The Infusion Solutions Winter Shootout brought in 59 participants this year. The smaller turnout allowed us to be on
time all weekend with only one court mishap on Saturday afternoon! Everyone got lots of playing time and we managed
to escape the weekend with minimal injuries. As most of the participants were BAC members these are the results:
Men’s Open Singles:
2nd-Jeremy Disch
3rd-Devin Drury
4th-Tracy Drury
Men’s Elite Singles:
1st-Ryan Lawson
2nd-Hollie Scott
Men’s A Singles:
3rd-Kai Coble
Consolation-Nick Villa
Men’s C Singles:
1st-Tyler Burns
2nd-Brian Miller
Women’s A/B Singles:
2nd-Karin Hoekema
Women’s C/D Singles:
1st-Mary Baldwin
3rd-Tina Lopez
Men’sOpen/Elite Doubles:
1st-Jeremy Disch/Scott Wheeler
2nd-Devin Drury/Tracy Drury
3rd Jon Duryee/Keith Turley
Men’s A Doubles:
1st-Dave Hammers/Brian Dunbar
2nd-Gary Olson/Monte Maberry
3rd-Andy Andrewson/Sonny Mauricio
Men’s B Doubles:
1st-Mike Morones/Sonny Mauricio
3rd-Nick Villa/Norm Guthrie
Mixed Open/Elite Doubles:
1st-Devin Drury/Hollie Scott
2nd-Jon Duryee/Hollie Scott
3rd-Gary Olson/Diana Hambley
Mixed A Doubles:
1st Karin Hoekema/Ken Swanson
2nd-Nick Birnel/Rowena Birnel
3rd-Andy Andrewson/Kate McKinney
Mixed B/C Doubles:
1st-Kelli Holz/Tyler Burns
2nd-Diana Guthrie/Pat Stevenson
3rd-Tina Lopez/Rod Jackson
Women’s B/C/D Doubles:
1st-Diana Guthrie/Marylou Gremes
Racquetball
Fall Classic Recap
We had 85 participants from Washington and Canada participate in the Fall Classic Racquetball Tournament this year. We gave away festive awards including: 24 turkeys, 22 pumpkin pies, 20 bags of potatoes and 11 bags of rolls! We had a great weekend. A HUGE thank you goes out to our sponsors, Kris Fykerud at Oasys, Rod Jackson at Industrial Supply, & Paul Carlson at Carlson Steel, we couldn’t have done it without you guys! As usual BAC members represented well this weekend and placed as follows:
Men’s Open 1st Place: Jake Birnel
Men’s Open Consolation: Taylor Disch
Men’s Elite 1st Place: Ryan Lawson
Men’s Elite 2nd Place: Triston Guthrie
Men’s A 2nd Place: Nick Villa
Men’s B 1st Place: Dean Hendrickson
Men’s C/D 1st Place: Brian Miller
Men’s 55+ 1st Place: Gary Olson
Women’s A/B 1st Place: Karissa Francis
Women’s A/B 2nd Place: Karin Hoekema
Women’s C/D 1st Place: MaryLou Gremes
Men’s Open/Elite Doubles 1st Place: Don & Jake Birnel
Men’s Open/Elite Doubles 2nd Place: Tracy & Devin Drury
Men’s Open/Elite Doubles Consolation: Taylor Disch & Tony Lopez
Men’s A Doubles 3rd Place: Monte Maberry & Nick Villa
Men’s A Doubles Consolation: Kris Fykerud & Mike Morones
Men’s B Doubles 1st Place: Mike Morones & Norman Guthrie
Men’s C/D Doubles 1st Place: Mark Handley & Rod Jackson
Women’s C/D Doubles 1st Place: Diana Guthrie & Marylou Gremes
Women’s C/D Doubles 2nd Place: Amy Butler & Stefanie Erickson
Mixed Open/Elite Doubles 1st Place: Taylor Disch & Hollie Scott
Mixed Open/Elite Doubles 2nd Place: Don Birnel & Wanda Collins
Mixed Open/Elite Doubles 3rd Place: Jon Duryee & Lori Turley
Mixed A Doubles 2nd Place: Lori Turley & Rowena Birnel
Mixed A Doubles 3rd Place: Ken Swanson & Karin Hoekema
Mixed B/C Doubles 1st Place: Norm & Diana Guthrie
Mixed B/C Doubles 2nd Place: Josh & Karissa Francis
Mixed B/C Doubles Consolation: Dave & Amy Butler
2014 Wilson Hope
Money was raised, fun was had, and there was a very moving tribute to Sharon Chandler!!! Nothing more was needed, but we did also play some racquetball, and here are some results (the first place winners).
Mixed Up Doubles – Micah and Brian Miller
Jr Advanced Mixed Up Doubles – Brannon Shrock/Taylor Disch
Mixed Doubles A/B – Karin Hoekema/Ken Swanson
Mixed Doubles O/E – Vincent Kitely/Wanda Collins
Women’s Doubles C/D – Diana Guthrie/Marylou Gremes
Women’s A/B – Karin Hoekema
Women’s C/D – Courtney Jenkins
Men’s O/E – Greg Starodub
Men’s A – Donnie Rubenack
Men’s B – Victor Lugo
Men’s C/D – Mich Miller
US Junior National Racquetball Team
The U.S. National Junior Team wrapped up its Training Camp at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs early this month. Lead by Interim Head Coach Cheryl Gudinas, the five days of intense training, practice, instruction, and relationship building is essential in helping the Team prepare for the Junior World Championships to be held in Colombia this October. Congratulations Jake Birnel (Bellingham Athletic Club) for being awarded Boy’s Camp Tournament Champion & Training Camp MVP.
Wilson Hope Tournament
This year’s tourney will be held in memory of Sharon Chandler, with a special ceremony on Saturday evening at the club. We have expanded the categories to include junior player age groups. We hope to see all of our budding junior players at this event! They will have singles categories and the fun doubles event of adults and juniors pairing together on the court! We will have players join us from the south and the north. Jessie Scott and Wanda Collins promise an outstanding event and will pair you up with a doubles partner if you need one. Wilson Racquetball has provided us with special raffle prizes. All monies will go to the local St Joseph’s Cancer Center.
Racquetball Camp
Mark your calendars! Racquetball camp will be July 7th-11th. Camp is led by club pro, Wanda Collins. Camp will consist of racquetball basics including strokes, serves of the wall back shots, game strategy, foot drills, & agility exercises. We will bring the week to an end with a fun mini-tournament on Friday!
Cost: Members-$125 – Non-Members-$140
**$10 of for siblings** **$50 deposit required**
In Memoriam
Sharon Chandler lost her battle with lung cancer and BAC has lost a most admired and respected member. Our condolences go out to her husband Dave Hammers and her children Jessica and Courtney and her grandchildren. If you missed the story we ran in the Newsletter last month, it is partially excerpted below.
Bellingham Athletic Club was privileged to witness a powerful lesson this past Northwest Open Racquetball Tournament. Sharon Chandler is an accomplished racquetball player, competing at the Women’s A/Elite level Singles and Doubles Tournaments throughout the Northwest. With her long time partner JoAnn Johnson, Sharon also travelled yearly to successfully compete at many Women’s Senior Master National Championships. Sharon is a caring, genuine woman who made racquetball a big part of her life. Wanda Collins BAC’s Racquetball Pro reminisces: I have learned a lot about the game from her over the years: she has always been an integral part of the racquetball program at BAC. We watched her daughters grow up at the club and she was one of the first to make this a family place: she embraced ALL of us as part of her racquetball family. Sharon is a life loving, honest athlete who has influenced a multitude of members and made our lives better by knowing her on and of the court.
Sharon was diagnosed with lung cancer July 2013. Although struggling with weight loss, energy loss and pain she has continued to play racquetball. So it was a bit of surprise as the Northwest Open Tournament loomed that she asked fellow morning player Karin Hoekema if she wanted to play doubles. Karin agreed, little knowing the incredible journey awaiting her. Sharon and Karin won their matches and were victorious in winning the Women’s B Doubles bracket at the NW open this past March. Sharon got to bask in the glory of winning a competition one last time to the accolades of many members, family and friends.
Sharon was an incredible presence here at BAC, known for her generosity of spirit, love of animals and her passion for the game of racquetball. She will be greatly missed. Join us in sending well wishes, sympathy and prayers to Sharon’s family.
A celebration of Sharon’s life will be held at 2pm on Saturday June 7th at Westford’s Broadway Hall 1300 Broadway. Bring your stories, appetite and dancing shoes; it will be a party! Share your memories of Sharon at www.westfordfuneralhome.com
Respectfully, Cathy Buckley
Sharon Chandler Competing in Life
A lesson in courage and grace
Bellingham Athletic Club was privileged to witness a powerful lesson this past Northwest Open Racquetball Tournament. Sharon Chandler is an accomplished racquetball player competing at the Women’s A/Elite level Singles and Doubles Tournaments throughout the Northwest. With her long time partner JoAnn Johnson, Sharon also travelled yearly to successfully compete at many Women’s Senior Master National Championships. Sharon is a caring, genuine woman who made racquetball a big part of her life. Wanda Collins BAC’s Racquetball Pro reminisces: I have learned a lot about the game from her over the years: she has always been an integral part of the racquetball program at BAC. We watched her daughters grow up at the club and she was one of the first to make this a family place: she embraced ALL of us as part of her racquetball family. Sharon is a life loving, honest athlete who has influenced a multitude of members and made our lives better by knowing her on and of the court.
Sharon was diagnosed with lung cancer July 2013, and of this writing is given only months to live. Although struggling with weight loss, energy loss and pain she has continued to play racquetball. So it was a bit of surprise as the Northwest Open Tournament loomed that she asked fellow morning player Karin Hoekema if she wanted to play doubles. Karin agreed, little knowing the incredible journey awaiting her. Karin and Sharon had 3 matches to play over the tournament weekend, they made it through to the finals! Their match was the last one of the tournament, a long weekend for everyone starting Thursday and ending Sunday evening. Normally the crowd would have thinned, but all stayed to watch and support Sharon and Karin in their bid to win their doubles division. They won the first game, lost the second game; requiring a tiebreaker game to 11. The players watching were clapping and cheering. Sharon was spent, battling nausea the whole match. All were worried that she would not be able to complete the game. Out she came from the locker room, a little unsteady, but with her smile firmly in place. I’ll let Sharon’s partner Karin pick up the story from here:
“Based on Sharon’s lack of energy by now and multiple trips to the restroom where she had been vomiting I felt we could notpull it off. Our last game, a tie-breaker to 11, proved long and tiring. We were down initially so I just accepted we weren’tgoing to win. “At least Sharon would have some enjoyment and undoubtedly feel the love of her friends and fans” I thought. With each classic winning shot so characteristic of Sharon, the crowd roared with cheers and was seen to do the “wave” a few times in praise. I was so proud of her!
Somehow we hung in there and it was 9-10. Our opponents each had a turn serving and chance to pick up the one winning point. A miracle for us, this did not happen. I served 9-10 and got us up to 10-10. The pressure was mounting. All eyes from the gallery were on us. My internal pressure was intense on top of my physical exhaustion (along with Sharon’s). Before serving I faced the crowd, put my hands together, looked up and asked God to please let this happen. Shockingly, we won 11-10. I hugged Sharon and, stepping out of the court overwhelmed with emotion, cried. Such mixed feelings of joy for Sharon, witnessing the love expressed by those observers, sympathy for her evident pain and sickness, and a realization this was probably her last hurrah. I went into this experience with hopes of being a blessing to my dying friend but came out being incredibly blessed by her! She has shown me and many others how to live everyday to the fullest despite knowing the end is near. She has not given up. She is still active, joyful in spirit, and loving. What a testament!”
There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Recounting the story at our staf meeting following the tournament had the same result. We are so blessed to be part of the BAC family, such caring support for whatever challenges our members face. They are there for each other, pitching in if rides or meals are needed, encouragement, congratulations, or condolences. I couldn’t have picked a better partner for Sharon, Karin Hoekema handled the difcult weekend with such grace and caring for a terrific BAC member. As Mili Blok
said “it was so moving just to feel the love and see the tears and to just realize that what happened that night was just an awesome example true deep friendship and love! “ Sharon and Karin, you are an inspiration to us all. Thanks for showing us how to live well and face our own challenges.
2014 NW Open Results
Once again we survived the Northwest Open Racquetball Tournament! This year we played host to 146 participants, coming from Montana, Oregon and even Hawaii. It was a busy weekend, but everyone had a lot of fun.
I would like to once again thank all of our local sponsors for helping us put on this awesome event. A HUGE thank you to Don and Carolyn Cummins of Elite Electrical, Tim Goering of Waddell & Reed, The Holz family of Holz Racing Products, Rod Jackson of Industrial Supply Inc., Scott Wheeler of Lithtex NW, & Keith and Lori Turley of Imagine Design Studio! Dean Hendrickson of Resers, Josh Francis of Flax4Life, and Derrick Anderson from Haggen also made huge contributions to our event by donating product for the weekend! This annual event would not be possible without your support!
Listed below are the 1ST PLACE 2ND PLACE 3RD PLACE CONSOLATION (respectively) results for each Event:
Men’s Open – Taylor Knoth Jeff Stark Jimmy Lowe Taylor Disch
Men’s Elite – Jerry Evarts Cheyenne Hayes Chris Cook Rich King
Men’s A – Doug Ross Nadav Dinur Diego Rodriguez Tony Antone
Men’s B – Mike Day James Troutt Tony Antone Nick Birnel
Men’s C – Jerry Bentley Peyton McCreary Jett Guthrie Aaron Vederoff
Men’s D – Micah Miller Nick Rautenberg
Men’s 25+ A/B – Patrick Boyd Mike Day
Men’s 35+ O/E – Brad Jackson Tracy Drury Don Birnel
Men’s 40+ A/B – Doug Ross Kai Coble Al Cuttriss
Men’s 55+ A/B – Ralph Switch Phil Nelson Dave Hammers Larry Oakley
Men’s Open Dbls – J.Hungerford/T.Knoth J.Birnel/J.Stark D.Croom/P.Julbes L.Chavez/B.Jackson
Men’s Elite Dbls – D.Birnel/J.Duryee B.Anderson/B.Alejandre M.Lam/J.Evarts R.Lawson/T.Guthrie
Men’s A Dbls – B.Cumming/D.Morton A.Reakes/P.Callioux D. Hammers/H.Navarette D. Douglas/T.Holcomb
Men’s B Dbls – P.Callioux/R.Switch T.Antone/M.Day L.Jenne/S.Mauricio S.Wharton/W.Jones
Men’s C Dbls – C.Hitz/J.Guthrie D.Butler/R.Jackson
Mix Open Dbls – H.Scott/J.Birnel P.Reuther/P.Julbes C.Hayes/J.Stark J.Buntjer/B.Johhnson
Mix Elite Dbls – L.Turley/J.Duryee J.Spalding/N.Judd P.Reuther/P.Morse R.Birnel/N.Birnel
Mix A Dbls – D.Morton/W.Brumsickle J.Scott/K.Jaskolka
Mix BC Dbls – K.Hoekema/K.Swanson R.McInturff/A.Barasa K.Francis/J.Francis M.Blok/L.Jenne
W.BC Dbls – K.Hoekema/S.Chandler L.Ash/R.McInturff
W. B – Leah DeVries Karissa Francis Lisa Ash
W. C/D – Cheryl Redford Amy Butler Rhonda McInturff Alice Birnbaum
2014 WA State Singles
About ten members of BAC’s Racquetball community made the trip to Tacoma for the 2014 State Singles Racquetball Tournament! We had a lot of fun and played a lot of racquetball. Two of our juniors in particular had an amazing weekend! Sixteen year old Jake Birnel & Fifteen year old Hollie Scott, two of our juniors who we’ve been watching grow on the court since they were about 5 years old each came home with the title of Washington State Champions in the men’s and women’s open divisions. Jake beat Jeff Stark in a tie-breaker 11-10. It really doesn’t get any better than that. It was the epitome of a nail biter match and the level of enthusiasm was fantastic. I am pretty sure that EVERYONE was rooting for Jake. The crowd was full of smiles, and cheer. Hollie beat Cheyenne Hayes in 2 games. She was in control of the game the entire time. BAC could not be more proud of these two. They both hold such poise on the court and are outstanding athletes! We are definitely proud to have Jake and Hollie as part of our club. If you see them around, be sure to congratulate them on their wins, and if you ever get a chance to watch them play, I highly recommend it!
