PICKLEBALL: Two local players win ‘Golden Tickets,’ others medal at recent events

Dublin Pickleball Association (DPA) members played in two tournaments over the past week.  

The UTR Sports’ Macon Open (USA Pickleball’s Golden Ticket Tournament) was held at Rhythm & Rally in Macon from March 12-16. According to USA Pickleball’s website, “Golden Ticket tournaments are the only guaranteed path for amateur players to play in the USA Pickleball National Championships, the premier tournament in the sport of pickleball. Only at these tournaments will gold medal winners earn a ‘Golden Ticket’ for the exclusive opportunity to pre-register for Pickleball Nationals.”    

Competitors hailed from 27 states including Hawaii and Washington and one from Canada. 

DPA members, Dawn Howerton and Eva Martin both of East Dublin, entered in  the Women’s Singles, Women’s Doubles, and Mixed Doubles events.  Howerton won a Golden Ticket in Women’s Singles skill level 4.0, age 65+. Dawn and teammate, Brandy Kraker (Palm Beach, Fla.) won silver medals in the Women’s Doubles skill level 4.0, age 50+. Dawn and teammate, Brett Boston (Milledgeville) finished fourth in Mixed Doubles skill level 4.0, age 60+.

Eva Martin won two Golden Tickets. One in the Women’s Singles skill level 4.0, age 70+ bracket.  The other with teammate, Nancy Owens (Macon) in Women’s Doubles skill level 4.5, age 70+. Eva and teammate, Cam Morton (Mayville, N.Y.) won a bronze medal in Mixed Doubles skill level 4.5, age 70+.

Major League Pickleball’s Atlanta Bouncers partnered with Dink’D Pickleball to bring the first Southern Pickleball event to Dink’d Pickleball’s nine-court facility in Augusta on March 14-15.  

A total of 138 Players from locations throughout Georgia and South Carolina competed in 14 events. DPA members, Sandy Souza and Lindsay Shuman both of Dublin, won gold medals in the Women’s Doubles 3.0 skill level, age 35-49. Lindsay and teammate, Clem Bell (Macon) won Silver in the mixed doubles 3.0 skill level, age 5-39.