Long Island’s Easter Pickleball Classic: Players from across Long Island competed in the Fourth Annual Easter Pickleball Classic on 19 April, 2025, at SPORTIME Kings Park. Hosted by Long Island Tennis Magazine and sponsored by Orlin & Cohen Orthopedic Group, the tournament brought together local players for a day of fun, competition, and community.
The event featured men’s and women’s doubles in two skill divisions, with teams playing round-robin matches to qualify for the knockout rounds. Winners were crowned in each division after exciting final matches, highlighting teamwork, skill, and sportsmanship.
Familiar Duos Dominate in Men’s and Women’s 3.5 – 4.0
In the Men’s Doubles 3.5 – 4.0 division, James Kavanaugh and Dan Stolzenburg took home the gold after defeating Tony Romano and Alberto Carrero 11-5 in the final.
“We play a lot together so we have good chemistry. As we went through the matches we were able to see what our opponents didn’t do well, and then tried to capitalize on that.” – (Kavanaugh)
“It was a really fun event on court, and the pizza, drinks and people combined to make it a festive atmosphere off the court as well.” – (Stolzenburg)
In the Women’s Doubles 3.5 – 4.0 division, Lori McBride and Joenna Greenberg used a smart and simple approach to win 11-3 over Rose Gardner and Kathie Glynn.
“The strategy was to make less mistakes than the other team, and trust your partner.” – (Greenberg)
“Just hanging out with our friends and having fun. And winning, obviously.” – (McBride)
Close Matches Highlight the 4.0 – 4.5 Divisions
The Men’s Doubles 4.0 – 4.5 division featured a close battle between Miguel Cobbs and Luis Ludena and the team of Andrew Lacorte and Carlos Quinonez. Cobbs and Ludena came out on top, winning 13-11.
“That final was tough. It was a tight match with a lot of long points.” – (Ludena)
“That last match was a battle. It feels good, we really didn’t want to lose today. I really like the players and the vibe at the Long Island Tennis Magazine pickleball tournaments. It’s an awesome time.” – (cobbs)
In the Women’s Doubles 4.0 – 4.5 division, Emilie Katz and Kelly Cobbs played in their first tournament together and won the final 11-3 over Samantha Cuomo and Jackie Kramer.
“It was a lot of fun. It was our first time playing together and I thought we had some great matches.” – (Katz)
“I’m glad Emilie asked me to play; we had a lot of fun playing together. The main thing was we wanted to communicate well, and I thought we did a better job of that as the night went on. This tournament was great, it moved along nicely and you are able to get a lot of matches in.” – (Cobbs)
Looking Ahead: More Events Coming This Summer
Tournament Director David Sickmen thanked the event’s main sponsor and staff for helping the event run smoothly.
“I would like to thank our title sponsor Orlin & Cohen Orthopedic Group for their amazing support in helping us put on a professionally-run and successful event. We made sure all participants played a lot, that the tournament ran on time and that we had food, drinks, etc. available to players during the tournament.” – (Sickmen)
“I also want to thank SPORTIME Kings Park for hosting, and my co-tournament director Michelle Stoerback for all of her hard work in tournament coordination. We’re excited to continue our partnership with Orlin & Cohen Orthopedic Group, and grow our presence in the pickleball community.” – (Sickmen)
The next event in the series, the June Pickleball Challenge, is set for Saturday, June 14, at SPORTIME Hempstead Lake.
2025 Easter Pickleball Classic Full Results
Men’s Doubles 3.5 – 4.0
| Medal | Players |
|---|---|
| Gold | James Kavanaugh & Dan Stolzenburg |
| Silver | Tony Romano & Alberto Carrero |
| Bronze | Peter Lampione & Joe Paek |
Men’s Doubles 4.0 – 4.5
| Medal | Players |
|---|---|
| Gold | Miguel Cobbs & Luis Ludena |
| Silver | Andrew Lacorte & Carlos Quinonez |
| Bronze | Thomas Walter & Brandon Weinstein |
Women’s Doubles 3.5 – 4.0
| Medal | Players |
|---|---|
| Gold | Lori McBride & Joenna Greenberg |
| Silver | Rose Gardner & Kathie Glynn |
| Bronze | Shelly Eckstein & Sandra Alestra |
Women’s Doubles 4.0 – 4.5
| Medal | Players |
|---|---|
| Gold | Emilie Katz & Kelly Cobbs |
| Silver | Samantha Cuomo & Jackie Kramer |
| Bronze | Diann Starcke & Renee Lemmerman |
News in Brief: Long Island’s Easter Pickleball Classic
Players from across Long Island gathered for the Easter Pickleball Classic at SPORTIME Kings Park on March 30. The pickleball tournament, hosted by Long Island Tennis Magazine and sponsored by Orlin & Cohen, featured four divisions. Champions were crowned after exciting matches, and the next event is set for June 14.
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