One Hundred and Forty-Eight SaddleBrooke Pickleball Association Players Competed Against Each Other in Men’s and Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles

On Wednesday, March 15, 2023 to Friday, March 17, 2023, more than 148 members of the SaddleBrooke Pickleball Association (SPA) played in the second annual “Dinking in the Desert” intramural tournament. The tournament was for men’s doubles on Wednesday, March 15, women’s doubles on Thursday, March 16 and mixed doubles on Friday, March 17. Due to weather, the men’s doubles matches were not completed until Monday, March 20. The doubles teams competed in a modified round robin format, in which each SPA team played each other SPA team in the same class. Medals were awarded to the top three teams in each skill level: gold (first place), silver (second place) and bronze (third place).

The medalists in the men’s double were the following: 3.0 – Greg Wilkins/Glen Wirtanen, gold; Mark Cates/Reid Lewis, silver; David Ellman/Corey Loyd sub John Roberts, bronze; 3.5 – Kevin Peck/Gary Simpson, gold; Ken Hallman/Jerry Savage, silver; Tom Frame/Joel Ficke sub Jim Bauman, bronze; 4.0 – Sam Alkhoury/Bill Lucy, gold; Dirk Anderson/Lou Szathmary, silver; Ed Szympruch/Rich Breunich, bronze.

Overall, In the women’s doubles competition, the medalists were as follows: 2.0/2.5 teams combined with 3.0 – Lizzie Bayard/Stacy Olson, gold; Diana Schulz/Missy Roberts, silver; Susie Payne/Brenda Browning, bronze; 3.5 – Kandi Connor/Ann Lange, gold; Paulette Bosselman/Sue Wood, silver; Catherine Carmody/Amy Benson, bronze; 4.0 – Diana Giljohan/Kristy Johnson, gold; Cherie Block/Susan Deskovich, silver; Carolyn Nickum/Janine Sullivan, bronze.

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The mixed doubles resulted in the following medalists: 2.0/2.5 – Amy Schwartz/Marc Schwartz, gold; Betsy Amento/ Steve Amento, silver; Cindy Witt/John Bidegain, bronze; 3.0 – Diana Schulz/Reid Lewis, gold; Liz Gray/Bill Gray, silver; Jen Wilken/Mark Cates, bronze; 3.5 – Helen Graham/Mark Graham, gold; Donna Szathmary/Lou Szathmary, silver; Kandi Connor/Derrel Mincey, bronze; 4.0 – Kristy Johnson/Sam Alkhoury, gold; Susan Deskovich/Ed Szympruch, silver; Diana Giljohan/Pete Giljohan, bronze.

The intramural tournament was organized and managed by Paul Massara on behalf of the SPA tournament committee. Other members of the tournament committee volunteered for promotion, preparation and operation including Michael Hovan, chair; Barbara Mitchell, secretary; Maude Ruffin; Jim Wall; Nancy Maglio and Bill Gray.