Pam McWhorter
Tournament director Jim Barbe reports that the first official club MLP (Major League Pickleball) event was held on Jan. 24. “We had a fantastic turnout of 240 players with three different start times to complete the event in one day,” Jim said. “Plenty of spectators attended as well and lunch was provided by the club for all the players. Brackets of four teams participated in round robin play against all other teams to determine the winner of each skill level. I heard so many say that this was one of the most enjoyable formats they have played.”
MLP Winners
The following players were the winning teams for each start time. Congratulations!
Women Group 1: Danielle Tsai, Renee Salko, Tammy Dana-Bashian, Deb Nielsen
Women Group 2: TIE Karyn Barbe, Mary Beth Calderone, Robin Weaver, Linda Li, Debbie Zink Kathy Hamilton, Lynnsey Virden, Judi Williams
Women Group 3: Deenie Clinton, Linda Kellis, Susan Gavin, Mary Dohmeier
Women Group 4: Judi Johnson, Nancy Dugan, Debbie Schneider, Vikki Constable
Women Group 5: Becky Trimble, Linda Nathan, Darleen Lockhart, Elita Lesh
Women Group 6: Margo Powell, Lynelle Sanders, Marcy Taylor, Bridgett Trujillo
Women Group 7: Judy Friedman, Nina Coulombe, Lori Vallar, Sylvia Erickson
Women Group 8: Linda Gill, Malinda Jensen, Cindy Rainey-Bell, Susan Nadeau
Men Group 1: Howard Mendel, Jim Barbe, Dennis Poppe, Bob Weldon
Men Group 2: Rick Reed, Doug Hartman, Ken Hammer, Brad Riley
Men Group 3: Brad Reinschmidt, Rob Hill, Greg Young, Ron Bonnell
Men Group 4: Dick Spampinato, Scott Weide, Jerry Dileonardo, Jim Upchurch
Men Group 5: Dan Latta, Lou Becovitz, Jim Curry, Tom Kellis
Men Group 6: Mark Murdock, Drew Smith, Je Schmitz, Phillip Lesh
Men Group 7: Steve Battershell, Matt Miller, Dale Erickson, John Stoller
Thanks to Jim Barbe and his committee for planning and executing this fantastic event!
More Events
On Feb. 16, PebbleCreek Pickleball members had an opportunity to watch four top pickleball pros face off in an exhibition match. Visiting for this event were Riley Newman, No. 10 in the world in Mixed doubles; Callie Jo Smith, No. 8 in the world in Women’s doubles; Conner Garnett, No. 3 in the world in Men’s singles; and Lindsey Newman, 2021 Mixed doubles national champion. This event included a 20-minute warm up, an 80-minute competition, and a 20-minute question and answer session. Thanks go to our club member Dennis Poppe for organizing this spectacular event!
The Ninth Annual PebbleCreek Pickleball Tournament was held on Feb. 26, 27, and 28. A full report will be in the next edition of the PebbleCreek Post.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
Thank you to all the following sponsors for helping us make our Ninth Annual PebbleCreek Pickleball Tournament a successful one: Humana, Desert Shade Structures, Arnold Hickey DBA PHX Pro Realty, Desert Diamond Casino, Cardinal Finance, AZ Rainfall, Palm Valley Oral, West Valley Golf Cars, Roy Johnson Realty, Litchfield Auto Repair, Dr. Nathan Moore DBA as Moore Advanced Orthopedic, DermaCare Plastic Surgery, A-Quality HVAC/ Lyons Roofing, Donna Strand Realty One Group, Ortho Arizona, Osborne Jewelers, Argent Solar Esatto Pharmacy, Selkirk, Rays Racquets, and Skechers.
Food Sponsors: Texas Roadhouse, Popo’s Fiesta Del Sol, and Panera Bread
Upcoming Events
* The PebbleCreek Pickleball Club Championship Tournament will be held on March 20, 21, and 23—Women’s doubles, followed by Men’s doubles, and then Mixed doubles. Sign up for the tournament began Feb. 19 and will close on March 11. Registration is on Pickleballbrackets.com.
* Mark your calendars, April 4 is the date for the last internal tournament of the season. Due to the popularity of the last MLP tournament that was held in January, the event is being repeated in April. Registration will be on Court Reserve and will open on March 1 and close on March 22.