Published: July 18, 2008 12:29 am         

Short Gap man pitches his way to world champion status

Mike Wolf makes 251 ringers in three nights of competition

After pitching 251 ringers in three nights, Mike Wolf of Short Gap, W.Va., was named world champion of his class in the 2008 National Horseshoe Pitching Association World Tournament.

A Cumberland Times-News employee, Wolf pitches in the Cumberland Horseshoe League for the Outdoor Club. He qualified for the world tournament with a 34.85 ringer percentage along with 15 other pitchers with similar percentages from 11 states.

He finished the tournament with a 41.8 percentage, pitching 40 shoes in each game and winning by a half game.

The tournament is being held indoors at Memorial Hall at the York County (Pa.) Fairgrounds. The action will continue this weekend when the 20 best women pitchers square off against each other Saturday at 8 a.m. At 1 p.m., the men’s current and previous world champions will pitch against each other.

“For horseshoe lovers, it is a must-see tournament,” Wolf said. The tournament included 1,320 entrants. The hall features 56 courts with 112 pits set up in 50 tons of clay.