It was all pickleball, all weekend when 34 men’s, women’s, and mixed doubles teams participated in the Benefit for Life Pickleball Tournament at Belknap Park on Saturday and Sunday, August 8 and 9.
Participants from all over West Michigan participated in this third annual event.
Pickleball, an activity that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong, is the fastest growing sport in the United States.
On Saturday, Kevin McLaughlin and AJ Sharif won gold in the Under 60 Men’s Doubles bracket, with Randy Gable and Shane Stokes taking silver, and Jeff VandenBoon and Brian Haskin taking bronze.
Dan McLaughlin and Jim Hackenberg won gold in the Over 60 Men’s Doubles bracket, with Burt Bothell and Greg George taking silver, and Frank Graves and Tony Linn taking bronze.
David Boyd and Dick Welscott won gold in the Over 70 Men’s Doubles bracket, with Fred Johnson and Hito Akehi taking silver, and Richard Granse and John Malone taking bronze.
In the Men’s Doubles All Age bracket, Dan McLaughlin and Jim Hackenberg won gold, Burt Bothell and Greg George won silver, and Randy Gable and Shane Stokes won bronze.
Teri Schrock and Sally Stahl won gold, Linda Jirous and Cheryl Lamport won silver, and Ethel Joslin and Cinda Walters won bronze in both the Women’s Doubles and the All Age Women’s Doubles brackets.
Mixed doubles was played on Sunday.
Randy Gable and Dolly VerStrate won gold, Ted Marthakis and Cindy Benkert won silver, and Brian and Jessie Ward won bronze in the Under 60 bracket.
Dan and Kate McLaughlin won gold, Mike Rotkowski and Phyllis Ward won silver, and David Boyd and Linda Jirous won silver in the Over 60 bracket.
In the Mixed Doubles All Age bracket, Dan and Kate McLaughlin won gold, Mike Rotkowski and Phyllis Ward won silver, and Ted Marthakis and Cindy Benkert won bronze.
Photos from the tournament may be seen on Flickr.