“Spahrland”
2012 Massachusetts State Doubles Championships
There’s a family playground center called StarLand on a main road in Hanover where rides, arcades and ice cream provide hours of fun for every member of the family. Not unlike what the 2012 States provided the Spahr family – hours of fun for everyone. Chris and the kids frolicked on the court while mom/wife Catherine looked on, a benevolent reminder that homework was also a fact of life.
2012 State Siblings Doubles: Finalists – Morgan Poor & Maddie Chai; Champions – Caroline & Carson Spahr
The brightest light of the family was the youngest, Caroline, who at age 11 joined with brother Carson to win the inaugural of the Siblings over Maddie Chai and her brother Morgan in four games. Caroline was a constant target, especially in their five game semi-final victory over the Hendricks sisters, Stephanie & Katie, but she returned almost all the drives, waiting for her brother to step in for a winner. Maddie and her brother also had a five game test against Jacob & Cole Koeppel, a young combination as were many of the other teams in the eight entry draw. The Siblings was added this year to the States at Jessie Chai’s suggestion as another avenue, along with the Parent/Child, of encouragement for juniors to play more doubles. It was a good start with additional sibling teams Jessica & Caroline Conway, Joel & Diego Gonzalez, Becky & Timmy Brownell and Ellie & Graham Gozigian.
2012 State Parent-Child Doubles: Finalists – Tom & Morgan Poor; Champions – Carson & Chris Spahr
Just an hour earlier, Carson and Chris defended their title in the Parent/Child in a repeat of last year’s final over Tom & Morgan Poor. This one was a tad closer, four games rather than the three game destruction in 2011, but the outcome was never in doubt as the Spahrs pounded Morgan unmercifully, accepting the occasional winner for the more frequent errors. Both teams were coming from success in the recent national Father/Son championships in New York where Tom & Morgan repeated in the Century division, and Chris & Carson lost a sensational five game semifinal to the eventual champions. Carson just turned 15 years old.
The Parent/Child, started in 2006, has grown to sixteen teams this year and includes a number of youngsters who’ve taken to doubles. Timmy Brownell (14) is a top ranked junior who with his dad Bob gave the Poors a large problem last year and caused some concern to the Spahrs in the semis this year. Cody (15) & Joe Cortes eased past Dana (17) & Paul Rapisarda before losing to the Poors in four tight games. Deven (11) & Amrit Kanwal defeated Cole (11) & Seth Koeppel before hitting the Brownells. Sebastian (16) & Hoil Kim won in five close games over Graham Gozigian (15) & mother Glynis, then fell to the Poors in the quarters. If these youngsters aren’t already better than their elders, it will only be a short time!
2012 State A Doubles: Finalists – Sandy Tierney & Pat Malloy; Champions – Chris Spahr & Doug Lifford
Meanwhile, the Spahr parade continued. Chris and Doug Lifford were seeded #1 in the A’s as defending champions in a full sixteen team draw. There were no places to hide in this draw and no mercy was shown as every first round match was a three game destruction: Chris & Doug over Union Boat’s Chris Smith & David Tedeschi (T&R), Nick Iselin & John Palfrey (Harvard Club) over Tom & Morgan Poor, Andrew Slater & Jon Hyett over newly married Chris O’Brien & Charlie Humber, John Nimick & Scott Poirier over Jay Epstein & Chris Smith (Marblehead YMCA), Dan Roberts & Max Montgelas over Gifford Sommerkamp & Scott Kennedy (Union Boat Club), Simba Muhwati & Reggie Schonborn (Cross Courts) over Joe Duffey & Jeff Rodman, Tyler Hill & Glenn Prichett over Malcolm Davidson & Court Chilton, and Sandy Tierney & Pat Malloy over Joe Cortes & Luke Forster (Harvard). Sandy has won the A’s six times, but Father Time spares no man and at 58, especially in his second match of the evening, he was the target of Chris & Doug in the finals. It was a close four game match, but a win for the defenders who added the States to their U.S. National 45+ victory a few weeks earlier.
2012 State 50’s Doubles: Champions – John Nimick & Andrew Slater; Finalists – Sandy Tierney & Jamie Fagan
As mentioned, Sandy was stressed earlier in the evening when he & Jamie Fagan attempted to defend their 50’s title against John Nimick & Andrew Slater, hot off their national championship win in the Canadian 50’s two weeks earlier. Father Time is also tapping Nimick on the shoulder but Andrew was a force on the right wall, neutralizing Tierney on the left and forcing Jamie to attempt more winners from the back of the court. It didn’t work as the Canadian champions added the more prestigious States to their record. Last year’s finalists, Court Chilton & Mac Davidson, lost in the semis in three to Tierney & Fagan while the champions ousted Joe Duffey & Jeff Rodman in the other half. The latter duo rose from a two game deficit in the quarters to win in five over Tom Poor & Bob Brownell, coach of the highly ranked Belmont Hill boys’ team.
2012 State 60’s Doubles: Champions – Malcolm Davidson & Tom Poor; Finalists – John Brazilian & Lenny Bernheimer
All was not sour for Malcolm, however, for he & Tom Poor successfully defended their title in the 60’s in a repeat win over John Brazilian & Lenny Bernheimer. A couple of asterisks could be thrown up here as John was recovering most of the season from knee surgery, and Lenny returned a few days before from his winter hangout in Florida. But, hey, these are the States and little mercy was shown in a three game shutout. The Harvard Club produced the two semi-final teams – Rob Dewees & Mat Sibble, survivors of a five game tussle with Dick Whitney & Ben Bailey, went down in four to Brazilian & Bernheimer and Chuck Kelly & Jon Sheldon who also lost in four to Poor & Davidson.
2012 State Mixed Doubles: Champions – Dan Roberts & Fernanda Rocha; Finalists – Margot Kearney & Pat Malloy
The Mixed has become one of the most popular and competitive of the State divisions with twenty teams at the starting gate this year. Brother-sister, husband-wife, girlfriend-boyfriend, fellow professionals – the combinations were numerous. Margot Kearney & Pat Malloy, seeded 1st by virtue of their 2011 default victory over Robin Silver Grace & Doug Lifford, showed it wasn’t a fluke by advancing to the finals with a hard fought four game semifinal win over Breck Haynes & Max Montgelas. The latter, after shutting out Harvard Club pro Sharon Bradey & Mat Sibble, produced the upset of the tournament in a five game squeaker over two time champions Hope Crosier & Chris Spahr in the semis. In the bottom half, Robin & Doug put an end in the quarters to the magical run of Stephanie Hendricks & Chris O’Brien who had won successive five game marathons over Kaitlin Sennatt & UBC pro Chris Smith and Harvard’s Nirasha Guruge & Joe Cortes. In wait, however, was the University Club’s professional tandem of Fernanda Rocha & Dan Roberts. They took no prisoners, advancing in four to the finals. That match lived up to its billing with ebbs and flows as Margot held up admirably under Dan’s missiles, and Pat scurried almost everywhere to hit winners. After splitting the first four games, Fernanda & Dan edged ahead to win the fifth at 11.
2012 State Womens Doubles: Champions – Hope Crosier & Fernanda Rocha; Finalists – Robin Silver Grace & Nirasha Guruge
Fernanda continued her winning evening in the Womens, pairing with Hope Crosier to successfully defend their title by defeating Robin Silver Grace & Nirasha Guruge in a three game final. In a rare occurrence, every match of the seven in this event went only three games. In one semifinal, Hope & Fernanda defeated State singles champion Hope Prockop & Sue Greene; in the other, Robin & Nirasha needed overtime in the third game to eliminate Breck Haynes & Margot Kearney.
There are many stories in the C draw. Among the best is that of Marc Wolpow, a middle-aged businessman and father who in a year rose from a near beginner to the verge of the C title. Destroyed last year in the round of 64, he diligently sought pointers from pros and better players, played with the best in the Putnam Pro-Am, and practiced continuously. Defaulted into the round of 16, Marc & Woody Rich won the final point in the 5th game, 18-17, over Jon Hartnett & Marty Stocklan. They then looked overmatched against singles champions James Chan & Thai Ha-Ngoc from the Allston Club, losing the first game at 4. Marc recovered his poise, stopped the errors and set Woody up for winners which carried them through the next three games and into a semifinal matchup with former champions Dean Williams & Matt Gibbs. And there the music stopped. Marc & Woody won the first in overtime, but the pointed questions since 2009’s title have stoked the Wiiliams-Gibbs competitive fire, carrying the last three games. Dean & Matt did not arrive in the semis easily, erasing a two game deficit to win in five over Jesse Brown & Tim Stanton. In the other half, the Harvard Club’s pro Sharon Bradey and Mac Caplan cruised with three game victories into the finals. Unfortunately, Sharon ran into knee trouble, forcing a default in the final and delivering a second title to Dean & Matt.
2012 State B Doubles: Finalists – Charlie Humber & Amrit Kanwal; Champions – Nick Iselin & John Palfrey
Similar to the C’s, the B tournament had many stories and an identical draw of 37 teams. A Spahr was again front and center as Carson & Court Chilton were seeded #1 and expected to meet 2nd seeded Fernanda Rocha & Max Montgelas in the finals. That story did not happen. Spahr & Chilton made the semis easily enough with 3 three game victories. Clawing their way to meet them were Amrit Kanwal & Charlie Humber, four game victors over Jon Hyett & Adam Simms, then a five game survivor against John Frantzis & Scott Beebe, themselves a narrow fiver game winner the round before over Gerry Kirschner & Michael Wang. After winning the first two games, Court was the target of almost every ball, making enough errors and not reaching others to yield the last three at 11, 7 and 6. Below, moving like a stealth bomber, were Nick Iselin & John Palfrey, newly appointed headmaster of Andover. Nick is a top player but has had knee injuries, and John won this event in 2004 with Rob Dewees. Their match in the quarters against Fernanda & Max was a stern test, but Nick’s shots and John’s retrievals were the difference in four games. They then cruised through Morgan Poor & Jon Ross who were still feeling the effects of a five game battle over 3rd seeded Joe Duffey & Jeff Rodman. The final started with an easy first game at 6 to Nick & John as the Kanwal-Humber duo were non-believers. However, the latter were nothing if not competitors and in taking the next two overtime games they became believers. Then, Nick & John stiffened, Charlie missed a few drop shots, Amrit let some go to the back wall and in the end, the Harvard team accepted the winners’ crystal bowls.
The 2012 State Doubles was the largest ever with 192 players comprising 164 teams. The tournament is now perhaps the largest national doubles event outside the U.S. national championships and has earned international coverage on the www.dailysquashreport.com web site. The increasing presence of juniors and more club members from places like Marblehead, Cross Courts and the Union Boat Club is both a testament to the attraction of the doubles game and the foundation for even larger tournaments and play in the future.
Full draws are on the U.S. Squash web site and on the 5/10/12 listing on the Daily Squash Report.