Bob Hills
Pickleballs were flying at the SaddleBrooke Ranch pickleball courts during the week of April 27 through May 2. The reason? It was the second annual SBR Pickleball Festival. This year’s festival featured 10 events across Men’s, Women’s and Mixed Doubles play. In total, 73 people registered comprising 63 teams and played in 110 matches. Monday was dedicated to men’s doubles play and Tuesday was women’s day. On Wednesday and Thursday mixed doubles matches were played. The final matches for the gold medal for each level for all 10 events was played on Saturday, May 2. Following the final matches a celebration was held in the Bistro Veinte.
This year’s event was directed by Gary Grasso, Bob Hills and Chris Jerman. Unlike last year, this year’s festival was run similar to a standard double elimination pickleball tournament. Members registered in teams for the events by their skills level. A new addition this year was that every match was refereed thanks to Chris Jerman and his team of 12 trained referees. While the weather was windy for a couple of days, the event proceeded on schedule with no issues and no significant injuries. Medals were awarded for the first three positions in each event: gold, silver and bronze medals.
Below is a list of all the medal winners by event.
Men’s 2.0/2.5 (combined). Gold: Bruce Deverman and Ray Ritson; Silver: Ernie Wolf and Tom Arnold; Bronze: Rob Nemecek and Jim Taylor
Men’s 3.0. Gold: Lutz Pape and Rick Snowden; Silver: Rudy Dominguez and Lon Alness; Bronze: Tim McCauley and Michael Sosin
Men’s 3.5. Gold: Craig McHugh and Keith Sturdivant; Silver: Bud Fairbanks and Marv Richter; Bronze: Mike Fielding and Bob Hills
Women’s 2.0. Gold: Deb Lawson and Linda Shannon-Hills; Silver: Carol Kramer and Edie Kellogg; Bronze: Jeanne Osterlund and Sandy Noble
Women’s 2.5. Gold: Mary Stolze and Corine Sturdivant; Silver: Priscilla Wolf and Consuelo Melhuish; Bronze: Michelle Diehl and Linda Harvey
Women’s 3.0+. Gold: Sally Grasso and Debbie McCauley; Silver: Linda Richter and Linda Gorman; Bronze: Carol Fielding and Lupe Cook
Mixed 2.0. Gold: Deb Lawson and Don Lawson; Silver: Linda Nicholson and Rich Galant; Bronze: Linda Shannon-Hills and Doug Rinke
Mixed 2.5. Gold: Melanie Ritson and Bruce Deverman; Silver: Linda Harvey and David Eidt; Bronze: Sheila Bray and Jonathan Bray
Mixed 3.0. Gold: Sonie Lee and Rudy Dominguez; Silver: Lupe Cook and Bob Hills; Bronze: Michelle Diehl and Ken Cook
Mixed 3.5+. Gold: Corine Sturdivant and Keith Sturdivant; Silver: Linda Gorman and Craig McHugh; Bronze: Debbie McCauley and Tim McCauley.
The Pickleball Association thanks all the SBR residents that came out to watch during the festival and also those that came to celebrate with us following the finals matches.
Photographs by Linda Shannon-Hills