22nd Annual Bartlein Squash Championships
Dec 4, 2007

This year’s 22nd Annual Bartlein Squash Championships at Santa Barbara Athletic Club attracted about 65 players from around the state. This tournament is also the only one in California to have a multi-level team event included, for which there was a $600 first prize!

Six teams entered, each with three players, one ranked above 5.0, one ranked below 5.0, and one ranked below 4.0. They were placed in two groups of three for their initial matches.

In one group Jefersus (Jason Jewell and Tom Fuhrmann from SBAC, together with former top-ranked Racquetball Pro Rob Dejesus from Dallas) and Victory (Christian Geitner, Matt Wilkinson, and Chris La Rosa, all from SBAC) were placed with Team Irvine, who had former world #7, Stefan Casteleyn, at #1, teamed up with Miguel Reyes and Rob Porter. In the other group Geitner’s Ghosters (Tommy Mullaney, Ferdy Geitner, and Charlie Mullaney, all from SBAC) were joined by Pacific AC’s Fred & 2 Dicks (Richard Elliott, Fred Ziegler, and Richard Heal) and Team OC (Juan Carlos Pomolaza, Brian Pashai, Oliver Berghof), who have won the tournament for the past two years, but with a different player at #2 each time.

Both groups were very close with the outcome going right down to the last match in each group. At the end it was Irvine and Team OC who made it through to the final.

In the first match of this final Rob Porter looked to be putting Irvine into a lead that Stefan Casteleyn should make irretrievable but he ran out of steam against Oliver Berghof half way through and Oliver ran out a 3-1 winner. As expected Stefan then beat Juan Carlos Pomalaza 3-0 in a one-sided affair. This tied up the match 1-1, leaving the result up to the #2s, Miguel Reyes and Brian Pashai. It was a close match but Brian was a little stronger in every department and it was he who won the match 3-1. So this year’s team champions, for the third consecutive year, and winners of the $600, were a delighted Team OC.

Jefersus beat Fred & 2 Dicks 2-1 for third place, with a great match between the #1s, Richard Elliott and Jason Jewell, that Jason won 3-1. Victory beat Geitner’s Ghosters for 5th place also by a 2-1 scoreline.

12 juniors entered the Junior division, which saw them all play some great squash. SBAC’s Charlie Mullaney (13) was a level above the rest of the field though and he won the event without dropping a game. Connor Gaulke (17) from Irvine was his opponent in the final, with Chris Lancashire (15) taking 3rd place.

There were 4 ladies in a Women’s round robin. CATE School’s Sarah Vazquez took first place with a 3-2 win over SBAC’s Maythe Rueda who finished second. 5 players entered the Veterans division, which was also a round robin format draw. LA’s Ian Gordon was dominant in this group, winning it without dropping a game. The other four players had much closer matches but SBAC’s Ferdy Geitner finished up in second place winning each of his other matches 3-1.

All the players in the skill level divisions were placed in one of three divisions based on their ability – a division 1, Division 3, and a Division 5. In each division if they lost in one of the first two rounds they dropped into another group, creating Divisions 2, 4, and 6.

Division 1 was dominated by Laith Mosely, formerly from SBAC, now working in LA. He did not drop a single game defeating Ian Gordon in the final…mind you, it was Ian’s 8th match of the weekend! Two other “southerners” contested the division 2 final, with Ron Leitch taking out John Fox 3-0. SBAC provided both finalists in Division 3, Gary Owen beating Basil Honikman 3-1. Gary Lane beat former SBAC employee, Bernadino Leiva, 3-0 in the Division 4 final, whilst in the final of the biggest draw of all - Division 5 – Rohit Goswamy beat his CATE School team mate, Andrew Chen, 3-0. Sarah Vazquez won her second division of the weekend when she beat SBAC’s Patrick Ferroni 3-0 in the final of Division 6.

Once again I want to recognize the incredible support that Bob Bartlein has shown to SBAC’s squash program by his unwavering 22 year sponsorship of this tournament and support of all our other events. It is much appreciated – thanks Bob!

SBAC Head Squash Professional

Details of results: