For those looking for the fourth installment of the history of pickleball at The Landings Club be patient, the articles will continue. But first, some current news before it too becomes history.
On Friday, February 25th, Chris Kader and Bradley Morse took on Alex Fox and Patrick May in a battle of the professionals. It was a spirited demonstration of high-level pickleball. The teams played a best of five format. Alex and Patrick won the first two games but needed four games to vanquish Chris and Bradley. The games were a showcase of pickleball skills, strategy and raw power – spectators who enjoy watching gladiators armed with paddles got their money’s worth. If Friday’s record crowd is a reliable indicator, the demonstrations our pros put on a couple of times a year they are much appreciated by Landings Club picklers.
On Saturday, Courts Sports hosted the annual mixed doubles championships. This year the tournament included twenty-three teams in the Championship, “A” and “B” divisions. As always, there was plenty of excellent pickleball on display as teams battled it out in a double elimination format. After more than four hours of play, champions were crowned in each division. In the Championship Division, Krista Poppell and Peter Dorward took gold, and M.J. Martin and Max Lemaigre pocketed silver. Katelyn Hilliard and Adam Hecht took home the Bronze.
The “A” Division was a nail biter from start to finish. In the end, Vanessa Marin and Eric Verman won gold, while Betsey and Einar Andersen earned silver. Claire O’Donnell and Greg Killeen won bronze.
John and Kristen Sivak won gold in the “B” Division, while Bianca Eicholtz and Spencer Wheeler pocketed silver. The bronze medal went to John and Karyn Buckman.
Spectators noted that it didn’t seem to matter which division they watched, as each offered inspiring pickleball and determined competitors. From the always hyper-frenetic tournament veteran Adam Hecht, who careened around the court like a pinball in the Championship Division, to “B” Division competitor Bianca Eicholtz who is relatively new to the sport, excellent pickleball was on display on every court. Congratulations to all, medalists or not. Thanks to the court sports professionals for hosting another exciting tournament.
The World Pickleball Tour (WPA) will be played at Franklin Creek from March 1-3 and the recap will appear in the next article. Finally, don’t forget that the men’s and women’s doubles club championships are played on March 9th and 10th.