(L/R) Bay City's Chad Krager and Randy Wackerle took home the Bean-Smith Paddleball Gold for the sixth straight year.
39th Bean-Smith Paddleball Results
February 20, 2016
By: O. J. Cunningham
Twenty Eight paddles hooked up with 28 players from around the State to compete in the 39th Herb Bean/ Fred Smith Paddleball Memorial Tournament at the Dow Bay Area Family Y.
The names Herb Bean and Fred Smith are well-known among veteran paddle-ballers at the Bay Area Family YMCA. Bean, a circus clown, and acrobat, and Smith, a local businessman, were both long-time paddleball players from Bay City.
When Bean passed away unexpectedly during surgery, Fred Smith started a paddleball tournament in Herb Bean's honor. The following year, Smith also passed away unexpectedly and thus the Bean/Smith Tournament was born - Now in its 38th year.
In the 2016 Open Division, Bay City's Chad Krager and Randy Wackerle took home the gold for the sixth straight year. The Student/Teacher duo tied Bay City Hall of Famer Mike Wisniewski's record of six straight from 2004 to2008. In the finals, Krager/Wackerle defeated E. Lansing's Joe Baldori and Bay City's Adam Koehler 21-10, 21-18.
(L/R) A Division - Ann Arbor's Eugene Rush & Bay City's Scott Wittbrodt. B Division - Bay City's Pat O'Shea and Bill Jamrog. C Division - Bay City's Norm Halstead and Rick Ricard
Photo by O. J. Cunningham
© MyBayCity.com
The A Division saw Ann Arbor's Eugene Rush and Bay City's Scott Wittbrodt out-shoot Ann Arbor's Jim Swendris and Jim Richter 21-17, 21-12.
The B Division Finals had two Bay City teams. Pat O'Shea and Bill Jamrog defeated Thomas Bodary and Eric Boks in a 3 game tie-breaker 14-21, 21-12, 21-16.
The C Division Finals was Bay City's Norm Halstead and Rick Ricard over Traverse City's Mitch Truemner and Bay City's Rick Kogelman in another tie-breaker 21-15, 18-21, 21-16.
Midland Paddleball Fans -- Brian Sirrine, Paul Chritz, Randy Hoyle, and Kevin Marsh
Photo by O. J. Cunningham
© MyBayCity.com