Maui Croquet Club CROQUET NEWS:  Meadowood Croquet Classic Won by Jerry Stark

  Rank (Grade) Player, State
  #1 (2464) Jerry Stark, CA
  #19 (2063) Matt Baird, OK
  =22 (2027) Adrian Wadley, CA
  #23 (2020) Paul Billings, HI
  #25 (1988) Stuart Lawrence, NY
  =26 (1975) Mike Zuro, IL
  #28 (1925) Leo Nikora, HI
  #32 (1908) Jim Butts, CA
  #35 (1882) Martyn Selman, CA
  #39 (1836) Ron Hendry, CA
  #42 (1815) Mike Orgill, CA
  #44 (1791) Charlie Smith, CA
  =49 (1692) Lee Hamel, TX
  =50 (1676) Jonas Spatz, CA
  #52 (1668) Len Lyon, CA
  =67 (1541) Bob van Tassell, CA
  #68 (1543) Aviv Katz , CA
  #71 (1530) Bob Kays, CA
  #82 (1400) Karl-Heinz Kempfer, CA
  #84 (1385) Toni Kemp, CA
  #76 (1486) Phyllis Butts, CA
  =79 (1431) Rebecca Dant, CA
  #85 (1372) Rob Coleman, CA
  #88 (1216) Elaine Fong, CA
    Dick Engebreston, CA
    Jean Engebreston, CA
    Paul Ramm, HI
    Kerry Ramm, HI

15-19 July 2008
Meadowood Resort, St. Helena, California, USA United States of America
by Leo Nikora

Click to Enlarge  
Jerry Stark of California wins Meadowood Croquet Classic.  

The 22nd annual Meadowood Croquet Classic was won by Jerry Stark of California, besting Adrian Wadley of California in the final. Mike Orgill of California, and Stuart Lawrence of New York, made the semi-finals.

The semi-finals each had exciting come-from-behind last-turn wins: Wadley over Orgill 16-15, and Stark over Lawrence 25-24.

Stark completed four triple peels, including one in which he got all three peels before running hoop #6. Paul Billings of Hawaii completed the only other triple peel of the tournament.

Twenty eight players from around the United Sates competed in two flights: a sixteen-player Championship Flight, and a twelve-player Killer Bees Flight.

The Killer Bees was won by Lee Hamel of Texas, besting Phyllis Butts of California in the final. Jonas Spatz of California, and Kerry Ramm of Hawaii, made the semi-finals.

Play was on two courts at the Meadowood Resort, and one court at Ink Grade. Rodoni stainless steel hoops, and new Dawson 2000 balls were used. Advanced International Rules were followed. Games were limited to two hours, followed by last turns and sudden death overtime, if necessary.

Marvelous dinners were held at the Meadowood Resort, Smith-Madrone Winery, and Ellery McClatchy's home.

Pictures are posted in the Maui Croquet Club Gallery.

Championship Knockout Play

The top six players of the Blue Block and Red Block were seeded into single-elimination knockout play. The top two players in each block were given an initial bye.

1st Paul Billings, HI [#23] Orgill
19-17		 Wadley
16-15		 Stark
26dp-3
4th Charlie Smith, CA [#44] Orgill
15-12
5th Mike Orgill, CA [#42]
6th Bob van Tassell, CA [=67] Wadley
18-15		 Wadley
26-6
3rd Adrian Wadley, CA [=22]
2nd Jim Butts, CA [#32]
2nd Ron Hendry, CA [#39] Lawrence
26-3		 Stark
25-24
3rd Stuart Lawrence, NY [#25] Lawrence
14-9
6th Rob Coleman, CA [#85]
5th Martyn Selman, CA [#35] Baird
14-13		 Stark
18-9
4th Matt Baird, OK [#19]
1st Jerry Stark, CA [#1]

Killer Bees Knockout Play

All six players of the Black Block and Yellow Block were seeded into single-elimination knockout play. The top two players in each block were given an initial bye.

1st Phyllis Butts, CA [#76]
Butts
5-4		 Butts
7-6		 Hamel
12-10
4th Toni Kemp, CA [#84] J. Engebreston
5-4
5th Jean Engebreston, CA
6th Rebecca Dant, CA [=79] P. Ramm
7-5		 K. Ramm
8-5
3rd Paul Ramm, HI
2nd Kerry Ramm, HI
2nd Jonas Spatz, CA [=50] Spatz
10-8		 Hamel
8-7
3rd Bob Kays, CA [#71] Kays
16-4
6th Elaine Fong, CA [#88]
5th Dick Engebreston, CA D. Engebreston
6-2		 Hamel
10-6
4th Karl-Heinz Kempfer, CA [#82]
1st Lee Hamel, TX [=49]

Championship Blue Block Play

A full round robin of seven matches was played.

Place (Wins, Net) Stark Lawrence Nikora Butts Selman Smith van Tassell Katz
#1 Jerry Stark, CA 1st (7) 26tp-10 26-7 26tp-0 26-8 26tp-1 26-5 26tp-9
#25 Stuart Lawrence, NY   3rd (4, +21) 26-14     26-3 16-15 26-2
#28 Leo Nikora, HI     7th (2, –42)       23-6 22-14
#32 Jim Butts, CA   21-2 18-10 2nd (5) 24-14   20-11 26-8
#35 Martyn Selman, CA   17-13 12-10   5th (4, –10)   23-3 13-12
#44 Charlie Smith, CA     26-0 24-15 17-6 4th (4, +9)   26-8
=67 Bob van Tassell, CA           18-11 6th (2, –36) 26-1
#68 Aviv Katz , CA               8th (0)

Championship Red Block Play

A full round robin of seven matches was played.

Place (Wins, Net) Baird Wadley Billings Zuro Hendry Orgill Lyon Coleman
#19 Matt Baird, OK 4th (4) 16-5   22-11     13-12 8-6
=22 Adrian Wadley, CA   3rd (5, +23)   20-9 26-11 13-12 26-3 26-7
#23 Paul Billings, HI 26-10 26tp-2 1st (7) 21-16 26-10 26-1 22-11 26-0
=26 Mike Zuro, IL       8th (1, –53)     8-6  
#39 Ron Hendry, CA 26-1     26-0 2nd (5, +62) 17-14 26-10 26-3
#42 Mike Orgill, CA 22-21     12-11   5th (3) 10-9  
#52 Len Lyon, CA             7th (1, –41) 22-9
#85 Rob Coleman, CA       14-13   15-6   6th (2)

Killer Bees Black Block Play

A full round robin of five matches, plus one cross-block matches, was played.

Place (Wins, Net) Spatz Butts Kempfer Fong J. Engebreston P. Ramm Hamel Kays Dant
=50 Jonas Spatz, CA 2nd (4, +19)   15-5 11-6 12-5   7-6    
#76 Phyllis Butts, CA 8-7 1st (6) 13-3 15-2 6-5 12-7   10-5  
#82 Karl-Heinz Kempfer, CA     4th (2, –8) 11-4 11-5        
#88 Elaine Fong, CA       6th (0)          
  Jean Engebreston, CA       8-6 5th (2, –10)       8-3
  Paul Ramm, HI 11-8   11-10 12-9 7-4 3rd (4, +5)      

Killer Bees Yellow Block Play

A full round robin of five matches, plus two cross-block matches, was played.

Place (Wins) Hamel Kays Dant Kemp D. Engebreston K. Ramm Kempfer Fong P. Ramm
=49 Lee Hamel, TX 1st (4, +27) 8-5 16-1 9-2 12-0        
#71 Bob Kays, CA   3rd (4, +13) 13-2 9-8 8-5 9-8      
=79 Rebecca Dant, CA     6th (0)            
#84 Toni Kemp, CA     9-5 4th (4, +4) 10-8 8-6     9-5
  Dick Engebreston, CA     10-7   5th (2)     8-4  
  Kerry Ramm, HI 12-2   10-3   6-2

2nd (4, +20)

8-6