MGSHPA
HORSESHOE PITCHERS'
Ringer Digest
November - December 2016
Official Publication of the Minnesota Gopher State Horseshoe Pitchers' Association

MGSHPA fall meeting minutes

2016 October 29 Minutes from MGSHPA Fall Board Meeting

Meeting began at 11:00am at the Greenfield HS Barn.  Those in attendance were Rick Wright, Jerry LaBrosse, Bonnie Holland, Shawn Warnemunde, Robin Constance, Janet Larson, Josh Olson, Joe Mueller, Rob Hagman, & Ray Pierce Sr.  

In a unanimous decision prior to this meeting Rick Wright was voted in by the board to finish out the last year of Cathy Zieman's 3 year term as president, after she announced her resignation.    

Rick began the meeting by declaring the vote that was taken at the fall membership meeting regarding redistricting and reducing the districts by one and then changing the office of Constitution and By Laws to a voting position was null and void due to failure to follow proper procedure and make the necessary changes to our by-laws prior to that vote by the membership.  

The board was unable to approve the minutes from the Fall Membership meeting due to lack of having the minutes available.  We tabled that until our next meeting.

Financial report was received from Bonnie Holland.  We have a current balance of $10,528.84.  Motion was made by Rob Hagman to accept this report, seconded by Janet Larson and unanimously approved.  
Reports from attending officers:

Joe is working on repainting the Hall of Fame trailer.  He will donate his time and the paint has been donated.  He has someone lined up to paint the graphics and lettering, the new NHPA logo will be used.  We will need to pay for this person's time, which may run around $1000.00.  Once done everyone is encouraged to take the trailer to any events where you think people would enjoy viewing it.  

Janet reported on the NW district.  Alexandria is hoping to get a Junior League started next summer and received some input from Rick on how they do their program in Forest Lake.  The Holiday tournament will be held in Upsala on December 3rd.  Upsala will begin winter leagues in January.  There will be no January tournament in Upsala.  Becker has tournaments planned for November 19th and December 17th and are planning to host winter tournaments in 2017.  

Robin and Ray shared information about State Doubles the weekend of September 16 th and 17 th , 2017 which Hibbing will be hosting.  We are hoping this can be brought back to the larger tournament it once was.  
Shawn reported on the NE district. Isanti will be hosting a tournament on December 10 th .  They will be starting their winter league and they are planning to host more winter tournaments. 

Jerry reminded everyone that all Open Tournaments should be announced well in advance of their scheduled date so that everyone has ample time to consider entering to receive pitcher of the year points. Any other tournaments require a sanction number in order to count as a sanctioned tournament or a qualifying tournament for State or World events. He also reminded us that beginning in 2018 all sanctioned tournament courts must have at least 3 courts with 30' pitching platforms.  
2016 State Tournament Report was briefly reported by Rick as having made a profit of $2400 for the 3 hosting clubs to share, $800 per club.  Forest Lake and Pine City will be hosting the State Singles tournament for the next two years in Genola.  

Rick presented a number of proposals for appointments to the Executive Board and director positions. Rick has also spoken with Denny Keogh to see if he would be willing to shift west and be VP of the SW district, a position which has been open since Sig resigned. Dustin Dahl would then be willing to fill the SE VP position.  

Dustin is willing to give up the Regional Director position and Jerry LaBrosse would be willing to take over for him. Jerry will remain our Communication Director for state wide emails.  

Jerry LaBrosse is willing to give up the Web Master duties and Rob Hagman is willing to step into that position.  

Tera Schusted has expressed interest in giving up the statistician job and Josh Olson is willing to step into that roll. Josh will also assume the state Perpetual Trophy responsibilities that Jerry has managed.

Josh Olson would like to give up the Junior Promotion Director duties and April Lynch is willing to assume that task.

Kayla Yeager has made public that she would like to step down as the Ringer Digest editor and Cathy Zieman is showing interest in that job, but in fairness to everyone Jerry LabBrosse will send out a state-wide email to make sure no one else is interested in that position as it is a paid position. 

All of the above appointments received unanimous approval from the board. 

Rick also proposed the creation of a new Communication Committee which would consist of Rob, Josh, Jerry LaBrosse, Kayla Yeager, Cathy Zieman and Rick. The purpose of the committee is to streamline their duties, get the Website and Ringer Digest "user friendly" so that they function as our primary means of keeping all of our members informed.  

Rick reminded all the VP's of their obligation to communicate with all of the clubs in our districts. He also brought up ideas for some membership drive incentives. After some discussion it was determined that we would table that topic until our next meeting in early spring.  

Motion to adjourn meeting was made by Robin and seconded by Josh at 1:12pm.  
(Click the link above to see all upcoming tournaments.)

Arctic Open
Jan. 21 in Isanti, MN
Dir. Shawn Warnemunde
763-227-1804

Ice Hole Open
Feb. 4 in Upsala, MN
Dir. Jerry LaBrosse
612-819-7353
 
(Click the link above to see all posted tournament results.)
FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK
 
MGSHPA President 
Rick Wright 
 
Hey Everyone,

Remember me, I have always said "Horseshoes is fun" and when it comes to the point it is no longer fun, it's time to make a change. Cathy & I had a nice long talk after the state tournament and she said she wanted to have fun again. I want Cathy to have fun again so I offered to finish her term. I would like to thank the executive board for voting me in as president.

So to get back into the game, I spoke with each officer and called a board meeting. I had made a few recommendations with the board's approval. Josh Olson has accepted the Statistician position. April Lynch accepted the Jr Director position, Jerry LaBrosse accepted Regional director position, Dustin Dahl accepted SE VP, Denny Keogh accepted SW VP, Rob Hagman accepted Webmaster position and Cathy Ziemann accepted Ringer Digest Editor.

I have a whole lot of confidence in these officers and directors working together to bring you a more user friendly website, a more informative Ringer Digest and most important, make our sport bigger, better and more fun for you the players.

I would like to Thank Tera Schustad, Cathy Ziemann, Josh Olson, Dustin Dahl & Kayla Yaeger for their past services to our organization. A few of you are moving to a new position and for that, it is very much appreciated.

And finally, I would like to thank everyone for their support in me and together we will make MGSHPA bigger and better.

I wish everyone a Happy, Healthy Holiday season
See you on the courts!
Rick 

Charter communications
submitted by Jerry LaBrosse

As most of you know, I have been the Communications Director since we started using the state wide email system. I believe that it has been a very effective tool in communication, and I'd like to make it even better.
When we began the Ringer Digest online version using Constant Contact, we developed an email distribution list using my statewide list. Since that time, many subscribers have signed up through various ways, and the digest list is the most complete list we've ever had.

Up until now I have been using my personal state list for sending out weekly announcements, simply because it is faster and easier for me to do so. It has come time to cut the cord and begin using the Constant Contact list for all charter communications. This is where I need help from each and every club in our charter. I am asking the club leaders to make sure that your members are on the state email list. I am also planning to work with all the TD's to harvest email addresses at their tournaments. If all tournament pitchers were on the list, they would be sure to receive all important messages, pitching schedules, and results. I am willing to do this work, but you all must be willing to do your part in making sure you're part of the system!

Thanks to all of you for your cooperation in this ongoing project a nd have a great Holiday Season,
JRL

Ringer Digest editor position - open
submitted by Kayla Yaeger

As you will already know - if you have read this far in the Digest or browsed this summer's editions, I will be stepping down from the position of Ringer Digest editor within the next few months. 

The position was one that I took on in order to ensure the short-term continuation of the Digest, but it was never one that I intended to keep for a long duration of time.  Though I wish I could become more involved and give the Digest the attention it deserves, my plate is simply (as they say) too full. I'd like to thank all those who dedicate their time to running the MGSHPA, as many do not realize just how large of a time commitment it can be. 

To this date, Cathy Ziemann is the only person who has expressed interest in the position. Though Cathy has agreed to take on the role, it was asked of me to post one final notice in case there may be others interested. 

The Ringer Digest editor is responsible for organizing the articles and images that are submitted to the Digest into a single publication. The publication comes out every other month (6 times each year). A stipend is given to the Digest editor for their time. 

If you are interested in assisting with the position, please email me by the end of December at [email protected] or call 612-388-7961 to express your interest.

From the incoming regional director
submitted by Jerry LaBrosse

Greetings to All,

I'd like to first announce that Dustin Dahl has stepped down as the NHPA Regional Director, and the MGSHPA Board of Directors have approved me to assume that position. I want to thank Dustin for the fine work he's done these past few years serving in this post. I am happy to say that Dustin will continue to serve as a board member, assuming the duty of SE District Vice President. The MN charter thanks Dustin for his continued service to us all.

From this point forwards, I will begin to oversee all aspects of tournament activity within our charter. This includes developing the tournament schedule for the year, to posting tournament announcements, pitching schedules, and finally the results. Once the new website is enhanced, I will be taking the responsibility of making sure all tournament information is up to date. To do this effectively, I will need the help of all you tournament directors. I will be in touch with each of you to discuss how things will happen moving forward.

The Regional Director position is actually an NHPA post. Look at the RD as the link between the MGSHPA and the NHPA. The RD should be sure that all national issues of interest are shared to the state membership. It is the RD that makes sure that the courts you pitch on meet NHPA specs. It is also the RD that makes sure that ALL tournament activity within the charter conforms to the Bylaws of the NHPA. Of course the RD also issues the TD's their sanction certificates and patches for their events. I look forward to working with all of you TD's to ensure that you have everything you need to run a successful event. I would also like to see every TD in our charter become proficient at using HS Master for their tournaments.

It appears that we have everything set for the rest of 2016 with a tournament in Isanti, the Holiday Tournament in Upsala, and another at Clank and Thud in Becker. I'm hearing that they are planning more events in Isanti this winter, so watch for announcements on those.

If anyone has any questions about what the NHPA Regional Director does, please feel free to contact me via email or phone.

Happy Holidays
JRL

MGSHPA 2016 fall membership meeting minutes
submitted by Cathy Ziemann & Ann Hagman

The 2016 MGSHPA Spring Membership Meeting was held Sunday, September 4, 2016 during the State Tournament at the Genoa Arena.  The meeting was called to order @ 1:30 pm by President Cathy Ziemann.  There were 49 members in attendance.  

A motion was made by Rick Wright and seconded by Eric Dehkes, to accept the 2016 MGSHPA Spring meeting minutes as published in June-July 2016 edition of the Ringer Digest.  The motion carried.
Financial Report - Bonnie Holland prepared a report that was available to all present.  Current balance is @ $7,048 (this is prior to all state tournament expenses being totaled).   Current membership is down slightly from 2015.   A motion was made by Dick Dvorak, seconded by Ray Pierce to accept report, the motion carried.  

Officer Reports: 

Regional Vice-Presidents reported on successful 2016 seasons for clubs around the state.  There are clubs that have fluctuated membership numbers since last season.  There are two new sanctioned clubs, Pine City and St. Michael.  Isanti will begin their fall league in October.  

Regional Director Dustin Dahl reported on World Tournament news.  Two Minnesotans, Joe Mueller and Jerry LaBrosse won their class. The 2017 World Tournament will be held in St. George, UT and the 2018 tournament will be in Florence, SC.  In NHPA election news, Gary Roberts is the 1 st Vice-President.  There were no rule changes made at this year's convention. 

Unfinished/Old Business:

The new MGSHPA website is up and running.  E-Digest (Ringer Digest) Kayla Jaeger continues to add content and tweak issues.  If you have any information to submit for the website, please send it to: [email protected]   Remember, this new website is a work in progress.    

At the 2015 Board meeting recommendations were made to change the number of district vice-presidents to 5 and add the Constitution & By-Laws Officer to become a voting member of the Board.  This information was also published in the June - July 2016 edition of the Ringer Digest.  There was a motion made at the fall membership meeting (by Rick Wright) to adopt these recommendations and (seconded by Robin Constance) after discussion, the motion passed.  (The MGSHPA Constitution and By-Laws will need to be updated to reflect this change.)  Bonnie will submit information to Kayla to put the new districts and vice-presidents on the website.  

At the 2015 State Tournament Bonnie conducted a poll regarding the number of shoes pitched during State Tournament Play.  The discussion revolved around the number of shoes pitched in 8-person classes versus smaller classes.  There was a motion made by Dick Dvorak and seconded by Joe Mueller to designate the number of shoes pitched in an 8-person class as 40.  For classes less than 8-persons, the shoes pitched will be 50.

New Business: 

News Media Director, Gene Gross has stepped down.  We will be looking for someone to fill this role.  Additionally, Kayla Jaeger is looking to step down as the Ringer Digest Editor and Website Administrator.  Anyone who is interested, please contact the Board. 
State Tournament Bids for 2017 & 2018

Prior to the deadline of June 18, 2016, no bids were received to host the State Singles or Doubles Tournaments.  Bids were then open to the floor.  The Clubs of Forest Lake and Pine City submitted interest in hosting the State Singles Tournament at the Genola Arena.  A motion was made by Rick Wright, seconded by Rob Hagman to approve the bid.  The motion carried.  

The Hibbing Club spoke to the Board after the meeting adjourned and requested to host the State Doubles for 2017 & 2018.  The Board granted the request.  The 2017 State Doubles Tournament will be held the weekend of September 16 & 17 in Hibbing.  

2 016 Elections: 
North West Vice President - Janet Larson won by acclimation.  
2017 Offices for Election: 
President - currently held by Cathy Ziemann
NE District VP - currently held by Shawn Warnemunde
SE District VP - currently held by Denny Keogh
East Metro VP - currently held by Jim Woods

A motion was made by Rick Wright and seconded by Ray Pierce Jr to adjourn the meeting.  The meeting adjourned at 2:00 pm.
Minutes respectfully submitted - Cathy Ziemann & AnnHagman

Leprechaun tournament  
submitted by Kathy Stueve

The 2016 Leprechaun Tournament was held on August 13th and 14th at the Ringers of Rice home courts located at O'Brien's Pub in Rice. Both days of competition had sunny and warm conditions. Lu Cave, Ringers of Rice club president, began each day with the singing of the national anthem.

Thirty-six pitchers competed in six classes. Pitchers from twenty-six cities and two states entered the tournament.  Classes A and C were handicapped.  All classes pitched fifty shoes.  Cash prizes of $100, $75, and $30 were awarded to the first three places in each class. All other pitchers received a consolation prize.

Class A Players
Class B Players

Class C Players

Class D Players

Class E Players


The Class A champion was Sig Armitage.  He won all five games and pitched over one hundred seventy ringers!  His ending average was 68.8 percent.  Both Boni Poplinski and Hank Greenwaldt had three wins and two losses.  Hank ended with an average of 58.4 percent and Boni with 55.6 percent, but Boni's point total was twenty points over Hank's to earn her second place.

Class B had three pitchers winning four of the five games.  The class champion was Bob Knudtson who pitched 51.2 percent and had a high game of 56 percent.  Dale Hustad won second place with an overall average of almost 47 percent.  Third place went to Dick Dvorak who had a final ringer percent of 39.6.

Both Ginger O'Brien and Jerry Werk won four games in Class C. Ginger's average, however, was four points over Jerry's earning her first place.  Cheri Newcombe, Cathy Ziemann, and Kathy Stueve tied for third place in wins and losses but Cheri's ending average of 42.8 percent earned her third place.  Both Cheri and Ginger pitched over one hundred ringers.

Jeanie Rajkowski was undefeated in Class D and ended with an average of just over 34 percent.  Second place was won by Annette Grebinoski who pitched almost six percent over her entry average.  She had a total of ninety ringers for the five games.  Tom Lashinski was the third place winner.  He tied Annette with three wins and two losses.  His final ringer percent was just 2.8 percent under Annette's.

The Class E champion was Richard Giese. He won all five games and pitched 5.48 percent over his entry average.  He had a high game of forty percent. Jerry Rajkowski had four wins and only one loss to earn second place.  Colton William won three games and pitched twenty ringers his last game to take third place.  Both Jerry and Colton pitched exactly 4.74 percent over their entry averages!

Garry Loidolt won four of his five games to win first place in Class F.  His high game was 34 percent.  Bob Brenny, Dan Belden, and Dee Foss all had three wins and two losses.  A final ringer percent of 24.4 earned Dan second place.  Dan's ringer total of sixty-one was the high for this class.  Third place went to Dee Foss who pitched just over one percent more than Bob.

Raffle tickets were sold during both days of the tournament.  The drawings were held on Sunday after pitching was completed.  Marlys Giese won a Timberwolves package that included game tickets and a basketball signed by Lindsay Whalen.  Dana O'Brien took home the $100 cash prize.  A set of knives was won by Kathy Kopetka.  A $155 vehicle detailing certificate from Patriot Auto Care in Rice went to Shari Poplinski.    

Tournament director, Ginger O'Brien, and members of the Ringers of Rice Horseshoe Club, wish to thank all the participants in this year's Leprechaun Tournament.  Special thanks to Keith O'Brien, the staff of O'Brien's Pub, and local businesses that donated prizes to help make our event a success.  We look forward to next year's competition!

MN clubs close out seasons
Alexandria Horseshoe Club 
submitted by Janet Larson

2016 playoff championship

2016 playoff winners

Regular season winners

Singles tournament winners

L to R: Rookie of the Year, High Average and Sportsmanship


We have enjoyed another great league season with a lot of activity. We had eleven teams and 6 subs for a total of 28 members. Four of our regular members were rookies and we had two new subs this year. Our members span an age range of 9 to 89.

We mixed things up a little this year by switching from standing doubles to walking doubles. Another big change was to split up some of our historically "better" teams. We used last year's handicaps and decided that each team should consist of one low handicap pitcher and one high handicap pitcher. As a result of these two changes the season was very competitive, and each night the team handicaps were generally within just a few points of each other.

By the end of the round robin season there was only one stand-out team and it was a very close race between 6 or 7 teams for 2nd and 3rd place. Gene Eitrem and Randy Werk took 1st , with Janet Larson and Tina Matter in 2nd and Al Larson and Mike Wegener in 3rd . Randy and Tina were two of our rookies.

We held a league-only, singles tournament the end of July with 23 members participating. Winners were Tyler Stone 1st and Devin Stone 2nd in Class D, Mike Wegener 1st and Randy Werk 2nd in Class C, Tim Bayerl 1st and Mike Edwards 2nd in Class B, and Phil Swenson 1st and Al Nicholson 2nd in Class A. Many of these classes ended with W/L ties and many placings were decided by one or two points.

Finally we ended the season with a double elimination playoff tournament. In the end Janet Larson and Tina Matter went undefeated with Al Nicholson and Bruce Swenson putting up a good battle to finish in 2nd.

At our banquet on September 25th we also gave out a few additional awards. Josh Olson was Most Improved, dropping his handicap by 18 points from last year. Janet Larson had High Ringer Average of 56.96% and also High Game of 123 points. Kevin Richmond had High Game over Average by 25.93 points. Bruce Swenson was voted the Sportsmanship Award and Randy Werk was voted Rookie of the Year.

We were able to complete our new courts with lights this year which was nice for the last part of our season play.

Our league also held back-to- back Alex Open tournaments over Memorial Day weekend. Alex Open 1 had 32 participants, 4 eight-man classes. Alex Open 2 had 22 participants, three classes. We enjoyed having 6 of our ND neighbors pitching with us. Between the two days, we only had 3, top three, repeat winners, so the wealth was spread out pretty evenly.

Sixteen of our league members participated in the State Tournament, including 3 of our rookie members. Al Nicholson and Kevin Richmond Sr. each took 3 rd place. Randy Werk, Bruce Swenson, Jerry Werk and Josh Olson all claimed 2 nd place honors. Tyler Stone brought home the Cadet State title and Alan Larson and Janet Larson became the first couple from MN to earn both the Men's and the Women's State titles in the same year. At the State Banquet, Jerry Werk was honored for his nine years of serving as our State VP, Randy Werk received the State Rookie of the Year award, Devin Stone tied for Junior Pitcher of the Year and Janet Larson earned one of the Top Ten Pitcher of the Year awards. Janet was also honored to have been nominated by Cathy Zieman to be inducted into the MN Horseshoe Hall of Fame as a Pitcher. We have a lot of tournament pitchers in our league and a lot of talent which keeps our league very competitive, active and fun. 

Bloomington Horseshoe Club 
submitted by Gene Gross

Our club reached its highest membership in recent years at 41 members (up 8 from last year).  The Wednesday Night Team League, consisted of 8 three-person teams (with some teams having a fourth member for subs). We completed our season on Aug 16 with winners being Lyle Abeln, Larry Miller, Vern Bolduc and Craig Cathers. Vern Bolduc had the best personal win/loss record with 22.5 wins and only 3.5 losses. Larry Miller had the High Average of 41.24% and the High Game of 56%. The High Game Over Average Award went to Harold Lindseth with a 32% game with a 12.12% average.8%. Two Most Improved awards were given, Larry Miller going from 29.33% to 41.24% and Keith Borger going from 4.92% to 8.30%. Wendee Martin won the Rookie of the Year award. Bill Lundholm again did a great job of the league secretarial duties.

The Tuesday Night Singles League is a three 50 shoe game league. Jim David won this league with 22 wins and 6.5 losses. Fred Extrand finished in second place with 19 wins and 8 losses. Sara Otto had the High Average of 58.33% and had the High Game of 68%. Shelly Flaming won the High Game over Average with a 52% game with a 31.26% average. Shelly also won the Rookie of the Year Award. Fred Extrand won the Most Improved going from 14.92% to 18.37%.  

We had a great turnout at our Year End Club Tournament even though we had to contend with light rain. Jim David won the Class A beating Gene Gross, who finished second. Lyle Abeln won the Class B title  
beating Wendee Martin. Maxine Abeln won Class C beating Mary Knoblach, because of a great turnout we had a Class D for the first time with Phil Boerger beating Dawn Raine.

At our Banquet we recognized both Dave Wetzlich and Gene Gross with Players of the Year Awards.  Also our thanks went out to Robin Constance for directing the State Doubles Tournament.  We also recognized Sara Otto for finishing 8th in the Women's World Championship and second at the State.  And we recognized our club members achievements at the  State Doubles with Jim David & Dale Lipovsky coming in first in  Class A, Sara & Robin coming in second in Class A, Shelly Flaming and Helen Hawkinson coming in first in Class B and Jeannie White and her partner coming in third in Class D.

Dan Patch Horseshoe Club 
submitted by Mike Berger


Thanks to a great year and league play in Savage, Dan Patch League. 

Congratulations goes to the 1st place Team the Klinkers - Kelli, Ron, Tony. Most improved goes to Scott Chalmers and Shawn Morre and high average goes to Jim David. 

We are always looking for new players contact Mike Berger e-mail  [email protected].  

Montgomery Horseshoe Club 
submitted by Denny Keogh
 
Montgomery had 28 league players, the youngest pitcher is 23 years old, the oldest is age 77 years, the club pitchers average age is 52 years old. Montgomery Horseshoe Awards Night winners are: Rookie of the year, Ashley Gallmeyer; Most Improved, Pat McGuiggan; High Average, Jim Cox; High Percent/Over Average, Chuck Haan; Sportsmanship, Pam Hill. We gave out 8 Personal High Percentage patches. Everyone enjoyed a great potluck meal.

Ringers of Rice Horseshoe Club
submitted by Kathy Stueve

Ringers of Rice League Members

League Champions K S Construction  Kathy Stueve, Roger Lodermeier, Bev Grose

The Ringers of Rice Horseshoe Club held their 2016 league meeting on May 9th to review policies and pay sanction fees and dues. Regular pitching began on May 16th and concluded on August 15th. This year, twenty-eight pitchers took part in two shifts each Monday evening at the club courts located at O'Brien's Pub in Rice, Minnesota. 
 
First shift teams included Auto Body 2000, Melbanc Cabinets, Morningstar Grooming, and Index 53.  Second shift teams included Nathes Insurance, Rudolph's Redneck Roost, K S Construction, and Cornerstone Insurance. Index 53 had the most wins for their shift.  Members of their team were Ginger O'Brien, Bonnie Poplinski, and Garry Loidolt. K S Construction came out on top for the second shift.  Their team members were Bev Grose, Kathy Stueve, and Roger Lodermeier. The two teams played off for the overall championship on August 22nd and K S Construction earned the traveling trophy by winning just one more game than Index 53.  

Ringers of Rice pitchers and their spouses gathered on August 22nd and enjoyed a pizza dinner provided by the club. They took part in sharing and learning some horseshoe trivia, announcements were made, and awards presented.  The K S Construction team was awarded the League Championship Award. Boni Poplinski earned the High Average Award with 55.23%. Mel Larson received the High Over Average Award with 23.54%. Boni Poplinski and Ginger O'Brien both pitched a 70% game this year to share the High Ringer Game Award. The Most Improved Award was presented to Imogene Worm. She increased her average by 12.9%. Annette and Ben Grebinoski were both awarded Rookie-of-the-Year awards. In addition to pitching, Annette worked on keeping the league records and stats. The Sportsmanship Award went to LeRoy Henkemeyer. He is a great promoter of horseshoe pitching, a competitive pitcher, and is always willing to offer positive advice and encouragement to both his teammates and opponents.

An informal in-league tournament was organized by Myron VanderWeyst and held on August 29th.  Twelve members of Ringers of Rice participated in three classes. Mike Holz, Kathy Stueve, and Annette Grebinoski were the class winners. Garry Loidolt was the wild card addition to the final round. Both Garry and Kathy had the same number of wins in the playoff, but Garry's point total gave him the championship.

Thanks go to all of the team sponsors for their support this year. Special thanks to Keith O'Brien and his staff at O'Brien's Pub. Anyone interested in more information about joining the sport of horseshoe is encouraged to contact O'Brien's Pub. 

Rockford Ringers Horseshoe Club 
submitted by Marlys Timm

Top four Tuesday night pitchers

Top four Wednesday night pitchers

Rockford Ringers Horseshoe club held their awards and pot luck the end of September with twenty in attendance. 

Tuesday morning league top four were Glen Berglund, Len Anderson, Mary Denzin and Marlys Timm.  The sportsmanship award went to Ron Fadden with Glen Berglund receiving the most improved patch while Len Anderson had high game of 65%, high average and high game over average. 

Wednesday evening league top four were Dave Borscheid, Logan Dobbelaire, Debi Pool and Lori Klein. The sportsmanship awards were presented to Todd Skeide and Merry Lanars, most improved patches went to Gary Falde and Sandra Corey-Mosher, rookie of the year patches went to Dave Shannon and Sandra Corey-Mosher, High game over average patches went to Debi Pool and Gary Falde while high average for the gals went to Debi Pool with a 15.50% and to Dave Borscheid with a 36.02% for the guys.  Dave Borscheid also had a high game of 52.50% to top the league for the guys while Debi Pool pitched a 30% game which was nearly double her average for the gals. 

Percentage game patches presented were 50% to Dave Borscheid, Gary Falde 30%, Mark Kotilinek, Sandra Corey-Mosher and Merry Lanars 10% while Tammy Hill, Ben Mattson and Dave Shannon all received patches for their 7.50% games. Door prizes followed with everyone looking forward to the 2017 horseshoe season. 

West St. Paul Horseshoe Club 
submitted by Laura Kelly 
 
The West St Paul Horseshoe Club had a good year. We had 16 players on a Tuesday morning singles league and 18 teams on a Wednesday night doubles league. The 18 week season ended on August 24th with playoffs, a fun tournament for all, and a picnic.  Our banquet was held on October 7th  at the Cherokee Tavern with awards and trophies. This year our club received a plaque for 30 years as a sanctioned club from the NHPA.
About Us
MGSHPA's Ringer Digest is the official newsletter of the Minnesota Gopher State Horseshoe Pitchers' Association. It is free to members of the MGSHPA and other interested partieis. Changes of email address can be sent directly to [email protected].

All submissions subject to editing, available space, and must be received by the 10th of the month preceding the date of issue.
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