On Friday, October 20 to Sunday, October 22, 118 members of the SaddleBrooke Pickleball Association (SPA) played faced off against 118 SaddleBrooke Ranch Pickleball Association (SRPA) members on the Ed Robson Pickleball Center courts in the Battle for the Saddle Tournament. The tournament was for women’s, men’s and mixed doubles teams competing in a round robin format, in which each SPA team played each SPRA team in the same class. The teams were classified by skill level: 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5. Medals were awarded to the top three teams in each skill level: gold (first place), silver (second place) and bronze (third place).
Overall, the SPA teams won 133 games, and the SRPA teams prevailed in 146 games. Based on total points, SRPA teams scored 2,608 points, and the SPA teams scored 2,599. SRPA won by only 13 games, and SPA teams scored only nine points less than the SRPA teams.
The women’s teams played on Friday, October 20, and the SPA members earned medals in the 3.5 and 4.0 levels. On the 3.5 level, Jen Massara and Helen Graham won silver, and Donna Watson and Anne Lange won bronze. Denise Leksell and Diana Giljohann won gold at the 4.0 level.
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On Saturday, October 21, the men’s teams played with SPA members winning medals in the 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5 levels. At the 3.0 level, Greg Wilkins and Glen Wirtanen earned the bronze medal. Michael Hovan and Walter Fritz won the bronze medal in the 3.5 level. Sam Alkhoury and Paul Massara earned the gold medal in the 4.0 level, and John Rathjen and Ron Flanders won the bronze medal in that level. At the 4.5 level, Sam Alkhoury and Mike Owens won the gold medal.
The mixed teams played on Sunday, October 22, and Corey Loyd and Susie Loyd earned the gold medal in the 2.5 level. At the 3.5 level, Ron Flanders and Jen Massara won the gold medal, and Cherri Block and Michael Hovan earned the bronze medal. In the 4.0 level, Sam Alkhoury and Joan Van Matre earned the bronze medal.
Other SPA members participating in the women’s team play in 3.0 were Ann Olson, Joyce Maurizzi, Suzanne Richards, Liz Gray, Missy Roberts, Lizzie Bayard, Brenda Browning, Susie Loyd, Jen Wilkin, Gretchen Annan, Venita Ransom and Midge Miller. Other 3.5 participants were Catherine Carmody, Joan Denholm, Dana Goldsmith, Stacy Olson, Susan Schweitzer and Kandi Connor. In 4.0, other players were Nancy Dowell, Jackie Kline, Kristy Johnson, Sara Santora, Cindy McAlbin and Joan Van Matre.
SPA members also participating in men’s 3.0 team play were Ron Blake, Jeff Letterman, Art Busby, Tom Martin, Steve Gallagher, Bill Gray, David Ellman and Mark Cates. In 3.5, other participants were Jeff Bowen, Mark Wlach, Joel Ficke, Kevin Peck, Jack Hoverter, Doug Turley, Bill Snyder, Lou Szathmary, Gary Stithem, Bob Morrison, Kurt Wallin and Derrell Mincey. Other 4.0 players were Dave Palmeri and Rich Breunich. The other 4.5 participants were Brent Carlson, Kevin Tharpe, Pete Giljohann, Gary Stevens, Paul Massara and Dirk Anderson.
Additional SPA members playing in mixed doubles in 2.5 were Patricia Black, Jim Watts, David Ellman, Brenda Browing, Corey Loyd, Susie Loyd, Suzanne Richards and Mordy Rischell. Other 3.0 participants were Joe Ficke, Lizzie Bayard, Steve Gallagher, Liz Gray, Tracey McGeorge, Mike D’Angelo, Barbara Mitchell and Glen Wirtanen. In 3.5 other players were Helen Graham, Mark Graham, Jeff Grant, Annette Grant, Jay Schweitzer, Susan Schweitzer, Kevin Peck, Stacy Olson, Lou Szathmary and Dana Goldstein. Playing in 4.0 were Peter Giljohann, Diana Giljohann, Paul Massara, Nancy Dowell, Dirk Anderson and Terri Anderson.
SPA participants hope to encourage more SPA members to play in next year’s tournament at SaddleBrooke Ranch and bring the saddle trophy home where it belongs: SaddleBrooke.
