Grant Trophy, Lapham cup
With one more match win the Canadians would be triumphant - champions - a clean sweep in both the singles and doubles competition.
That's what was looming on that Saturday afternoon.
It was early 2004; the middle of the squash season. The Northern California Squash Racquets Association had the considerable honor of hosting the annual playing of the Lapham-Grant: an international squash competition between the United States and Canada. The Lapham Cup was singles competition; the Grant Trophy was doubles. The storied history began in 1922.
John Hungerford, Simon Blattner
The captain of the team from Canada was John Hungerford (he and I were doubles partners in a few tourneys over the years - great player - JL). The US captain was Simon Blattner (he was the backer of the Rittenhouse Doubles Tournament that I ran for a number of years - JL) . The Olympic Club and the University Club were the host venues.
Players from all parts of North America were trickling in . The competition began in earnest on Friday evening after the social mixer at the Pacific Union Club.
But by Saturday afternoon and to the dismay of the US team, the talented and more importantly determined Canadian team with a strong performance, had already won the Lapham Cup making the final singles matches on Sunday ceremonial. On the Grant Trophy doubles side, the Canadians would realize a clean sweep with one more win - the last scheduled match on that late afternoon.
George Tooley, Palmer Page, John Lau, Tim Bouvaird
The Canadian players were Montreal’s George Tooley and Toronto’s Tim Bouvaird. New York’s Palmer Page and yours truly represented the US side.
Our winning would keep the US team still in the running for the Grant Trophy making Sunday's matches meaningful.
A tight match ensued. A fifth game was to be played. Palmer and I were ahead 14-12 hoping to close out the match thereby keeping the US hopes alive. However before I served, Bouvaird chimes in that the score was 14-13 - still match point for the US not 14-12. WHAT? REALLY? An on court discussion ensued because by custom there were no referees officiating. Being proper Canadians and American gentlemen (also with the Canadians and Americans in the packed gallery looking on, we reset the score.)
We lost the next point! 14-14. Overtime! Then 15-15. Then 16-16. Match Point. Captain Blattner’s nerves were on edge. Palmer sidles up to me and whispers that he will stand 2 feet (!) in front of the "T" while I'm serving. A flurry of activity ensues! What's next?; a winner?; a loser? US wins! The roar from the US team filled the Club. The US team lived to play the next day and went on to win the final Sunday matches to win the Grant Trophy.
******
Lapham Cup, February 12-15, 2004, University Club San Francisco, CA
Capt. John Hungerford, Vancouver,BC Capt. Simon Blattner, San Francisco,CA
Canada 11 USA 4
James Geddes,Vancouver,BC. Rishad Pandole, Rochester,NY USA 3-0
Christopher Harley,Vancouver,BC. Kevin Jernigan, San Francisco,CA. Can 3-1
Bruce Marrison,Toronto,ON. Anthony Catalan, Portland,OR. Can 3-0
Benjamin Hatcher, Toronto,ON. Eoin O’Neill, Redwood City,CA. USA 3-2
Douglas MacDougall,Vancouver,BC. Patrick Halls, San Francisco,CA. Can 3-0
Marvin Mizinski, Vancouver,BC David Levy, San Francisco,CA USA 3-0
John Frederick, Toronto,ON. Eben Hardie, Atlanta,GA Can 3-0
Mark Thompson,Vancouver,BC. Steve Lau, San Francisco,CA Can 3-0
Norman Crook, Toronto,ON. Bruce Callander, San Francisco,CA. USA 3-1
Timothy Martin,Vancouver,BC. Wells Blaxter, San Francisco,CA. Can 3-1
Eric Barclay,Vancouver, BC Peter Lynch, San Francisco,CA. Can 3-0
Brian Murray,Toronto,ON. Warren Young, Dallas,TX Can 3-0
Michael Hobart,Toronto,ON. Kenneth Stillman, Dallas,TX. Can 3-0
Allan Brown,Vancouver,BC. Glen Milliman, Seattle,WA. Can 3-0
Timothy Bale,Vancouver,BC Stephen Anderson, San Francisco,CA. Can 3-0
Canada 7 USA 8
John Hickey, Toronto,ON Anthony Catalan, Portland,OR USA 3-0
Bruce Marrison, Toronto,ON. Kevin Jernigan, San Francisco,CA
Neil Goldsmith, Toronto,ON. Patrick Halls, San Francisco,CA CAN 3-0
Brian Murray,Toronto,ON Rishad Pandole,Rochester,NY
Norman Crook,Toronto, ON. Eben Hardie, Atlanta, GA USA 3-1
John Hungerford,Vancouver, BC David Levy, San Francisco, CA
John Frederick, Toronto, ON Stephen Berliner, Jericho, NY USA 3-0
Thomas Nederpel, Hamilton, ON Timothy Howe, New York,NY
Timothy Bovaird, Toronto,ON Palmer Page, Pound Ridge,NY USA 3-2
George Tooley, Montreal,QC John Lau, Berkeley, CA
Eric Barclay, Vancouver,BC James Gibbons, San Francisco,CA CAN 3-1
Marvin Mizinski, Vancouver,BC James Marver, San Francisco,CA
Keith Clark,Vancouver,BC William O’Leary, Hillsborough,CA. CAN 3-0
James Geddes, Vancouver,BC Tad Moore, San Francisco,CA
Michael Hobart, Toronto,ON Peter Lasusa, New York,NY. USA 3-1
Timothy Martin, Vancouver,BC John Stewart, San Francisco,CA
David Bogert, Toronto,ON Dudley Stephens, Atlanta,GA USA 3-2
Michael Jackson, Vancouver,BC Aladdin Mitha, Marietta,GA
John Lea, Toronto,ON Taylor Quick, Lakewood,CO USA 3-0
Anthony Ross, Toronto,ON Richard Rice, Rochester,NY
Benjamin Hatcher, Toronto,ON Robert Zerbst, San Francisco,CA CAN 3-0
Michael Manley, Toronto,ON Frank Schmidt, San Carlos,CA
Roger Ovens,Vancouver,BC John Campodonico, San Francisco,CA USA 3-0
Ted Trevor-Smith,Vancouver,BC Merrit Townsend, Greenwich,CT
Ian Beardmore,Vancouver,BC Robert Tyndall, San Francisco,CA CAN 3-2
Michael Wilson, Montreal,QC Eric Grossman, Camden,ME
Dennis Bishop, Montreal,QC Hank Bruce, Tiburon,CA CAN 3-2
Michael Martin, Montreal,QC Simon Blattner, San Francisco,CA
Martin Kaffka, Vancouver,BC Owen O’Donnell, San Francisco,CA. CAN 3-1
Jon LeHeup, Toronto,ON Alan Fox, Long Beach,CA
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