Left to right: Ken Minichiello, Rellen Jones, Bruce McLarty, Dick Hawkins, Dan Clinton, Fred Carlson, John Haas, Vikki Constable (coordinator), Sig Mueller, Dennis Daniel, Lou Tronzo, and Roger White
Donna Gillen and David Frederick
The week of Nov. 6 brought the most daring and challenging male tennis players to our courts for the first annual PebbleCreek Tennis Club Men Doubles Championship. The event culminated on Nov. 11 with the finals and an awards event. This tournament was designed so that the brackets allowed for those who may have not performed as well in the beginning had a second chance to participate in the finals. The first day started off with much excitement on the courts, with all participants eagerly awaiting their court assignments and their opponents. The fiercely intent play also added a bit of fun as many of the players were there to highlight their special talents while swiftly and smoothly returning hit after hit.
There were three categories of play. In the A Team Category the winners were Jonathan Colter and Dan Schimmelphennig. The match was quite exciting, ending with a 10-point tiebreaker to defeat David Kersey and Randy Planck in this hard-fought championship. The high-quality match showcased some of the best tennis PebbleCreek has to offer with numerous long rallies and tremendous unbelievable shot making. Not to be forgotten are our third place winners: Richard Margison and Martin Farrell.
The B Team bracket winners were Greg Fisher and Keith Cunningham who upended Steve Farley and Jay Hayden. After a tight first set, Greg and Keith caught fire and cruised to victory. The third place winners were Julian Bindler and Dan Litchenfeld. This group championship showed the depth of tennis talent at various levels we have here at PebbleCreek.
The Drop-In Elite also participated in the third bracket. This crew of amazingly skilled tennis players showcased the more experienced and the longevity our tennis players have in our community. The skills and prowess of these amazing athletes reinforces that age is just a number as they displayed tennis abilities that younger members of the club can only envy. In the championship match, Dick Hawkins and Bruce McLarty used their skill and crafty skills to defeat Dennis Daniel and Roger White and claim first place.
After the event awards were given to the winners, and a reception was held on the lawn for camaraderie, refreshments, and conversation.
Thank you to all the participants for making this first tournament a great success. Get ready for next year’s tournament, which we promise to be bigger and better yet.