The annual Kiva Classic tournament ended yesterday (Sunday, Dec. 4) with a plethora of finalists and champions in 17 different draws.
More than 150 people attended the four-day affair, watching excellent squash and enjoying evening parties and dinners.
The Kiva Classic has given the Santa Fe club a national reputation.
And, indeed, the Kiva produced many winners, including David Barker (65+ doubles champion), Walter Burke (70+ singles champion, 70+ hardball champion and 70+ doubles finalist), Courtney Carswell (75+ doubles finalist) Sean Gallagher (50+ doubles champion), Todd Lopez (40+ doubles finalist), Dave Matthews (80+ doubles champion) and Graham Sharman (80+ doubles finalist).
At the tournament’s Saturday dinner, Jerry Peters was honored (in absentia, unfortunately) for his many contributions to the club and to squash. (Jerry regularly hosts the Classic’s Saturday dinner at his gallery, usually hosts Kiva Pro-Am players for dinner at one of his restaurants, and often plays in national doubles “Century” tournaments. His sizeable donation helped spur the club’s installation of a glass back wall and creation of first-floor spectator space for the doubles court in 2013.).
Ed McWilliams won the coveted Charlie Perkins Award for Sportmanship. Last year’s winner, Walter Burke, presented the award, noting that its theme was “Humble in victory, gracious in defeat.”
McWilliams accepted the award, saying it suited him perfectly. “I’ve been gracious for at least the last 25 years,” he said.
Many Kiva members volunteered their time to run the tournament, including Bruce Bernstein, Walter Burke, Doug Campbell, Glenn Conroy, Grant Davis, David Dodge, Ryan Dodge, Sean Gallagher, Paul Kaufman, Stuart Kirk, Jim Leonard, Tom Noble, Tim Ogborn, Jeff Pollock, Les Porter, Graydon Thorne and Matt Wilson.
Twenty-one Kiva members played in the tournament, and others supported the tournament with donations, including Josh Brown, Courtney Carswell, Josiah Child, Jamie Clements, Grant Davis, John Day, Gil Frith, Sean Gallagher, Michael Gross, Warren Jones, Rob Jordan, Michael Munson, Max Myers, Shiloh Old, Jerry Peters and Jeff Pollock, Tom Spier and Richard Yates.
Kiva pro Drewe Williams carefully crafted the draws, and Graydon Thorne’s skillful management of the doubles court — more than 70 doubles matches were played in 3-1/2 days — kept the tournament on time (and often ahead of time).
Here are the champions and finalists:
OPEN SINGLES
Champion: Will Moore (Boulder, CO)
Finalist: Jeff Osborne (Australia)
40+ SINGLES
Champion: Jayson Peters (Kalispell, MT)
Finalist: Chris Fontes (Los Alamos)
50+ SINGLES
Champion: Richard Williams (Phoenix, AZ)
Finalist: Chris Fontes (Los Alamos)
60+ SINGLES
Champion: Gary Sanchez (Albuquerque)
Finalist: Richard Williams (Phoenix, AZ)
70+ SINGLES
Champion: Walter Burke (Kiva)
Finalist: Patrick Martin (Dayton, OH)
OPEN DOUBLES
Champions: Jake Lord (Denver, CO) and Michael Woods (Englewood, CO)
Finalists: Will Moore (Boulder, CO) and Rachel Scherman (Denver, CO)
40+ DOUBLES
Champions: Dave Barry (Denver, CO) and Charlie Groves (Denver, CO)
Finalists: Justin Doyle (Venice, CA) and Todd Lopez (Kiva)
50+ DOUBLES
Champions: Eric Eiteljorg (Denver) and Sean Gallagher (Kiva)
Finalists: Mark Pagon (Haverford, PA) and Ken Pollack (Bryn Mawr, PA)
60+ DOUBLES
Champions: Mark Pagon (Haverford, PA) and Ken Pollack (Bryn Mawr, PA)
Finalists: Peter Logan (Missoula, MT) and John Seidel (Colorado Springs, CO)
65+ DOUBLES
Champions: David Barker (Kiva ) and Alan Dille (Denver)
Finalists: Ed Winter (Westmont, IL) and James Woods (Big Sky, MT)
70+ DOUBLES
Champions: Clark Amos (St. Louis, MO) and Dennis Cusack (Portland, OR)
Finalists: Walter Burke (Kiva) and Bob Burton (Holland, MI)
75+ DOUBLES
Champions: Bob Brown (Denver, CO) and Rob Piggott (Denver, CO)
Finalists: Courtney Carswell (Kiva) and Dick Rice (Rochester, NY)
80+ DOUBLES
Champions: Dave Matthews (Kiva) and Michael Wilson (Brossard, QC, Canada)
Finalists: Ted Marmor (New York, NY) and Graham Sharman (Kiva)
OPEN HARDBALL
Champion: Michael Woods (Englewood, CO)
Finalist: Jeremy Burke (Boston, MA)
60+ HARDBALL
Champion: John Seidel (Colorado Spring, CO)
Finalist: Peter Logan (Missoula, MT)
70+ HARDBALL
Champion: Walter Burke (Kiva)
Finalist: Laurence Franklin (Pacific Palisades, CA)