MCA Players in Tulsa

TULSA, OK -- Earlier this year several MCA players participated in the Indian Territory Open in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The event was held in August 31-September 2 and the MCA's Deborah Millican took a win over fellow MCA player Jodi Adams to claim the second flight singles title.

Millican and Adams also teamed up to win the second flight doubles title. Matt Smith, Greg Adams and Ron Millican from the MCA also played in the event.

Kactus Creek Croquet Club's Matt Griffith won the Championship Flight singles.

Full Results:

Championship Singles: 1. Matt Griffith 2. Matt Baird 3. Jeff Caldwell 3. Dan Bennett 5. Matt Smith 5. Joe Franz 5. Art Parsells 5. Dan Campbell

First Flight Singles: 1. Aaron McIntosh 2. Harold Menzel 3. Kevin McQuigg 4. F.P. Tad Cassidy 5. Pat Garner 5. Greg Adams 5. Scott Spradling 5. Ron Millican 9. Howard Holdsclaw 9. Andrée Bothe

Second Flight Singles: 1. Deborah Millican 2. Jodi Adams 3. Joshua Reed 4. Suzanne Spradling 5. Richard Hardin 5. Alan McIntosh

Championship Doubles: 1. Matt Baird/Jeff Caldwell 2. Matt Smith/Matt Griffith 3. Dan Bennett/Dan Campbell 4. Art Parsells/Joe Franz

First Flight Doubles: 1. Kevin McQuigg/Scott Spradling 2. F.P. Tad Cassidy/Harold Menzel 3. Howard Holdsclaw/Aaron McIntosh 4. Greg Adams/Ron Millican 5. Pat Garner/Andrée Bothe

Second Flight Doubles: 1. Jodi Adams/Deborah Millican 2. Suzanne Spradling/Alan McIntosh 3. Joshua Reed/Richard Hardin 4. Lois Holdsclaw/Gene Melton

Jodi Adams Wins the 2013 Pumpkin Open

PARKVILLE, MO -- MCA member Jodi Adams continued her recent tear with a win at the Pumpkin Open held in October in Parkville. The event is six-ball style croquet and she had to hold off fellow MCA member and husband Greg Adams who took second place. 

Final Standings:
1. Jodi Adams
2. Greg Adams
3. Art Hachey
4. Don Brooks
5. Bob Cook
6. Dennis Hood

MCA Members at Selections Eights

WEST PALM BEACH, FL -- Two MCA members participated in the 2013 US Selection Eights event held October 24-27 at the National Croquet Center in West Palm Beach, FL. 

Billy Bob Breeden competed in the fourth eight and took third place with a 9-5 record. You can see the standings and full game results for his group on croquetscores.com.

Dylan Goodwin played in the fifth eight and tied for third place with an 8-6 record. You can see standings and full game results for his group on croquetscores.com

Selection Eights is an Association Croquet event utilized to both develop and evaluate US association players for international events and team play. Players are grouped by "eights" according to their international grade. So, the top eight ranked players available will play in the first eight. Players ranked nine through 16 play in the second eight and so on.

A player will play each player in their group twice, so it ends up being 14 games played over four days. And that pretty much means starting at 8:00 a.m. each day and playing until dark.

"Since I figured out the landscape of croquet," said Goodwin. "This is the national event I've always dreamed of playing in. And it definitely didn't disappoint. I would have liked to have finished stronger, but I learned a lot in just a few days."

2013 MCA Championship: Early Report

BELTON, MO -- A full report will be available later this weekend. Today's winners:

MCA Pro Points Race - Paul Miller
MCA Championship - Paul Miller 

MCA Gold Points Race - Jason Johnson
MCA Gold Championship - Jodi Adams

MCA Six-Ball Championship - Dylan Goodwin 

MCA To Follow 2007 Edition 9W Rules

MCA players may have noted that the USCA updated the nine-wicket rulebook in mid-season. For consistency, the MCA will continue with the 2007 edition rules as played in the three previous events through the end of the 2013 season.

The new revisions made by the USCA will be evaluated by the board during the winter and a decision will be made as to whether or not we will follow the USCA's update or create a set of MCA Nine-Wicket Rules.

Link to the new USCA Nine-Wicket Rules:
http://www.croquetamerica.com/croquet/rules/backyard/ 

Clouse Wins KC Invitational

PARKVILLE, MO -- MCA member Greg Clouse took first place at the 40th Edition of the Kansas City Invitational Tournament held this past Saturday in Parkville, MO. The event was six-ball (cutthroat) croquet. Overall, the MCA had three members in the final as Jodi Adams took fourth place and Ron Millican took sixth. Full results:

1. Greg Clouse 2. Brian Wolkey 3. Sandra Gruefe 4. Jodi Adams 5. Brian Mondt 6. Ron Millican 

PeakVision Sponsorship for Leawood MCA Event

PeakVision Sunglasses has signed on as the official sponsor for Saturday's Leawood Challenge. The company designs sunglasses optimized for golf and that translates perfectly to croquet. PeakVision, which is based in Overland Park, will be covering the prizes for both the Pro Division and Gold Division as part of their sponsorship. You can learn more about PeakVision Sunglasses at peakvisionsports.com, but here's a bit of a primer:

The science behind PeakVision’s hybrid, Dual-Zone lens technology is based on the principal that it is impossible for a solid-tint sunglass lens to optimize your vision for both the bright sky AND the turf.  When light-meter measurements are taken on the golf course, the lighting extremes range from 82,732 LUX for the sky down to only 3,122 LUX for the grass turf.  The lighting for ground-based viewing is less than 4% of the ambient light in the sky.

MCA Members Travel For AC In Minnesota

MCA members Billy Bob Breeden and Dylan Goodwin recently travelled to Edina, MN to participate in the Minnesota/Mosquito Open. The Association event was held June 19-2 and featured nine players. Breeden tied two other players for the Sunday wildcard game at 6-2, but the tie-breaker knocked him out of the chase for the overall title. He finished with a 7-2 record. Goodwin had a 5-4 record. 

FINAL ORDER

1. Jim Hanks

2. Mike Weimerskirch

3. Rick Sheely

3. Billy Bob Breeden

5. Dylan Goodwin

6. Mickey Huttenhoff

7. George Funk

7. Jeff Lee

7. Mary Rodeberg

Matt Smith Wins Midwest Regional Championship

Three MCA players travelled to Tulsa, OK to participate in the 2013 USCA Midwestern Regional Championship. The event was held June 12 through June 16 and Matt Smith won the Championship Flight while Deborah Millican took second in Second Flight. Full results with MCA members in bold:

June 12-16, 2013 | Tulsa, OK

Championship Singles
1. Matt Smith
2. Joe Yoder
3. George Cochran
4. Matt Griffith
5. Matt Baird
5. Jeff Caldwell
7. Art Parsells
8. Howard Holdsclaw
9. Wendell Thompson

First Flight Singles
1. Doug Johnson
2. Russ Dilley
3. Kevin McQuigg
3. Scott Spradling
5. Harold Menzel
5. Ron Millican
7. Andree Bothe
8. Bob Bozeman

Second Flight Singles
1. Alan McIntosh
2. Deborah Millican
3. Suzanne Spradling

Championship Doubles
1. Matt Baird & Jeff Caldwell
2. Joe Yoder & Matt Griffith
3. George Cochran & Art Parsells
4. Wendell Thompson & Howard Holdsclaw

First Flight Doubles
1. Kevin McQuigg & Pat Garner
2. Harold Menzel & Russ Dilley
3. Andre Bothe & Bob Bozeman
4. Ron Millican & Doug Johnson

Second Flight Doubles
1. Alan McIntosh & Lois Holdsclaw
2. Gene Melton & Deborah Millican
3. Cheryl Melton & Suzanne Spradling

Stilwell Open Game Times

We've got a great turnout considering the holiday weekend with nine players committed. We've got a few new players in the mix as well so this turnout bodes well for the Lee's Summit event as well.

For Saturday, you should be at the courts by 8:30 a.m. and they should be set for practice on right around 8:00 a.m.

Nine is a bit of a tough number for tournaments especially considering this group doesn't fit neatly into Pro and Gold divisions. I've set it as three blocks of three and the top five performers will go to the Pro Division playoff while the bottom four will go to the Gold Division playoff. All players are guaranteed three games. The block tie-breaker is head-to-head, gross wickets, net wickets, lag for the stake. Times and blocks listed below.

Lunch is provided and is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Camping chairs are a good idea and if you have a pop-up tent those are always good to have. I will have one set up.

Prizes awarded for 1st and 2nd place in each playoff.

Event details: http://croquet.ning.com/events/2013-stilwell-open

A BLOCK

Greg Clouse

Jason Johnson
Debbie Millican

B BLOCK
Dylan Goodwin
Robert Fournier
Bill Berg

C BLOCK
Paul Miller
Ron Millican
Carl Distefano

Round 1 - 9:00 a.m

CT1 - G Clouse vs D Millican

CT2 - D Goodwin vs B Berg

CT3 - P Miller vs C Distefano

Round 2 - 10:15 a.m.

CT2 - J Johnson vs D Millican

CT3 - R Fournier vs B Berg

CT1 - R Millican vs C Distefano

Round 3 - 12:30 p.m.

CT3 - G Clouse vs J Johnson
CT1 - D Goodwin vs R Fournier
CT2 - P Miller vs R Millican

Kactus Creek/MCA U.S. Rules Handicap Ladder

Matt Smith will manage a U.S. Rules Handicap Ladder to be held at the Kactus Creek Croquet Club.  This will be six-wicket American rules play among the Kactus Creek members.  Games will be 1 hour 15 min. long. Bisques will be given on a 1 to1 ratio with half bisques dropped from players handicaps when figuring bisques.  Games can be played any time between March 1 and July 31.  The player at the top of the ladder on July 31st will be named winner. Matt will explore sanctioning via the USCA to have games count for tracking points.

You may play anyone in the ladder, but the results have to be recorded in the following thread on the MCA website or emailed to Matt Smith. Additional details are in the thread:

http://missouricroquet.squarespace.com/forum/post/2107852

2013 Sunflower Wickets Details

The Olathe Parks and Recreation Department has posted details for the 2013 Sunflower Wickets Benefit on Friday, June 7. Schedule:

• Registration: 1:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Heritage Center
• Croquet Play: 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Olathe North Soccer Fields
• Wicked Wickets Happy Hour: 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Heritage Center with presentations beginning at 4:00 p.m.

More info: http://www.olatheks.org/parksrec/sunflower-wickets#overlay-context=sunflower-wickets

Lee's Summit New Date: June 8

The Lee's Summit T-Bone Croquet Tournament in Lee's Summit, MO has been rescheduled for Saturday, June 8. The event will be held at Howard Park (3498 NE Independence Ave) and starts at 9:00 a.m.

This re-opens the registration period for anyone that could not make the May 4 date. For players that cannot make the new date the Lee's Summit Parks department will provide refunds.

The event will feature a singles nine-wicket division and also offer a six-ball cutthroat division. The singles division will be played according to official USCA nine-wicket rules with options 1, 1a*, 2, 3, 7, 9 and 10. Awards will be given to the top finishers in each division.

The event is sponsored by the Lee's Summit Parks & Recreation and you can register at lsparks.net or call 816-969-1500. Fee is $17 and the deadline is April 24.

*We will disregard the game score relative to the 1a. Clearing option. We have petitioned the USCA to change this rule.

Lee's Summit T-Bone Tournament Postponed

Due to the inability to get a good cut on the grass with the snow and a forecast for wet and cold weather tomorrow, the Lee's Summit Tournament will be postponed. We are exploring new dates and will send notice once we have something set (new date is Saturday, June 8).

If a registered player cannot make the new date June 8 date, Lee's Summit Parks and Rec will offer a refund.

2013 MCA SCHEDULE
05/25 — Stilwell Open (9W) / Stilwell, KS

06/07 — Sunflower Wickets Benefit (GC) / Olathe, KS

06/08 — Lee's Summit T-Bone Tournament (9W) / Lee's Summit, MO
09/14 — MCA Championship (9W) / TBD

Smith and Breeden at AC Nationals

MCA members Matt Smith and Billy Bob Breeden are playing at this week's USCA Association National Championship. Smith tied for second in the yellow block with a 6-3 record, while Breeden went 1-7 in the blue block (which looks like an incredibly tough block). You can follow the event here:

http://www.croquetscores.com/2013/ac/usca-nationals

Troy White: 1963-2013

White at 9W Nationals in 2010Troy White of Rockville, Missouri, passed away April 23, 2013. He was 49 years old. Troy lived in Rockville, Missouri most of his life. During his life, he worked for JLS Coal Company and also Wilson Plumbing. Troy loved the small town life and especially enjoyed being outdoors. Some of his favorite outdoor passions were deer hunting and mushroom hunting, but his favorite passion was playing croquet. Troy started playing nine-wicket cutthroat croquet in the early 1980’s and started playing in tournaments around this same time.

In the mid-1990’s, Troy won several tournaments over a four-year period and became known as the man to beat in Kansas City. Around 2009, Troy joined the USCA and played in the annual Nine-Wicket USCA National Championship tournament held in Kansas City. Most of all, Troy enjoyed playing nine-wicket cutthroat in someone’s backyard where there were small hills and valleys to present an extra challenge.

Update on 2013-05-09 04:13 by MCA Website Admin

Services for Troy will be at 2:00 p.m. on May 11 in Taberville, MO. There will be no funeral service, but they will have a graveyard service at the cemetery. Afterward, there will be a luncheon the the First Baptist Church of Appleton City, MO.

Lee's Summit T-Bone Croquet Tournament

The 2013 MCA Nine-Wicket Series will kick off on May 4 with the Lee's Summit T-Bone Croquet Tournament in Lee's Summit, MO. The event will be held at Howard Park (3498 NE Independence Ave) and starts at 9:00 a.m.

There will be a singles nine-wicket division and a six-ball cutthroat division. The singles division will be played according to official USCA nine-wicket rules with options 1, 1a, 2, 3, 7, 9 and 10. Awards will be given to the top finishers in each division.

The event is sponsored by the Lee's Summit Parks & Recreation and you can register at lsparks.net or call 816-969-1500. Fee is $17 and the deadline is April 24.

Flyer available here:
http://missouricroquet.squarespace.com/storage/flyers/2013%20Lee%27s%20Summit%20Flyer.pdf

MCA Name Change: Midwest Croquet Association

LEAWOOD, KS -- The MCA held it's Annual General Meeting February 9 in Leawood, KS and announced several new changes and initiatives. The most significant change is a new name -- the Midwest Croquet Association (changed from Missouri Croquet Association). The change is intended to better represent the organization's activities on both sides of the border and allow for expansion. New president Dylan Goodwin will work with the MCA Board to get a new logo approved that reflects the new direction of the association.

The big ticket item though was the announcement of a season-long nine-wicket points race for singles play. Details will be announced later, but the concept is that players will accumulate points at events hosted throughout the region. Top points players will then qualify for the MCA Nine-Wicket Championship event in September.

Most of the dates and venues are still to be determined, but Ron Millican announced May 4 as the official date for the Lee's Summit edition of the series (more details to come). The event will kick off the nine-wicket MCA season and Millican plans to have both partner ball flights and a cut-throat (six ball) flight as well. The MCA hopes to have at least one event per month over the summer with Warrensburg, MO and Overland Park, KS being likely hosts. August is being left open as many MCA players would like the opportunity to play in the 40th edition of the Kansas City Invitational in Parkville, MO.

The MCA also announced a $5.00 bump in membership fees for both singles and couples/families. Single memberships are now $20.00 and couples/family memberships are now set at $30.00.

Former MCA president Matt Smith asked to leave the MCA Board and Ron Millican has taken his place on the five member board. The board consists of Dylan Goodwin (President), Jodi Adams (Treasurer), Debbie Breeden (Secretary), Greg Clouse and Ron Millican.

MCA Leadership Change

After roughly 18 months as President of the Missouri Croquet Association, Matt Smith turned the reigns over to Dylan Goodwin of Leawood, Kansas in November. Goodwin has served on the MCA board since 2011 and is also the Communications Committee chairman for the USCA. In addition, he is the publisher and editor for the USCA's Croquet News magazine and manages the Croquet Network news website.

"I've proposed to the core members of the MCA that we take on a more active singles nine-wicket approach to get the organization playing more competitive croquet in the KC area," said Goodwin. "And, the second priority is getting established events in the other three codes of croquet as well."

Goodwin noted that an association rules event started in 2011 and the 2012 event is in progress.

"Clearly, there are challenges for playing GC, Association and American rules events here as we only have the one court at the Kactus Creek Croquet Club in Parkville," said Goodwin "However, the association event shows that we just need to get creative with being flexible and potentially playing over multiple weekends. I'd like to see the AC event be sponsored by the MCA in 2013 and expand out to more players and possibly two flights."

"The main thing is, I just want to get a strong circuit of competitive play going here in KC."

The MCA will hold an All General Meeting (AGM) on February 9 in Leawood, Kansas to get started on planning events for 2013.

Breeden Second in Fourth Eight

WEST PALM BEACH, FLA -- The MCA's Billy Bob Breeden of Cameron, Missouri tied for second in the fourth eight at the USCA's Selection Eights association event. Breeden had an 8-6 record in his group. Thirteen-year-old Matthew Essick won the group with a 10-4 record. Harper Peterson also posted an 8-6 records. Full event results are available here and you can see Breeden's full 2012 AC record here:

http://butedock.demon.co.uk/cgs/player.php?year=2012&pfn=Billy%20Bob&psn=Breeden