EAU CLAIRE OPEN Horseshoe Tournament - Sunday, June 8, 2008

It was almost like Hillary Clinton dodging bullets as she ran for cover! I called Tournament Director Paul Wiese at 7:30 Sunday morning & with a steady rain falling we agreed the tournament would have to be cancelled, so I went to church at 8:00 a.m. Upon leaving church an hour later the rain had about stopped so I went to the courts to see what was happening. Much to my surprise all pitchers scheduled to pitch were there, many from out of town. When Paul asked what they wanted to do, all said, "Let's pitch!"

Of course the pits were full of water so everyone grabbed sponges, shovels & dry clay. The group scheduled to pitch at 9:00 a.m. had the courts in playable condition & pitching began at 10:00 a.m. The rain held off so both shifts were able to complete all games. Less than one-half hour after the last shoe was thrown, the rains began again. Somebody Up There likes us!

Class A played 40-point games & to no one's surprise GERT WILCZIEK won all 5 games with a 79.2% average. Two Minnesotans, CRYSTAL SHEEHAN 4-1, 64.3% & DICK DVORAK 2-3, 57.3% claimed second & third.

DAVE SCHORBAHN brought his A-Game to the tournament winning Class B at 5-0, 49.6%. VINCE JAKEL 56.3% beat out JAMES SHEEHAN 46.4% for 2nd place. Both had 3-2 records. (I was told that this was Vince's 29th consecutive year of pitching in Eau Claire's Open Tournament!)

Another sweep was recorded in Class C where MARK STEVENS won all five games with a 54% average. In a battle of Close Doesn't Count members, both with 3-2 records, GLORIA SMITH 46.8% claimed 2nd place over DAVE NINNEMANN 42.0%.

LAURIE DOLEZEL continues to improve with each tournament. She took 1st in Class D at 4-1 with a 39.2% average. DEL KARSJENS claimed 2nd at 3-2, 34% followed by DEAN CHAFFEE at 3-2, 27.2%.

In 5-person Class E the sly veteran GEORGE ECKSTROM won all of his games taking 1st place at 5-0, 23%. ROBIN CONSTANCE came in 2nd at 4-1, 25% followed by TOM DUDENHOEFFER 3-2, 16.5%.

In Class F, RON WIESE 38.5% pitched well above his average to win all five games & claim 1st place. JIM GANTHER earned 2nd place with a 4-1 record & 22%. KATIE SHEEHAN took 3rd at 3-2, 19%.

STEVE WALLIN swept through Class G winning all five games & throwing 18.5%. PAUL WIESE pitched well to claim 2nd at 3-1/2-1-1/2, 18% while CHARLES ROESER took 3rd at 3-2, 11.5%.

Class H became a 4-person class due to a dropout. JAY GANTHER won all three games & threw 10% to take 1st place. JEFF JAKEL came in 2nd at 2-1, 4.7%, followed by CARYN DAVIS 1-2, 2%.

It was great to see families pitching in our Open. Jim Ganther & sons
Rod, Randy & Jay, plus grandson Brady Reetz, & in-laws Steve Wallin & Caryn Davis.
Mary Ann & James Sheehan & their daughters Katie & Crystal.
Paul Wiese & his dad Ron.
Dave Semingson & his dad Merrill.
John Dolezel & his daughter Laurie.
Jeff Jakel & his dad Vince.
And are Jim Heim & John Brophy really brothers??

We would like to express our appreciation to all who worked so hard to get the courts in playable condition so the tournament could be held.

John Dolezel,
Publicity Chairman

Photo's of 2008 Eau Claire Open Activities

Around the Courts	Competition	Class Winners