KMC players placed first in all but one major category of the Hanau Open Racquetball Invitational tournament held March 6 at the Pioneer Fitness Center.
Mike Bowers, 415th Base Support Battalion, continued his perfect string of dual victories. He bested Tim Hardison, Heidelberg, 9-15, 15-12, 11-9, in the open division and defeated Jeff Milkes, Baumholder, 15-4, 15-3, in the masters division.
“Even though I won, this was not one of my better tournaments,” said Bowers. “I skipped way too many balls in the open title game and was lucky my opponent also didn’t play his best game. However, a win is a win.”
Curtis Morgan, Ramstein, took third place in the open, however he defeated Hardison 4-15, 15-4, 11-4 to capture the seniors division. Ray Walker, Würzburg, was third.
For Morgan, the win over Hardison was his first success in five attempts.
“Each and every game we had was down to the wire,” said Morgan. “To finally beat the all-Army player really felt great. Maybe we will meet at the Armed Forces tournament. He is a great player, and our styles make for a high-octane match.”
Ramstein’s Al Suendermann won both the open and seniors consolation titles.
Timothy Anderson, Ramstein, captured the C division title with a 10-15, 15-13, 11-0 win over Dayan Pelaez, Hanau. He also placed second in the B division, losing to Jeff Milkes, Baumholder, 15-6, 15-9.
Anderson called his first category win very rewarding.
“I worked hard that day. All the practicing and good mentorship paid off,” he said. “It was a great time, even though I was tired and my body ached the next day.”
The golden masters (50+) title now belongs to Ron Ruiz, Defense European Commissary Agency. He triumphed over Larry Gregg, Heidelberg, 15-11, 15-3.
Normally, Ruiz is forced to play against “youngsters,” because there aren’t enough players in his age group.
“Conditioning and playing against younger competition put my game on a level where I didn’t have to work that hard,” he said. “I would like to see more older players competing. The game isn’t restricted to just the younger players. The same thing goes for the women and the youth. They need to compete, regardless of whether they feel they can win or not. It’s about fitness and the future of the game. Without young players, there won’t be golden masters,” added Ruiz.
In the women’s division, Tammie Milkes, 415th BSB, defeated Karin Chun, Illesheim, 15-1, 15-6.
The tournament also featured two youth divisions. Andre Chun and Chris Milkes finished first and second, respectively, in the boys’ junior division (13 years). In the 10-year-old girls junior category, Tania Hoehne, Hanau, got by Sarah Torres-Cortes, Hanau, 21-18.
Nearly 40 players took part in the annual tournament. The next military tournament, KMC Invitational Racquetball Tournament, takes place April 3 and 4 at the Kleber Fitness Center.
Categories will include open, B, C, 30-plus, 40-plus, 45-plus and women’s. A mixed doubles competition is also planned. Participants must register by March 26 by calling Gerd Backhaus, tournament director, at 486-8713 or gerd.backhaus@hq.21tsc.army.mil.
The entry fee is $10 for the first division and $5 for each additional division. Prizes will be awarded to first- and second-place winners, plus consolation winners. (Courtesy of 415th Base Support Battalion Public Affairs)
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