Dunlop, Poole top first-ever pickleball tourney

From left, Leith Poole and Marivic and Donn Dunlop pose after finishing in the Top 3 of the first-ever tournament pickleball tournament on Saipan held last Saturday, Oct. 30, at the Capitol Hill tennis courts. (MARK RABAGO)

Donn Dunlop and Leith Poole were named co-champions of the first-ever tournament pickleball tournament on Saipan organized by Paradise Pickleball Club last Saturday, Oct. 30, at the Capitol Hill tennis courts.

Dunlop, a retired boat captain, and Poole, a physical education teacher at Marianas High School, both totaled 105 points in the round-robin tournament where all 16 participants played five doubles matches with rotating partners. Both are relatively new to the sport, with Poole playing pickleball only the past 6-8 months, while Dunlop picked it up only three months ago.

Playing together, Dunlop and Poole defeated Mary Rose and Kseniia Lizunova, 21-2. Dunlop then teamed up with his wife, Marivic, and they beat Nelson Krum and Merle Byrd, 21-10. He then partnered with Aaron Hutchinson in overcoming Juan Cuellar and Dan Wollak, 21-5. Dunlop, with Gyan Lucero, also scored a 21-4 win over Ray Austin and Lily Bloom before teaming up with John Austin in taking down Maria Schultz and Michael Muldoon, 21-7.

Poole, for his part, teamed up with Lucero in triumphing over Hutchinson and John Austin, 21-9. He then partnered with Krum in turning back Ray Austin and Muldoon, 21-14. Poole, with Marivic Dunlop playing by his side, then walloped Schultz and Wollak, 21-3. His fifth win then came courtesy of playing with Byrd and the pair scored a 21-9 victory over Cuellar and Bloom.

Dunlop, who bagged a gold medal in beach volleyball in the 1999 South Pacific Games in Guam, seems to be a natural in pickleball as he also played tennis in the past and in fact was the playing coach of the CNMI national tennis in the 2002 Micronesian Games in Pohnpei.

“I’m brand new to the sport as I came from tennis and wanted to try something different. It’s a lot of fun and a good workout,” said the 65-year-old native of Southern California.

“What I like about this sport is it’s a lot of fun and laughter. It’s really social and it’s a really good cardio-vascular workout. So it’s good for me at my age,” he added.

The 49-year-old Poole, seconded Dunlop on the benefits of the new island sport, adding that he’s so enthusiastic about pickleball that they’ve already introduced it at MHS.

“It’s a great exercise. We’ve already played at the Marianas High School Gym. We’ve already introduced it over there and we’ve taped up the court. It’s a lot of fun,” said Poole, who is originally from Houston, Texas.

Like Dunlop, Poole also plays tennis and said pickleball and tennis are quite similar save for a couple of rule changes.

“Courts are a bit smaller but it’s pretty much the same strokes. Very similar to the old volleyball scores cause it’s points on serves only so sets lasts longer that way…It’s awesome we just love playing and in fact we were playing just before you called us over [for this interview]. Even if the tournament is over we just want to hit some more and play some more,” he said.

Dunlop’s better half, Marivic, finished third in the tournament with 99 total points. While she still loves playing tennis, pickleball is slowly growing on her because of the camaraderie.

“I’m so happy. I’m so glad I made it to third place. Last year when they started I played a little bit but I stopped because I love tennis. Then I came back to playing pickleball again in late December. Then I got injured so I stopped for five months. It’s just a good group. It’s just welcoming and fun and everybody’s nice,” said the 54-year-old who hails from Vigan, Ilocos Sur in the Philippines.

Aside from her wins partnering with her husband and Poole, Marivic teamed up with Hutchinson and won over Ray Austin and Lizunova, 21-2; with Ray Austin against Rose and Bloom, 21-12; and with Lucero against Cuellar and Muldoon, 15-7. The last game was concluded following the 20-minute ground rule of the tournament.

Pickleball was introduced on Saipan last year when Krum, fully recovered from hip replacement surgery, was looking to get back to his favorite sport of tennis.

He and his wife, Donna, soon founded Paradise Pickleball Club and just this August it celebrated its first anniversary. In just one short year, it has grown to 20 regulars with three courts at the Church of Latter-day Saints along Middle Road and four courts on Capitol Hill.

With over 3 million players, pickleball is arguably the fastest growing sport in the U.S. and its popularity has spread all over the world as pickleball is currently played in 57 countries—18 more countries and pickleball can qualify as an Olympic sport.