Pickleball, an activity that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong, is the fastest growing sport in the United States and the Benefit for Life Pickleball Tournament is the fastest growing event sponsored by Grand Rapids Right to Life.
Now in its fourth year, the tournament saw 80 athletes register from all over West Michigan and even from out-of-state.
The event took place at Belknap Park on Saturday and Sunday, August 6 and 7.
Teams this year were matched by skill level, and the tournament featured round-robin play.
In the women’s doubles division:
- 4.0 Gold – Teri Schrock and Dolly VerStrate
- 4.0 Silver – Amy Rakowski and Cari Brooks
- 3.5 Gold – Sally Hudgins and Cindy Roach
- 3.5 Silver – Cinda Walters and Jeanne Schowalter
- 3.5 Bronze – Rochelle Visser and Brittni Stevenson
- 3.0 Gold – Cheryl Lamport and Agnes Westgate
- 3.0 Silver – Patti Jandernoa and Krista Jandernoa
- 3.0 Bronze – Cathy Ciferri and Katie Peterson
In men’s doubles division:
- 4.0 Gold – Jordan DeWeerd and Dan McConnon
- 4.0 Silver – Randy Gable and Shane Stokes
- 4.0 Bronze – Paul Karsten and Paul Richards
- 3.5 Gold – Justin DeWeerd and Jason DeWeerd
- 3.5 Silver – Randy Bouwman and Steven Hofstra
- 3.5 Bronze – Dave Boyd and Randy Peters
- 3.0 Gold – Fred Johnson and Hito Akehi
- 3.0 Silver – Wayne Lewis and Mike Carey
- 3.0 Bronze – Jeff Westgate and CJ Cummings
Mixed doubles was played on Sunday:
- 4.0 Gold – Matt McEwan and Rachael Mortiz
- 4.0 Silver – Minh Tran and Dolly VerStrate
- 4.0 Bronze – Shane Stokes and Sarah Rosenblum
- 3.0 Gold – James Kremer and Marilyn Reichardt
- 3.0 Silver – Craig Fredricks and Sharon Fredricks
- 3.0 Bronze – Marc Talsma and Cheryl Lamport
- 2.5 Gold – Buddy Collins and Jari Collins
- 2.5 Silver – Jeff Westgate and Agnes Westgate
Photos from the tournament may be seen on Flickr.