Eau Claire Earlybird

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Saturday May 9, 2009 Carson Park Courts Eau Claire, WI The Eau Claire Earlybird horseshoe tournament is a NHPA sanctioned tournament conducted by the Eau Claire Horseshoe Club. The event is a warm-up to the upcoming pitching season and provides pitchers from around the midwest an opportunity to participate in a sanctioned tournament event and apply the average for entry into the 2009 World Horseshoe Tournament at Springfield, IL. The schedule is tentative based on the number of entries. All games will be 40 shoes with 8 pitchers per class. Bad weather conditions might alter the pitching format to 30 shoe games. Plans call for the first round to start at 9:00 a.m. with the second round beginning at 12:00. Classes may or may not be mixed, again depending on the number of entries. You will receive a copy of the pitching schedule. Entry fee for the Eau Claire Earlybird is $5.00. Pitchers will keep their own scores while using the self scoring scoreboards at the courts. There will be sanctioned tournament patches but no other trophies or cash awards. Food and Refreshments will be available at the courts. Entry deadline is Saturday, April 25, 2009. The Chippewa Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau has provided the Eau Claire Horseshoe Club with a listing of hotels/motels that are providing pitchers special group rates for their stay. Click the following link for a listing of the hotels/motels, their price and the phone number to call to make any arrangements. Hotel/Motel Information-2009 Send the completed entry form below with $5.00, your 2009 NHPA card number and your current pitching average to: Laurie Dolezel 911 Daniels Avenue Altoona, WI 54720 552-8070 lauradolezel@att.net   Laurie has all entries in, schedule is set and all is ready to go. Click here to download the file to review your class assignment, others you will be pitching against and your scheduled time. Schedule

 

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"Eau Claire Earlybird - 2009"

EAU CLAIRE'S EARLYBIRD TOURNAMENT RESULTS - May 09, 2009

There was a nice turn out for Laurie Dolezel's debut as tournament director with 54 entries. Temperatures in the mid 40's at the start rose only to the mid 50's in the afternoon.

There was an unusual situation in Class "A". After the schedules had been sent out, two pitchers scheduled for this class had to drop out so two late entry requests from 20+ average pitchers substituted into this class. Once again Gert Wilcziek took 1st place at 5-0 & 69%. Norm Gage came in 2nd at 4-1 & 56% with Dick Dvorak claiming 3rd at 3-2 & 43%.

Jim Bilderback & Wayne Lemar both finished 4-1 in Class "B" with Jim taking 1st place at 53% over Wayne's 48%. Phil Swenson, 3-2 & 52% claimed 3rd place.

In Class "C" Lonnie Trangsrud, after losing his first game, came back to win his last four & claim 1st place with a 44% average. Les Karpiel, also 4-1, took 2nd at 38%. John Dolezel came in 3rd at 3-2 & 47%.

Dean Chaffee breezed through Class "D" at 5-0 & 33%. John Garvan came in 2nd at 3-1/2 - 1-1/2 & 36%. While Laurie Dolezel claimed 3rd at 2-1/2 - 2-1/2 & 20%.

Another sweep took place in Class "E" where Gerald Schroeder went 5-0 with a 30.8% average. Our own Elly McCarn, Miss Congeniality, won 2nd at 3-1/2 - 1-1/2 & 29.2%. Randy Barnes took 3rd on ringer percent at 2-3 & 29.2%.

George Eckstrom, following my sage advice to put the horseshoes around the stake, went 4-1 & 24.8% to claim 1st in Class "F". Antone Matalas & Tom Dudenhoefer, with identical 3-2 & 22.4% records took 2nd & 3rd places.

In Class "G" Tom Reiter's 4-1 & 23.6% edged out Larry Danielson 4-1 & 20.4% for 1st place. Our friend Ted Rohde from LaCrosse came in 3rd at 3-2 & 19.2%.

Class "H" was a family affair where Lisa White claimed 1st place at 4-1/2 - 1/2 & 15% over husband Randy's 4-1 & 18%, who took 2nd. Our own Merrill Semingson came in 3rd at 3-1/2 - 1-1/2 & 12%.

Class "I" featured the first tournament for 3rd-generation pitcher Kayla Dolezel. No, she did not place in the top three, but did manage to throw four ringers in one game. Don Peroutka from Kenosha swept away the competition to claim 1st place at 5-0 & 16.4%. Jeff Chesmore came in 2nd at 4-1 & 13.6% while Randy Ganther 3-2 & 8.4% took 3rd.

One of the pitchers dropping out of Class " A" was Vince Jakel who was having health problems. Vince is a longtime participant in our tournaments & we hope he is doing well.

John Dolezel
Club's Publicity Man

Eau Claire Earlybird - 2009 Results

Place	Name	Won	Lost	Ringer %		Place	Name	Won	Lost	Ringer %
Class A						Class F
1	Gert Wilcziek	5	0	69%		1	George Eckstrom	4	1	25%
2	Norm Gage	4	1	56%		2	Antone Matalas	3	2	22%
3	Dick Dvorak	3	2	43%		2	Tom Dudenhoefer	3	2	22%
						3	Butch Ludwikowski	2	3	24%
Class B						Class G
1	Jim Bilderback	4	1	53%		1	Tom Reiter	4	1	24%
2	Wayne Lemar	4	1	48%		2	Larry Danielson	4	1	20%
3	Phil Swenson	3	2	52		3	Ted Rohde	3	2	19%
Class C						Class H
1	Lonny Trangsrud	4	1	44%		1	Lisa White	4.5	.5	15%
2	Les Karpiel	4	1	38%		2	Randy White	4	1	18%
3	John Dolezel	3	2	47%		3	Merrill Semingson	3.5	1.5	12%
Class D						Class I
1	Dean Chaffee	5	0	33%		1	Don Peroutka	5	0	16%
2	John Garvan	3.5	1.5	36%		2	Jeff Chesmore	4	1	14%
3	Laurie Dolezel	2.5	2.5	20%		3	Randy Ganther	3	2	8%
						4	Kayla Dolezel - Jr	2	3	3%
Class E
1	Gerald Schroeder	5	0	31%
2	Elly McCarn	3.5	1.5	29%
3	Randy Barnes	2	3	29%

Photo Gallery of the 2009 Tournament activities

Video tribute to the Winners

2009 Tournament Champion

Tournament Director Laura Dolezel and Tournament Champion Gert Wilcziek

2009 Class Champions

Class B Jim Bilderback	Class C Lonny Trangsrud	Class D Dean Chaffee
Class E George Schroeder	Class F George Ecksgtrom	Class G Tom Reiter
Class H Lisa White	Class I Don Peroutka	Class I - Junior Kayla Dolezel

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Ringer developed by Steve Curry

Dennis Kieser