The State of Ohio Open Championship was held at the Premier Athletic Club at Sawmill on April 5th and 6th in Columbus, Ohio.  The draw was down by 20 players from last year to 68, but the level of play didn’t suffer.  Casey Mayo took the Open Singles over Phil Kirk in the finals in an exciting match pitting speed, power, talent and a few less years against speed, agility, ability with a few more years of talent that reflects why these guys are two of the top players in Ohio.  Phil got his revenge in the Open/50 combined doubles, teaming up with Tyler Stevens to outdo Casey and dad Ray Mayo in the finals.  The B singles also came down to youth versus age – Joe Frankenfield, now at Miami University, took home the title over Bob Santora from Cleveland in a tough match.  Santora had little challenge getting to the finals winning his first two matches with conviction in two games each.  Joe was challenged by Guy Imbrogno in the semis, taking the match in the tie breaker.  Guy Imbrogno had 3 of his matches in the tournament decided in a tie breaker, including the B doubles final, so he got almost all the play he could get.  Carlos Vasquez took the A singles title over Mario Dolciato.  The 50+ singles final was a battle between old friends Don Snyder and Steve Dykes, with Steve eking out the win.  Larry Alesnik overcame defending champ Lee Schwartzenberg in the 60+ singles in a convincing two game final.  The C singles final followed the age battle suit of youth against age, with age taking the title this time: Mike Demko won the first game in what looked like a blow-out final, only to have Spencer Galloway win the second in a convincing manner; Mike mustered in the tie breaker to take the title.  Dave Kaszar from Cleveland took home the Novice singles title in a bracket of 5 round-robin.  Junior singles champ is Spencer Straw, 2nd place is Tanner Helmbright, 3rd is Chandler Straw, 4th is Jake Marburger, and 5th is Sam Sottosanti III.  Jake and Tanner take home the Junior doubles title.  George Lehocky and Lee Schwartzenberg won the 60+ doubles in a single match title event over Lou Friscoe and Bob Schadel.  Thanks to the help of the volunteers Big Mike and Pat Michael and everyone else that helped ref more matches than they should have.  Columbus was honored to posthumously induct Bob “Boomer” Whitman into the Ohio Handball Hall of Fame at a ceremony during the tournament Saturday evening.

Open Singles
First round: Casey Mayo def. Eric Neff 8, 3; Bruce Frankenfield def. Pat Myers 16, (16), 8; Ray Mayo def. Carlos Vasquez 9, 13, Phil Kirk def. Scott Kaczmar 8, 5.  Semis: Mayo def. Frankenfield 10, 16; Kirk def. Ray Mayo 17, 5.  Final: Casey Mayo def. Kirk 15, 12.

50+ Singles:
First round: Kurt Hebel def. Greg Macklin 5, 6; Don Snyder def. Joel Hunt 5, 8.  Quarter finals: Steve Dykes def. Hebel 16, 9; Mike Berner def. Kevin Byers 18, 18; Snyder def. Kevin Hoag (11), 16, 5; Bob Bardeau def. Jim McDonnell 6, 9.  Semis: Dykes def. Berner 8, 16; Snyder def. Bardeau 10, 10.  Final: Dykes def. Snyder 2, (18), 1.

60+ singles:
First round: Bob Shadel def. Lou Friscoe.  Quarter finals: Lee Schwartzenberg def. Shadel.  Dan Sindlinger def. George Lehocky 13, 7; Larry Alesnik def. Rick Stevens inj. Default; Kent Fusselman def. Art Haffner.  Semis: Schwartzenberg def. Sindlinger 8, 9; Alesnik def. Fusselman (tie breaker).  Final: Alesnik def. Schwartzenberg.

B singles:
First round: Tom Jansa def. Kevin Pape; Jason Thopmson def Josh Gundelach 5, 4; Greg Macklin def. Joe Gruden; Greg DeNiro def Ted Nickles.  Quarter finals: Matt Heithoff def. Jansa 20, 18; Bob Santora def. Thompson 8, 14; Joe Frankenfield def. Macklin 3, 7; Guy Imbrogno def. DeNiro (14), 16, 4.  Semis: Santora def. Heithoff 3,14; Frankenfield def. Imbrogno 4, (19), 6.  Final: Frankenfield def. Santora 11, 17.

C singles:
Spencer Galloway def. Josh Gundelach; Kurt Huffman def. Gavin Mrofchak; Art Haffner def. Mike McCarty; Mike Demko def. Steve Keeny.  Semis: Galloway def. Huffman; Demko def. Haffner.  Final: Demko def. Galloway.

Novice singles:
Players: Mary Friscoe, Dave Kaszar, Eric Weber, Jeff Fedele, Gavin Mrofchak in a round robin;   Dave Kaszar first place.

Jr. singles:
Players: Tanner Helmbright, Spencer Straw, Candler Straw, Jake Marburger, Sam Sottosanti III; Spencer Straw first place.

Open/50 doubles:
First round: Tyler Steven/Phil Kirk def. Fred Alhborn/Paul Johnson 9, 4; Bob Lohmuller/Willie Straw def. Mario Dolciato/Sam Sottansanti Jr. 9, 1; Steve Kehoe/Mike Reilly def. George Miller/Jim Lowe 11, 6; Casey Mayo/Ray Mayo def. Robin Story/Jim Skogstrom 12, 4.  Semis: Stevens/Kirk def. Lohmuller/Straw (16), 1, 9; Mayo/Mayo def. Kehoe/Reilly 15, 7.  Final: Stevens/Kirk def. Mayo/Mayo 12, 13.