Phillip J. Meranto Meomorial 3-wall Doubles Tournament

Greetings 3 Wall players!

This year’s Meranto Memorial 3 Wall entry form (HERE) is being sent a bit earlier than usual to provide extra time to find a replacement for the event’s tournament director as this will be my last in that role.

Each summer since the early 70’s this event has topped off the outdoor season here in NW Washington.  For years the event had been directed by Tad Eversole often assisted by Steve Mills.  After the passing of Dr. Philip J. Meranto, a lover of outdoor handball and exceptional champion of the world’s oppressed people, Tad appropriately changed the name of the tournament from Garrison Creek Summer Doubles to Philip J. Meranto Memorial 3 Wall Doubles.  In addition to playing outdoor handball at an exceptional level, Tad filled the role of Tournament Director in a way impossible to duplicate.  He added an element of humor with an array of fanciful prizes (like the trophy I got one year announcing my last place finish the only year I played on the A side after winning the B side the previous year:) and his tote sheet of predictions and odds of winning the event for each player.  When his body wouldn’t let him play handball at the level he built over the years he let the perfect game go along with his unique direction of this tournament.

Out of respect for Phil and a love for playing the Perfect Game outdoors and with the able assistance of Sharon we have been attempting to keep this event alive and growing.  When its popularity grew to the point where as many as 26 players entered it meant each player would play a dozen games – on the concrete that’s a bit much!  So, following Joe Cox’ advice, the format was changed to the one used today where as many as 36 players play in two flights so each player plays a maximum of eight games of round robin and one game in the Champions Round.  This format appeals to those who love playing with a different partner against a different team and has played a part, I believe, in the founding of the Dick Pieper Memorial 3 Wall event promoted by Mike Fabian and Larry Cordes.  That tournament is played on two courts in a beautiful setting at the Walla Walla Point Park outside Wenatchee.

So, with this said and with the hope that others will find the time and interest to step up to keep this event in its place as the premier outdoor event in the state, I am stepping aside for new blood and energy to direct future renditions.

LeRoy