nationals to be held in Florida in December .
Laura Fuller and Susie Nosworthy demonstrated the effectiveness of ripping balls down the middle on their way to gold in WD 65 + 4.0 . Ken Willingham won three golds , with Joe Burk in MD 70 + 4.0 , Jan Cooley in MXD 70 + 4.0 , and MS 75 4.0 . The men ’ s doubles 4.5 was strong across the board . 60 + was won by Jim Rogers and Mike Chen , 65 + Scott Siewert and King of France Pyle , 70 + Paul Sims and Chris Kayser , and 75 + Randy Scott and Mark Levy .
The 4.0 50 + division had one of the most exciting finishes of the tournament . Bubba Dean and Brent Hilyer of Opelika lost in the first round and were sent to the opportunity bracket . They fought their way back to the gold medal round . After winning the first two
games against Doug Abell and Tony Authement , Dean and Hilyer forced the deciding game to 15 . Dean and Hilyer were trailing 14 to 9 , one point from defeat , but were able to come back and win 17-15 .
In the 5.0 19 + men ’ s singles , Marshall Brown from nearby Auburn won in straight games against Lewis Halski . In the 5.0 19 + men ’ s doubles , Stephen Bass from Opelika and Marshall Brown prevailed against Mitchell Vegas and Ratail Hurley in two exciting games . Chuck Blackshear , the assistant Atlantic South regional director , told the organizers , “ Opelika has set the bar that others will try to emulate . The collaboration between you and your association , the mayor , city government , and parks and rec are quite evident , and second to none .”
Players experienced the quality of the facility and the expertise in tournament management . Expectations in pickleball have risen . Communities of all sizes can benefit from community cooperation . Opelika has led the way and is happy to share information on how it can be done . •
Bob Huskey ( left ) brought pickleball to Opelika and worked with the city to build 24 covered pickleball courts . Bill Hess was the tournament director for the 2022 Atlantic South Regional Championships . PHOTO BY ALICE TYM
TENNESSEE SENIOR OLYMPICS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
By Alice Tym
The 2022 Tennessee Senior Olympics state pickleball championships were held on the 36 indoor courts at the Chattanooga Convention Center . Tennessee is a “ closed ” state , i . e ., competition is open only to Tennessee residents and participants living near the state line . This year , pickleball had 480 competitors from around the state . One of the highlights of the tournament was the presence of Ray Glier , who is the creator , owner , writer and editor of Geezer Jock ( geezerjocknews . com ), which features senior athletes . •
From left to right : Kitty Cheak , tournament staff ; Ray Glier , Geezer Jock journalist ; Kelly Price , tournament director ; Christine Dewbre , director of TN Senior Olympics ; Marne Smith , Nashville medalist ; and Jesse Taylor , Chattanooga medalist . PHOTO BY ALICE TYM
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022 | MAGAZINE 59