Team World Ohio has winning formula By Steve Clark Daily News staff writer

Ohio and Minnesota split the four individual matches in the finals. However, Ohio easily won on points, 103-71, at Edwards Sports and Activity Center. Colorado finished third, while teams from Wisconsin and Illinois rounded out the top five in fourth and fifth place, respectively.

"It feels real good. We knew we had a real strong team again so we knew we had a good shot," said six-time world menīs champion Alan Francis."When it all comes right down to the wire, one game can really throw it one way or the other so each game is important".

Francis had led the Ohio team into the finals, hitting better than 80 percent ringers for the tournament, including a whopping 37-of-40 in his 48-1 win over Paul LaCrosse of Colorado in the semifinals.

Yet, as hot as he was in the semifinals, that's how cold he started his final round and trailed Minnesota's top pitcher, Bev Nathe, 18-2 at one point in their finals match.

"Thatīs the way horseshoes is. One minute you can throw great, the next minute it can change,"Francis said."I couldnīt get my shoe going in the finals. I didnīt feel comfortable the first 20 shoes or so, but thatīs the way horseshoes goes".

Francis would rally in the second half of the match to close the gap to 18-14, but would get no closer, losing by that same four-point margin.

Ohio's second-seeded player, Tina Tonnous had no such trouble.

Tonnous was on target right from the start and built an early lead on Minnesota's Dale Lipovsky, a three-time men's world champion.

"During practice before the match I was really in a groove and once we started, I just kept right on going,"Tonnous said."I was really ready for this game".

For Tonnous, the key might have been being able to play a match before facing Minnesota. Since Ohio entered the tournament ladder in second place, it had to dispose of Colorado _ which it did by winning three games to one _ before reaching the finals.

In that match, Tonnous also had a solid round defeating her opponent 24-19, which gave her some confidence heading into the finals.

"It helps because it gets you warmed up and ready to go,"Tonnous said."I threw pretty well in the semifinals and I think then I had that confidence going into (the finals)".

Ohio's other victory came in the fourth-seed match where Robert Garber Jr., easily defeated Phyllis Negaard, 39-22. In the third-seed match, it was Minnesota's Mark Baumann winning a seesaw affair with Ohio's Amy Francis, 17-15.

Since the finals match ended up tied 2-2 and the decision went to points, the two close losses for Ohio were an important factor in bringing home the title.

"Itīs very important if you donīt win, at least keep your score pretty close because that can affect your finish,"Francis said."You donīt want any blowouts".

The win last year for the Ohio team was a very emotional victory for the group, since it marked the first time a team from the state had garnered a world title.

This time around may have been less emotional, but there was no doubt that it was just as gratifying.

"We all cried after winning that first one last year _ it was pretty emotional for all of us,"Tonnous said."This time it was just a high. Winning two times in a row is just a great feeling."

NOTES: The 1999 tournament marked the 10th straight year that the Team World Championships has been held in Beloit. ... In the other tournament-laddered match, Colorado swept all four games from Wisconsin, before falling to Ohio. ... Six-time world men's champion and current pro bowler Walter Ray Williams made a surprise appearance at the event to watch the final day.