Lakewood Croquet Club

LYNNWOOD, WA – After two years at the top of the sport, former Lakewood Croquet Club Champion Jeff Gepner has now been relegated to a mere contender. The two-time Champions Cup winner struggled through the 1999 event, finishing a disappointing third, after much talk about the possibility of a three-peat. Now Gepner must find a way to play the role of challenger, in hopes of recapturing his championship form.

The role of challenger is truly something new for Gepner. Often billed as “The Franchise,” he has dominated LCC play for over two years. After a second-place finish at the 1996 Champions Cup, he stormed to a convincing victory at the 1997 Cup, beginning (what would become) a two-year reign atop the circuit.

1998 saw Gepner reach the top of the mountain. While the reigning LCC Champion, he nearly captured the LCC Doubles Championship at the 27th Annual Gary Coleman Memorial Team Challenge. The Coleman Challenge began what would become a dominating summer. He rolled onto a convincing win in the Triple Crown Tournament, placing him as the number one seed headed into the 1998 Champions Cup.

“Jeff Gepner was completely dominant during his two years as champion,” stated fellow LCC competitor Tom Carmony. “As much as I hate to say it, he ran the show. Every player in the Club was focused on one goal, and that was to knock Jeff Gepner off the top of the mountain.”

Gepner’s domination reached its peak at the 1998 Cup. After months of speculation that he might help put over fellow competitor Andy Cooper, Gepner reneged on the deal and rolled on to his second straight LCC Championship, becoming the first player in Club history to repeat.

Cooper, furious over the apparent double-cross, literally attacked Gepner following the win. Once again, the frustration of Club members with Gepner’s success was apparent. He was clearly dominating the game.

“I was a rookie in the LCC while Jeff was champion, and I learned a lot from watching him,” said Mark Stibbe, 1998 Rookie of the Year. “He was pretty lazy, kind of tubby, and never really practiced. He was like the Babe Ruth of croquet. But somehow, he always managed to win. Especially the big matches. If everything was on the line, he always managed to come out on top.”

Then came 1999. Despite solid play throughout his matches, Gepner has failed to record a single win. After a strong second-place finish at the 43rd Annual Gary Coleman Memorial Team Challenge, the Champion fell into a series of dismal performances in warm-up matches prior to the 1999 Cup.

The Champions Cup provided little improvement. Although he was near the head of the pack throughout much of the event, Gepner was unable to take over the lead, and ended up finishing third, behind new LCC Champion Kevin Sutton and Mark Becker. It was Gepner’s worst-ever Cup finish.

The most saddening moment came following the presentation of the Champions Cup to Sutton. Gepner, distraught over the loss of his championship, broke down in front of fellow competitors. He lunged for Sutton, grabbing his leg while crying out “You can’t take my Cup. It’s mine I tell you, mine!!”

“That was pathetic indeed,” said LCC President Brian S. Johnston III. “I’ve been nose-to-nose with Jeff Gepner for more than a year. There’s no love lost between us. But at least he had some self-respect. That babbling outburst at the Cup was truly tough to witness.”

“He’s broken man,” added Johnston.

The question that now remains is ‘what’s next?’ Will Gepner be able to regroup and return to his formerly dominant form, or will he simply become a shell of his former self. With nearly eleven months remaining until the 2000 Champions Cup, the extreme croquet world will wait to see just what “The Franchise can do to regain his form.

If he ever will.