Annual pickleball tournament a smash hit
By Mo Cranker on September 12, 2017.
Medicine Hat News Henry Singer Park in Spruce Grove, Alberta was the site for 270 participants of various levels in the annual Alberta Provincial Championship September Smash. Contestants played on the brand new 12 dedicated pickleball courts. The Medicine Hat contingent fared well. In the ladies’ 3.0 class Ruthmary Hollis and Carolyn Snyder captured a gold medal in a hard-fought three game final. Winning the first game 12-10 but dropping the second game 10-12, they finished the third game in convincing fashion 11-7. Nancy Dick and partner Louise Campbell are guaranteed a silver medal and possibly a gold but their 3.5 ladies’ doubles class was called due to darkness after several rain delays. Each team had won a game in the best of three final. Final results were not known at press time. Gord Masson and Keith Edwards fought their way through the men’s 3.0 class earning a bronze medal dropping their final game 5-15 to their opposition. In other matches Ed and Nancy Dick competed in the 3.5 mixed doubles but missed the medals. Keith Edwards and Carolyn Snyder dropped their first match 7-11, 8-11 but then ran a string of 6 winning matches falling just short of the medals bowing 8-15 to their opponents. Ruthmary Hollis and Gord Masson also competed in the 3.0 mixed doubles winning their first round (11-6,7-11,11-5) losing their second round (6-11,6-11), winning their third round 15-5 but dropping the last round 9-15. 9-8
