The presence of Dave Chapman along with the deepest open field ever made for a memorable 3-Wall tournament in LaGrange IL July 15-18.

Chapman returned to a 3-wall tournament for the first time in 8 years, aiming to grab all of the first place prize money in singles and in doubles with his partner, Allen Garner. He met stiff resistance from Dane Szatkowski in singles and Dane and his brother Adam in doubles.

The finals were spectacular in both events as Chapman edged Szatkowski 14-21, 21-7, 11-6 to take the $1200 first place money while Dane netted $400. In doubles the Szatkowski brothers got even by defeating Chapman and Garner 21-13, 21-20 to take $1500, 2nd place reciving $500.

An umbrella seemed to hover over LaGrange to hold back rain clouds and one of the largest tournament draws ever was treated to perfect weather, great hospitatlity and large, ethusiastic galleries of 150+--a mini-Toledo!

The quality of the overall field was on a par with the 3-wall nationals only played under more grueling conditions. Slamming in the Open divisions at LaGrange means winning 7 to 8 matches in 3 days making the challenge that much harder.

Chapman defeated Bill Mehilos who was playing in his 4th match of the day but still gave a spirited effort before falling 21-11, 21-11. Dane beat Tom Little 21-10, 21-5. Chapman played error-free, high-percentage handball throughout the tourament and showed no problems adjusting to the 3 wall game. His defensive prowess and ability to dig and rekill wore down the field. He ended the championship with a spectacular diving rekill.

The doubles field featured 12 teams featuring semifinal wins of Chapman/Garner over Shane Conneely and Bill Mehilos 21-18, 21-8 and then Szatwowskis over James Komsthoeft and Mike Munson 21-13, 21-15. In the end, the strong teamwork and experience of the Szatkowski's, along with Dane's offensive fireworks were just enough to defeat Chapman and a very strong Allan Garner. Dane is more fit and sharper than ever and played some of his finest 3-wall ever at LaGrange.

In other brackets, the Masters finals featured 3 former national champions in Dave Dohman, Tim Sterret and Phil Kirk. Dohman and Sterrett barely edged Kirk and his partner Jim Corrigan in the finals 21-20,13-21, 11-7.

Another set of former 3-wall champs took the Golden Masters as Vance McInnis and John Sanford shut down Bob Bardeau and Ray Mayo 21-5, 21-1. In the 100+ bracket, Bud Clarke and Frank Minik beat Tom Allen and Bob Anderson, 21-8, 21-6. And in an 18 team B field, Charlie Lemus and his father Octavio Lemus proved too strong for the rest of the field topping Tim Nolan and Bernie O'Sullivan in the finals 15-21, 21-11, 11-2.

FINAL RESULTS

OPEN SINGLES: D. Chapman def J. Gabriando 4, 5; A. Garner def. S. Conneely 11, 13; D. Munson def C. Mayo 20, (12), 7; T. Little def K Vassall 1,5; J. Davis def M. Munson, 7-3; M. O'Leary def K. Lewis (3), 14, 8; D. Szatkowski def T. Disador 13, 0; Quarter finals: Chapman def Garnver 5,6; Mehilos def D. Munson 14,19; Little def Davis (16) 10, 1; Szatkowski def O'Leary 9,8;
Semifinals: Chapman def Mehilos 11, 11; Szat def Little 10,5;
Finals: Chapman def Szat (14), 7, 6

OPEN DOUBLES: Davis/J. Moore def J. Hagen/K. Vassall 14,11; J. Komsthoeft/M. Munson def C. Lemus/C. Dohman 11, 5; T. Little/D. Little def J. Devito/J. Gabriando 6,11; T. Disadore/R. Gaither (6) 13, 3; Quarterfinals: A. Szatkowski/D. Szatkowski def Davis/Moore 3,7; Komsthoeft/Munson def Lewis/Mayo 19,8; Conneely/Mehilos def Little/Little 9,13; Chapman/Garner def Disadore/Gaither 4,4; Semifinals: Szats def Komsthoeft/Munson, Chapman/Garner def Conneely/Mehilos; Finals: Szats def Chapman/Garner 13,20

MASTERS: D. Dohman/T. Sterrett def M. Clemens/R. Mayo 7,13; Lucas/Murphy def Kolerich/Zahorik (7), 11, 6; B. Stanko/T. Nealt def R. Smith/S. Childs; J. Corrigan/P. Kirk def B. Connolly/B. O'Sullivan 7,5; Semifinals:
Dohman/Sterrett def Lucas/Murphyu 8,16; Corrigan/Kirk def Stanko/Nealt inj. Default; Dohman/Sterrett def Corrigan Kirk 20, (13), 7

GOLDEN MASTERS: V. McInnis/J. Sanford def J. Cosentino/T. Petersen 3,7; K. Jarvis/D. Hemmesch def J. Ivy/F. Waters 19,14; J. Bercher/D. Hofflander def B. McGee/B. Tutlewski 16, 12; B. Bardeau/R. Mayo def L. Jarvis/J. Quattrochi 10, (19), 6; Semifinals: Sanford/McInnis def Jarvis/Hemmesch 6, 15; Bardeau/Mayo def Bercher/Hofflander 19, 19; Finals: McInnis/Sanford def Bardeau/Mayo 5,1

100+: E. Dicks/E. Seaman def P. Felice/J. McMahon; B. Clarke/F. Minik
100+def Dicks/Seaman; W. Ross/J. Sprtel Def L. Baez/E. Glavin; T.
100+Allen/B.Anderson def F. Walsh/P. Murphy; R. Zielinski/J. Harmon def
100+P. Wilson/K. Thode; Semifinals: Clarke/Minik def Ross/Sprtel;
100+Allen/Anderson def Zielinski/Harmon; Finals: Clarke/Minik def
100+Allen/Anderson 8,6

B Doubles: C. Connolly/S. Lee def B. Anderson/T. Allen; B. Deenihan/ N. Nahorniak def N. Kristufek/M. Hayes; C. Lemus/O. Lemus def Connolly/Lee; C. Dohman/L. Dohman def J. Duma/R. Burzak; M. Perkins/J. Kaiser def C. Kristufek/Bert Connolly; B. Murray/T. Murray def D. Little/J. Andrade; Brian Connolly/W. Hendrickson def D. Moll/K. Jarvis Jr.; J. Petersen/T. Petersen def L. Jarvis/J. Quattrochi; Med Mehilos/Mike Mehilos def V. Avila/B.
Moritz; T. Nolan/B. O'Sullivan def Deenihan Nahorniak;
Quarterfinals: Lemus/Lemus def Dohman/Dohman; Perkins/Zahorik def Little Andrade; Petersen/Petersen def Connolly/Hendrickson; Nolan/O'Sullivan def Mehilos/Mehilos;
Semifinals: Lemus/Lemus def Perkins/Zahorik; Nolan/O'Sullivan def Petersen/Petersen;
Finals: Lemus/Lemus def Nolan/O'Sullivan (15), 11, 2