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COLUMBUS–The second Pickleball Dinking tournament was held at Stearns Gym in Columbus on February 24. 

 

Once again, the event was organized and directed by Donna Donnelly, Lisa McAlpine and Astrid Schmid. There was a great turnout for participants and observers, with some folks new to the game in attendance.  

 

The same format that was used in the last tournament was used again. Two groups of eight competed in a round-robin format so that everyone played against everyone else in their group.  

 

Each game resulted in points awarded. The top four in group one (The Pancakes) were:  David Lennon, Eric Hammond, Russ Jordan and Susan Alberto. The top four in group two (The Waffles) were:  David Briere, Lisa Blaney, Hunter Smith and Mark Trotter.  

 

The top four in each group then played and were eliminated after three faults (mistakes). Faults usually involved hitting the ball out of bounds. The last two standing were Eric Hammond of the Pancakes and David Briere of the Waffles, who then competed under the same rules. David is a relatively new player and Eric is a well-seasoned player. 

 

The winner for DINK II was Eric Hammond.  

 

Special thanks go to Monica with the Spartanburg YMCA for providing Pickleball T-shirts to the participants and Jim Stewart who provided the Pickleball trophy. Each player also received a unique PB keychain.   

 

Everyone had a good time.  A third event is planned for March 24. Anyone wishing to learn the ins and outs of Pickleball can stop by at 11 a.m. on Mondays or Wednesdays at Stearns.  

 

Submitted by Jennifer Smith