| Santa Fe's Kiva Classic tournament concluded Sunday afternoon (Dec. 8) with cheers for its many champions and finalists. About 170 players and their significant others participated in the tournament and its associated social events. Play began at 8 a.m. Thursday morning, and Lisa and David Barker held a party at their home that evening for all entrants, sponsors and their significant others. On Friday, matches started just before sunrise at 7 a.m. and continued until about midnight. Cocktails and a buffet dinner were provided at the club. Saturday saw a full slate of matches — 7 a.m. to midnight again — with cocktails and a sit-down dinner at the Peters Projects Gallery. Sunday was for finals, starting at 7 a.m. and continuing until about 2:30 p.m. The tournament was made possible by many sponsors, including Dan and Ashlyn Perry’s Trout Stalker Ranch in Chama, the Gerald Peters Gallery, the Museum of New Mexico Foundation and Walter Burke Catering. At the Saturday dinner, Bill Palmer was honored with the Charlie Perkins Sportsmanship Award. The Kiva’s past president Stuart Kirk presented the award, which is named for a Kiva member who helped start the Kiva Classic in 1981 and who died in 2017. Charlie Perkins was famous for his sportsmanship and fair play. He was as humble in victory as he was gracious in defeat. Bill Palmer is a longtime friend of the Kiva Club. He has played in many Kiva Classics. His love of the game is immense. He started Guillermo’s Squash Club in Colorado Springs, and he embodies squash’s highest values. Palmer joins Charlie Amm, Michael McBean, Clark Amos, Graham Sharman, Ross Brown and John Amos as winners of the Perkins trophy. This year’s tournament also was notable for the record number of women who entered and played: Eight. Here are the weekend’s other winners: SINGLES OPEN: Champion: Drewe Williams (Kiva). Finalist: Porter Drake (San Francisco). 40+: Champion: Willie Gaynor (Washington, DC). Finalist: Chris Fontes (Los Alamos). 50+: Champion: Chris Fontes (Los Alamos). Finalist: Scott Ciener (Kiva). 60+: Champion: Doug MacDougall (West Vancouver, B.C.). Finalist: Bruce Macfarlane (North Vancouver, B.C.). 70+: Champion: Tefft Smith (Washington, DC). Finalist: Rick Taft (Pepper Pike, OH). DOUBLES OPEN: Champions: Willie Gaynor (Washington, DC) and Porter Drake (San Francisco). Finalists: Will Moore (Denver, CO) and Chris Ivsin (Wheat Ridge, CO). 40+: Champions: Eric Eiteljorg (Denver) and T.J. Johnson (Denver). Finalists: Phoebe Trubowitz (Portland, OR) and Drewe Williams (Kiva). 50+: Champions: Charlie Groves (Denver) and Peter McGlynn (Denver). Finalists: Grant Robinson (Kiva) and Jim Nelson (Louisville, CO). 60+: Champions: Alan Dille (Golden, CO) and David Barker (Kiva). Finalists: Bob Bush (Greenwood Village, CO) and Charles Soderstrom (Winter Park, FL). 65+: Champions: Walter Burke (Kiva) and Doug MacDougall (West Vancouver, BC). Finalists: Dennis Cusack (Portland, OR) and Mark Todorovich (St. Louis, MO). 70+: Champions: Clark Amos ( Scottsdale, AZ) and Jim Gibbons (San Francisco). Finalists: Bob Brown (Denver) and Rob Piggott (Denver). 75+: Champions: Bart McGuire (Frisco, CO) and Dick Rice (Rochester, NY). Finalists: Martin Kaffka (West Vancouver, BC) and George Meyer (Fair Oaks, CA). 80+: Champions: Dave Matthews (Kiva) and David Puchkoff (New York, NY). Finalists: Graham Sharman (Kiva) and Dick Silbar (Santa Fe). HARDBALL OPEN: Champion: Willie Gaynor (Washington, DC). Finalist: Will Moore (Denver). 60+: Champion: Peter Logan (Missoula, MT). Finalist: Tefft Smith (Washington, DC). 70+: Champion: Tefft Smith (Washington, DC). Finalist: George Meyer (Fair Oaks, CA). |  This 24-page booklet tells the story of the 2019 Kiva Classic. Bob Mosier took most of the photos, wrote the text and designed the pages. Click on the cover image above to see an electronic version of the booklet. You can purchase a printed edition for about $10 after you click on the link. |
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The 28th annual Kiva Classic tournament concluded Sunday (Dec. 3) with final matches in singles, hardball singles and doubles.
About 90 players from around the country -- and from Canada and Mexico -- participated in the tournament which was held at the Kiva Club in Santa Fe. Here are the champions and finalists in all divisions: SINGLES Open -- Champion: William Moore (Delray Beach, FL). Finalist: Busani Xaba (San Francisco). 40s -- Champion: Chris Fontes (Los Alamos). Finalist: Jeff Mayorga (Englewood, CO). 50s -- Champion: Charlie Amm (Estes Park, CO). Finalist: Chris Fontes (Los Alamos). 60s -- Champion: Peter Logan (Milford, MI). Finalist: Charlie Amm (Estes Park, CO). 70s -- Champion: Tefft Smith (Washington, DC). Finalist: Rick Taft (Pepper Pike, OH). HARDBALL SINGLES Open -- Champion: Busani Xaba (San Francisco). Finalist: Phoebe Trubowitz (Portland, OR). 50s -- Champion: Grant Robinson (Kiva Club). Finalist: Phoebe Trubowitz (Portland, OR) 60s -- Champion: Peter Logan (Milford, MI). Finalist: Ted Inbusch (Columbus, OH). 70s -- Champion: Tefft Smith (Washington DC). Finalist: Terry Eagle (Carpinteria, CA). DOUBLES Open -- Champions: Eric Eiteljorg (Denver) and Sean Gallagher (Kiva Club). Finalists: Todd Lopez (Kiva Club) and Drewe Williams (Kiva Club). 40s -- Champions: Eric Eiteljorg (Denver) and T.J. Johnson (Denver). Finalists: Charlie Groves (Denver) and Jeff Mayorga (Englewood, CO). 50s -- Champions: Jim Nelson (Louisville, CO) and Grant Robinson (Kiva Club). Finalists: David Barker (Kiva Club) and Scott Ciener (Kiva Club). 60s -- Champions: Alan Dille (Golden, CO) and Bill Sather (Lone Tree, CO). Finalists: David Barker (Kiva Club) and Walter Burke (Kiva Club). 65s -- Champions: Lynn Broman (West Vancouver, CAN) and Bob Burton (Holland, MI). Finalists: Tony Ross (North York, CAN) and Kit Tatum (New London, NH). 70s -- Champions: Clark Amos (St. Louis, MO) and Bart McGuire (Frisco, CO). Finalists: Bob Brown (Denver) and Rob Piggott (Denver). 75s -- Champions: Mike Tramutt (Arvada, CO) and Randy Waesche (Denver). Finalists: Bart McGuire (Frisco, CO) and Graham Sharman (Kiva Club). 80s -- Champions: Don Mills (Terrace Park, OH) and Graham Sharman (Kiva Club). Finalists: Hank Palmer (Fresno, CA) and Dick Silbar (Santa Fe, NM). Santa Fe’s Kiva Club hosted two concurrent tournaments over the weekend (Sept. 20-23), one a Professional Squash Association singles tournament with a $5,500 purse, and the other a tournament for the rest of us, with singles, hardball singles and doubles.
Aditya Jagtap, a 26-year-old from Mubai, India, won the Kiva Club Open, beating American Faraz Khan, 3-1, in Sunday’s final. The Kiva Club Open started Thursday with 16 players who thrilled spectators with long rallies, great gets and skillful play. Sunday’s final pitted No. 1 seed Khan against No. 4 seed Jagtap. Jagtap had turned his ankle in an earlier match, but said he felt fine before the final started. Jagtap won the first game convincingly, 11-7, but the 25-year-old Khan roared back to take the second game, 11-4. The third game was the longest, going to Jagtap, 14-12. During the fourth game, Khan injured his hamstring when he lunged into the right front corner to get a Jagtap drop. After Khan lost the point, he halted play for a few minutes, hoping some stretching would restore his leg. Play resumed, but Khan’s mobility was limited, and he lost the game, 11-8, and with it the match. The Kiva Club Open was sponsored by McGehee Wealth Advisory Group, La Choza and The Shed restaurants, the New Mexico Squash Racquets Association, the Kiva Club and many individuals. * * * The Taco Tournament had about 30 entrants, many from out of town — Albuquerque, Los Alamos, Colorado, Ohio and even Georgia. Here’s a list of the winners: A Doubles: Champions: Todd Lopez and Grant Robinson (Kiva). Finalists: Josh Brown and Drewe Williams (Kiva). B Doubles: Champions: Jeff Mayorga (Englewood, CO) and Laura Stuto (Denver). Finalists: Josiah Child (Kiva) and Ben Gillock (Santa Fe). Note: Child withdrew before the final match, so the final was not played. 5.5 singles: Champion: Jeff Mayorga (Englewood, CO). Finalist: Chris Fontes (Los Alamos). 4.5 singles: Champion: Gert Nortje (Vail, CO). Finalist: Dave Andes (Sandy Springs, GA). 3.5 singles: Champion: Gert Nortje (Vail, CO). Finalist: Laura Stuto (Denver). 5.5 Hardball: Champion: Jeff Mayorga (Englewood, CO). Finalist: Grant Robinson (Kiva). 4.5 Hardball: Champion: Gert Nortje (Vail, CO). Finalist: Derek Bohannan (Albuquerque). 3.5 Hardball: Champion: Gert Nortje (Vail, CO). Finalist: Laura Stuto (Denver). The Kiva Club Open professional and the amateur Taco Tournament will be held concurrently at the Kiva Club in Santa Fe in late September..
The Kiva Club Open is a Professional Squash Association sanctioned tournament with a $5,000 purse. It starts on Thursday, Sept. 20 and runs through Sunday, Sept. 23. It features 16 professional singles players from around the globe. The Taco Tournament is a skill-level event for amateurs with doubles, singles and hardball singles. "It's a long weekend of extraordinary squash," said tournament director Grant Davis. "The amateurs get to play -- and also get to watch top young professionals play at a level seldom seen in the Southwest." This is the fourth annual Kiva Club Open. This year, it is sponsored by The Shed and La Choza restaurants, the New Mexico Squash Racquets Association and the Kiva Club. "Come for the tournament," said Davis, "and stay for the tacos." To enter the tournament visit the "tournaments" section of this website. The Santa Fe Open tournament wrapped up play on Saturday (April 28) at El Gancho with winners in four divisions.
"We had 23 participants," said tournament director Jeff Pollock, "and everybody had a blast." Here's a list of champions and finalists: 5.0 Singles Champion: Chris Fontes (Los Alamos) Finalist: Jay Salomon (Midtown, Albuquerque) 4.0 Singles Champion: Cameron Canandy (Midtown, Albuquerque) Finalist: Josiah Child (Kiva Club, Santa Fe) 3.0 Singles Champion: Adam Wilson (Midtown, Albuquerque) Finalist: Jake Prishkulik (Santa Fe) Third: Michael Hare (Kiva Club, Santa Fe) Fourth: Christian Platt (Kiva Club, Santa Fe) 70+ Singles Champion: Alan Wicks (Las Vegas, NM) Finalist: Jim Patterson (El Gancho, Santa Fe) The third-annual Kiva Club Open will be held at the Kiva Club in Santa Fe, New Mexico, from Sept. 14 through 17, 2017.
The tournament is a combination professional singles tournament and an amateur doubles and singles tournament. The amateur tournament, which is sanctioned by US Squash, is open to singles and doubles players by skill level. Amateur play will begin on Friday, Sept. 15, and conclude on Sunday, Sept. 17. The professional draw is open to all Professional Squash Association members, and is sanctioned by the PSA. Professional play will begin on Thursday, Sept. 15, and conclude on Sunday, Sept. 17. For more information -- or to enter the tournament -- click here. You can read about last year's tournament by clicking here and here. If you want to stay alive, play squash. That’s the finding of a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
The study found that racquet sports – badminton, tennis and squash – contribute more to longevity than other forms of exercise. Compared to a sample group that didn’t exercise, racquet sport players were 47 percent less likely to die from any cause. And when the researchers looked at risk of death from heart disease and stroke, they found that playing racquet sports was associated with a 56 percent lower risk. Racquet sports ranked higher than cycling, swimming, aerobics, dance, running, jogging, soccer and rugby. The researchers from the University of Oxford analyzed data from 11 nationally representative annual health surveys for England and Scotland, carried out between 1994 and 2008. In all, the analysis included 80,306 adults with an average age of 52. In each of the surveys, participants were quizzed about what type and how much physical activity they had done in the preceding four weeks, and whether it had been enough to make them breathless and sweaty. You can read the full report in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. |
Got squash news?Send it to Walter Burke at walter@nmsquash.com. Squash calendarFeb. 24-27, 2022 News archives
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