The University Club of New York hosted the 2012 U.S. Century Squash Doubles Championships the last weekend in February. Added to this event, now in its sixth year, was the 80+ Grand Champions division, which featured four teams with one player older than 80 years of age. Over 150 participants competed in six different draws at five clubs throughout Manhattan and Queens.
Will Simonton and Mike McBean coasted through the inaugural 80+ Grand Champions draw without losing a game. In the final, they beat Tony Crociata and Chuck Soderstrom who had a thrilling five game victory over Charlie Baker and Stavros Angelopoulos in which they saved multiple match balls in the fourth game. Dylan Patterson & Mike Wilson won the 70+ Masters division in four close games over 2010 champs and 2011 runners-up Michael Puertas and George Fowler.
Natalie Grainger & Pug Winokur won a hard-fought fifth game in the mixed final over Taylor and Meredeth Quick. The Quick’s erased a 2-game lead to level the match, but Grainger and Winokur were too strong in the fifth. Grainger and Winokur beat last year’s champs Karen Jerome and Kipp Gould in the semifinals, 3-1.
Scott Stoneburg and Tony Ross became the first team in the short history of the Century Doubles to win not only back to back titles, but also the first to win two titles together. Stoneburgh and Ross beat John Musto and Dick Rice in the 60+ Legends finals, 3-0. Musto and Rice took out the number two seeds in the semifinals, Ryan O’Connell and Ken Leung, 3-0. Doug Virtue and Ken Kaufman, finalists last year, outlasted Bob Bolling and Scott Simonton in four long games to capture the A division.
The open division guaranteed another first time champion with Eben Hardie and Bill Villari taking on Eric Vlcek and Jamie Heldring. Both teams defeated past champions in the semifinals with Vlcek and Heldring out-shooting Hardie and Villari 3-1 to capture the 2012 Century Doubles Championship.
Open: Eric Vlcek & Jamie Heldring d. Eben Hardie & Bill Villari (3-1)
A: Doug Virtue & Ken Kaufman d. Bob Bolling & Scott Simonton (3-1)
Mixed: Natalie Grainger & Pug Winokur d. Taylor & Meredeth Quick (3-2)
60+: Legends Scott Stoneburg & Tony Ross d. John Musto & Dick Rice (3-0)
70+: Masters Dylan Patterson & Mike Wilson d. Michael Puertas & George Fowler (3-1)
80+: Grand Champions Will Simonton & Mike McBean d. Tony Corciata & Chuch Soderstorm (3-0)
