Dean Goupil and Roberta Diles won nine medals in the mixed doubles category.
Andrea Dilger and Renee deLassus are a winning women’s doubles team.
Jim Barbe won the most gold medals.
Lyla Reibel won 20 medals.
Cynthia Schwartz
PebbleCreek Pickleball Club players are winners! From September 2019 to March 2020, almost 120 club members participated in 16 local pickleball tournaments in men’s, women’s, mixed doubles, and singles events. What draws players to the tournaments is competition. Our members won 364 medals across age and skill categories.
Topping the list is Lyla Reibel, a newcomer to PebbleCreek, who won 20 medals. When asked about tournament play, she said, “I play in tournaments because I love to compete. I like to challenge myself to be the best I can be and to perform under pressure. I also like tournaments, because the quality of play is always at a high level, and the competitors play hard and appreciate good play by everyone.”
Jim Barbe racked up 19 medals, including 11 gold medals, the most for any PebbleCreek Club member. Jim said, “As far as why I play tournaments, I have a few reasons. By nature, I’m extremely competitive. I love the matches and battles that take place in a tournament setting. The skill level at 5.0 can vary, so I like to test my abilities against everyone at that level. You really can only do that by playing in outside tournaments. Many times, 5.0 brackets will be combined, because of the number of entries. You will also see players who are much younger and the challenge becomes even greater.”
Over three years ago, Andrea Dilger and Renee deLassus met while playing golf in PebbleCreek. They met again on the pickleball courts and decided to team up as tournament partners. The rest is history. They have stood on the winners’ podium many times. Andrea said that Renee is a great motivator and gives their team confidence. Andrea recalled that during one tournament they were down 11-1. Renee told her, “let’s chip away one point at a time.” It was one of their greatest comebacks, winning 15-13. Renee commented, “We always try to be supportive of each other. We don’t always win, but we always give it our best and have fun. Andrea is a great partner!” Andrea won 11 medals and Renee won 9 medals in the local tournaments.
Dean Goupil and Roberta Diles teamed up as mixed doubles partners. In nine tournaments, they won three gold, three silver, and three bronze medals. Dean also won matches in men’s doubles for a total of 14 medals. Roberta won a medal in women’s doubles for a total of 10 medals. Roberta commented, “I love competing in pickleball, because it forces me to focus. I love playing with Dean, because he is always encouraging. He knows that most of the balls are directed at me and I am bound to make mistakes. So, he just praises the good shots.”
Medals won by PebbleCreek pickleball players include mixed doubles 139, women’s doubles 111, men’s doubles 98, women’s singles 13, men’s singles 3, and total 364.
Data analysis was provided by Wade Johnson, Ellie Love, Sarah Marsh, and Mike Schwartz.