Lakewood Croquet Club

LAKEWOOD, WA –  In the culmination of a memorable year for the 1999 Champions Cup winner and reigning Lakewood Croquet Club Champion Kevin Sutton, LCC officials named Sutton the 1999 Player of the Year, based largely on his Cup performance last August. Sutton, a two-time LCC Champion, added the hardware to an already burgeoning trophy case.

The Player of the Year honors were Sutton’s second. He also won the award in 1996, the same year he took home the inaugural Champions Cup. In addition, Sutton won his fourth straight Most Sportsmanlike award. Sutton has had little opposition for the award to this point, given the fact that he is really the only Lakewood Croquet Club member that follows any semblance of the rules.

Jeff Gepner made waves at the Year End Awards announcements by being named Jackass of the Year for the second consecutive year. LCC President Brian S. Johnston III instituted the award in 1998 after stripping Gepner of Player of the Year honors due to “questionable circumstances surrounding the win.”

“Gepner really sums up all that is meant by the term ‘jackass,’” responded Johnston. “Other than the fact that he’s no longer LCC Champion, he hasn’t changed a bit. He earned this award.”

Lin Cherry, the self-proclaimed “Queen of Croquet,” was honored by the LCC Board of Directors as the 1999 Rookie of the Year for her strong freshman year performance.

“Freshman is an antiquated, sexist example of the male dominated hierarchy in power here in the Lakewood Croquet Club,” began Cherry during her acceptance speech. “Am I supposed to be honored by my place in this glorified pageant?”

This year’s ceremonies saw the introduction of two new awards. The first, the Woman of the Year, went to “the female competitor deemed most dominant in match play during the previous season.” Emily Smith, who stole the show at the 1999 Gary Coleman Memorial Team Challenge, took home the gold.

LCC President Brian S. Johnston III closed out the ceremony in bizarre fashion, awarding himself a lifetime achievement award for his “countless hours of dedication that have helped make this great club and this great sport what they are today.” The commendation, named the “Brian S. Johnston III Lifetime Achievement Award” in his honor, will apparently become an annual part of the Year End Awards.

“Who better to receive recognition as a true lifetime leader here in the Lakewood Croquet Club than me?” asked Johnston as he accepted his own award. “As President, I’ve been the backbone of this club for two years. Where would we be without me?”

“Me I tell you!” he concluded in extravagant fashion. “It’s all about me!”

1999 Player of the Year
KEVIN SUTTON
1998 - Brian S. Johnston III
1997 - Jeff Gepner
1996 - Kevin Sutton

1999 Most Sportsmanlike Player
KEVIN SUTTON
1998 - Kevin Sutton
1997 - Kevin Sutton
1996 - Kevin Sutton

1999 Jackass of the Year
JEFF GEPNER
1998 - Jeff Gepner

1999 Rookie of the Year
LIN CHERRY
1998 - Mark Stibbe
1997 - Mike Corvin
1996 - Jeremy Seuss

1999 Woman of the Year
EMILY SMITH

Brian S. Johnston III Lifetime Achievement Award
BRIAN S. JOHNSTON III