeit

Consolation 

· Rue def. Reiller 21-20, 14-21, 11-6