WEYBURN – Weyburn pickleball player Deana Mainil came home with three medals, two silver and one bronze, from the inaugural Western Canadian Regional Pickleball Championships.
The championships were held at the Viterra International Trade Center in Regina.
“It was an amazing venue with 21 courts, including three championship courts where all the Gold Medal games were played and live streamed to YouTube by Fishbowl Video Productions,” said Deana.
All game formats on the A Side were best out of three games to 11 and winning by two points. If you lost a match and dropped to the B Side, it was one game to 15, winning by two points.
If a player or team made their way back up to the A Side Final, it was back to best out of three games to 11.
Deana began the weekend playing in the Women’s Singles 3.5+ (age 12 and above) category on Friday. In her first match versus Marcia Jackson of Saskatoon, she won 13-11 and 11-4.
She lost two of three matches versus Krysti Maronski from New Jersey, losing 11-3, winning the second 11-5 but lost then losing 11-3, knocking her down to the B Side.
She defeated Sandra Webber from Winnipeg by the score of 15-1, and won her match against Marcia Jackson again, 15-12, but then she lost to Kryski Maronski 15-5, giving her the bronze medal.
Deana noted the two women who took gold and silver were 35 and 30 years old and both were ranked higher than her.
On Saturday, she played mixed doubles senior open 4.5+ (age 50+) with partner David Hesje from Elbow, Sask.
In their first match, versus Ilsa Wong and Michael Wagner from Lethbridge, Alta., they lost 11-4. They then won the second game 11-3, but the third game they lost 11-4, knocking them to the B Side.
They won their next match against Lyanna Wong and Thomas Wong from Calgary 15-9, and then won against Susan Miller and Michael Fauchoux of Saskatoon by the score of 15-7. They faced Ilsa Wong and Michael Wager again and they won this time 15-3, bringing them to the Gold Medal match.
They played Rose Sawatsky of Morden, Man., and Jason Duran of Regina, and lost 11-9 and 11-2, earning them the silver medal.
On Sunday, Deana played Women’s Double 4.0 (age 12 and above) with partner Carolyn Sanders from Fort Collins, Colo. Carolyn was a last-minute pickup partner after her usual partner and sister had surgery two weeks before the championships.
The two ladies played Sharon Brown of Regina and Shelly Strachan of Vernon, B.C., and won by scores of 11-7 and 11-6. They won their second match, which was against Jane Powell and Debra Sluser of Regina, by scores of 11-1 and 11-3.
The third match pitted them against Gaye Harris of Cold Lake, Alta., and Brenda Hawryluk of Spruce Grove, Alta., and they were beat 12-10 and 11-2, knocking them to the B Side.
They won their next match versus Zsuzsa Papp and Marcia Jackson of Saskatoon by the score of 15-13, which brought them back to the A side gold medal match.
This game pitted them against Gaye Harris and Brenda Hawryluk again, and they won by scores of 11-7 and 11-5. Since they had previously beat Deana and Carolyn, they had to play a Championship game to 15 which they lost 15-9, giving them the silver medal.
“It was an absolutely incredible weekend with the best competition I have ever faced, so I am incredibly proud of how my partners and I performed,” said Deana of her weekend.
She noted she was also proud of fellow Weyburnites who competed, including Garnet Hart and Darcy Sidloski in men’s doubles, Marcie Benson in women’s singles and women’s doubles, as well as Kevin and Mary Lackey, who brought home silver in mixed doubles.
