Godfrey Pickleball Open Tournament Highlights: Players from across the region gathered at Glazebrook Park in Godfrey, Illinois, from Friday, July 18, to Sunday, July 20, for the second annual Godfrey Pickleball Open Tournament. Despite facing high heat and brief rain, players stayed active throughout the weekend. The event raised funds for the Alton High School boys and girls tennis teams.
Strong Performances Across All Divisions
The tournament started with men’s doubles on Friday. In the Men’s Red Division, Dennis Knight and Jaxon Hendricks went undefeated in both pool and bracket play to claim the top spot. They beat Tyler Lumma and Daton Ripley in the finals. Larry Kulp and Rick Gibson took third.
In the Men’s White Division, Tim Phillips and Colin Powers won the title, defeating Chad Woodman and Clay Woodman, a father and son team. Josh Clendenen and Brady Clendenen placed third.
Tournament director Jesse Macias said, “The finals in both the Red and White divisions were close. So were the third-place matches. We got to see a lot of really good matches on Saturday. Dennis and Jaxon are a formidable team. They hit power and more power, but everyone pushed them all they could.”
Mixed Doubles Wrap Up the Weekend
On Sunday, the Mixed Doubles Red Division finals featured a rematch from last year. Dennis Knight and Cindy Clark won the match, finishing ahead of Jesse Macias and Hannah Macias, who came in second. Blake Driskill and Brady Clendenen finished third.
Jesse Macias shared, “The rematch was fun and we always enjoy playing Dennis and Cindy. They are the best team around and you could see it today. Blake and Brady also had a great tournament. They’re both young players and they competed well today. For their age, they have mature games.”
In the Mixed Doubles White Division, the husband and wife team Rick Gibson and Missy Gibson finished first. Victor Humphrey and Ariel Niemeyer took second place, while the father-daughter team of Jeff Dondanville and Mckenna Dondanville earned third.
“We had round-robin for the Mixed Division and all the matches were competitive and fun,” Jesse Macias said. “The points were outstanding on every court. Everyone played hard but they also had a good time. That’s pickleball.”
A Community Coming Together
Jesse Macias thanked the city of Godfrey and the Riverbend pickleball community for their support. “We’re grateful to the city of Godfrey for allowing us to use Glazebrook Park for the tournament. The facility is always in great shape. We had a small rain delay Sunday, but the weather could not have been better once the courts dried. We’re also grateful to have such a supportive pickleball community. Most of the players were from the Riverbend pickleball group and we would not have had the tournament without them. They made a lot of generous donations to our programs and I feel lucky to be a part of it.”
The event proved that interest in pickleball is growing quickly in the area. The tournament brought the community together for three days of fun, sportsmanship, and support for young athletes.
News in Brief: Godfrey Pickleball Open Tournament Highlights
The second Godfrey Pickleball Open brought intense action from July 18–20 at Glazebrook Park. Despite heat and rain, local players gave their best across men’s and mixed doubles. The tournament raised funds for Alton High tennis programs and showcased growing interest in pickleball throughout the region.
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