Source: http://news.guelphmercury.com/Sports/article/350079
Guelph Mercury
July 04, 2008
Greg Layson
Mercury Staff
Now, Tom Gallina, he's a real ringer.
The Guelph Sports Hall of Fame member is in the midst of yet another successful summer of horseshoes.
This season, the 57-year-old already has three first-place finishes, a second and a perfect game to his credit.
He's now preparing for the World Horseshoe Pitching Championships, to be held July 7-19 in York, Pa., just south of Philadelphia.
"My goal is to keep doing what I'm doing. I'm playing fantastic," Gallina said. "I want to win the Canadian championship in Calgary in August, too."
Gallina finished eighth at the world championship last summer and was 11th at the event when he was the only Canadian in the field when it was held in Kitchener in 1997.
Gallina's won the Canadian championship twice. And he's dominated the provincial championship throughout his career, although not of late.
Gallina's won five Ontario titles, but so has Ron Parisien. All of Parisien's have come in the last five years.
Last month, Parisien beat Gallina in the provincial final for the fourth time in five years. The only year the two didn't meat in the final, Gallina was recovering for knee surgery.
"Sometimes it's frustrating (losing to the same player). And I had the high (pitching) average but ended up second," said Gallina, who led the provincials with a 72.7 ringer percentage. "I beat him in the regular round, but he smoked me pretty good in the final. He had a terrific game."
Earlier this season, Gallina threw a perfect game when he tossed 18 consecutive ringers.
Gallina said it was his "10th or 12th perfect game, but most of those came in league play."
Next tournament action for Gallina will be at the world championships.
Maryhill's Charlie Fromm will join him in York. He's a three-time senior provincial champ and two-time senior national champion.
glayson@guelphmercury.com