2008 State Singles Champions Crowned

59 squash players turned up over the Feb 29-March 2 weekend to vie for the coveted title of MN State Squash Champion. The tournament, sponsored by the Minnesota Squash Association, offered players in seven skill-level and age divisions the opportunity to compete.

Tedd Hoyt emerged the winner of the 50+ division by virtue of his three games to two victory in the finals over Wayne Miller. Hoyt and Miller engaged in a spirited match that featured high quality play throughout. It was an impressive display of squash.

Wisconsin native Jeff Gajdostik crossed the border to claim the championship in the 2.5 division. Jeff outlasted Marc Churchill in the final to cap a memorable first appearance in the state tournament.

A round-robin format was used in the 3.0 division with Richard Davies running the table against his three opponents to capture the title. It took a 3-1 win over Amy O’Brien late Sunday to secure the top spot for Davies. His play over the weekend was all the more impressive considering he was playing despite a work-related repetitive stress injury on his racquet hand.

Brandon Miller’s first state tournament was one he won’t soon forget considering he walked off-court after the 3.5 division final, a 3-1 win over Charlie Hornig, with the title of State Champion. The final was one of the tournament’s better matches as the four games were each fiercely contested between the two players.

The 4.0 division featured a formidable group of skilled players. A tight five game match between Kren McManus and Mike Wendorf, with Wendorf coming out on top 10-8 in the fifth game, in the division’s first match was indicative of the high quality of the matches that were played throughout the tournament. Glen Baron rose to the top of the group by defeating Dave Cookson 3-0 in the finals. Baron’s play was consistently top-notch throughout his four matches.

Lief Erickson earned the top spot in the 4.5 division. After a slow start in his first match against Iowan Mike Meyers, Erickson regained his form and didn’t drop another game on his way to the championship. Dushyant Saran, Erickson’s opponent in the final, gained a berth in the title match after a grueling five game victory over Ian McFadzen in the semis. Down two games to one, Saran fought back to take the last two games and earn a spot in the championship match opposite Erickson.

Jay Del Carmen again proved he’s the top player in the state in winning the 5.0 division. For the third time in the 2007-08 season Del Carmen met Hannu Koho in a tournament final. It was a wonderfully played match that featured exceptionally long rallies, incredible retrieving, and high quality shot making. Del Carmen emerged from the hour long match with a 3-1 victory and the honor of being State Champion.

The MSA thanks all the players for participating in what turned out to be a great 2008 State Tournament. In addition, the MSA would like to thank the following sponsors for their support of Minnesota Squash: Premium Waters, Inc., the University of Minnesota, Lifetime Fitness, Merrill Corporation, SquashProShop.com, CNC Mortgage, and Squash Design.
Results for all the tournament matches can be viewed by going to the following web address: https://www.bcisoft.com/RailStation/tournyHome.aspx?TournyID=2144105360. A tournament photo gallery courtesy of Stephan Keiu is available at the web address below:

http://ImageEvent.com/bikertech/squash/statechampionship2008