State Doubles Championships 2004

A total of 31 doubles teams vied for the right to be called state champion. When the final matches were completed there were new champions in every division. And a unique facet of the tournament found four father/son teams and one mother/daughter team entered in the competition.

In the Men's Open bracket David Munson and Ivan Ruiz survived a semi-final three game struggle vs the Zamora brothers Oscar and Carlos. After losing the first game 21-11, Munson and Ruiz squeaked out a 21-20 second game win and then found the mark with a 11-5 tie breaker win. Their win set up a showdown against #1 seed Bill Mehilos and Jamie Simon who had their hands full in a semi-final donnybrook with the father/son tandem of Ken and Mike Munson. It was another three game affair with the Munsons taking the first game 21-18. Mehilos/Simon rebounded in the second 21-13 and outlasted father 7 son in an tie breaker 11-8.

The finals turned out to be a contest of missed opportunities by both teams. Munson and Ruiz took the first game 21-15 but were almost shutout in the second losing 21-2. Somehow they were able to come back, stay unnerved and keep pace in the tie breaker. When they gained the serve after a Mehilos shot skipped in at 10-10 they were able to score the f inal point for their first state doubles championship.

In Women's Open doubles Megan Mehilos and Samantha England, from Lake Forest College , overwhelmed the competition as they cruised through the nine team field. Having just won the Women's doubles at the Circle City (Indianapolis) tournament Mehilos and England showed why they would be the #1 seed at the USHA intercollegiates the following week. The finals pitted them against a mother/daughter team, Allison Roberts and Katie who provided them with their only competitive game they but prevailed none-the-less in two, 21-ll, 21-4.

The Men's B finals was another three game affair with Marty Quinn and Derek Meiring winning over the Lattof Y team of Vito Brunetti and John Cagney 20-21, 21-12, 11-2. Brunetti and Cagney had edged another Lattof team, Bill Luby and Rich Phillips, in the semi's 21-20, 18-21, 11-8 while Quinn and Meiring had advanced to the finals with out a loss. In the drop down brackets the winners were: In A/Men (father/son) Sean and Shane Conneely over Keith Vassall-Mark O'Leary 21-14, 21-17. In A/Women Terry Mehilos-Aimee Ulbert over Michelle White-Tina Koludrovic 21-8, 21-15. In C/Men Dan McNabney-Rob Burda over Chris Krisufec-Tom Dwyer 21-13, 21-8.

 

Copyright © 2002 Illinois Handball Association. All Rights Reserved.