Event raises $1,500 for CHS Beta Club

Despite stormy weather and chilly temperatures, pickleball players from across the region gathered Feb. 28 at Cassville City Park for the Spring Chill Pickleball Tournament. 

The event combined competitive play with community support, raising approximately $1,500 for the Cassville High School Beta Club. The funds will help students attend the Missouri State Beta Club Convention in Branson.

Heavy thunderstorms moved through the area Friday night and early Saturday morning, leaving the courts soaked just hours before play was scheduled to begin. Several members of the Flat Creek Pickleball Club stepped in early Saturday morning, volunteering their time to dry the courts and prepare them for competition so the tournament could begin with a one hour delay.

“Players then showed resilience throughout the day, competing through brisk temperatures and windy conditions; weather that proved fitting for a tournament appropriately named ‘The Spring Chill,'” a press release said.

Arvest Bank served as the tournament’s title sponsor and also provided prize money for the winners of the top brackets, adding extra incentive for players competing in the advanced divisions. The event also received support from Veregy, an energy services company, which helped sponsor the tournament by providing funds for snacks, drinks and other tournament needs throughout the day.

In addition, the tournament was a Selkirk sponsored event, providing Selkirk equipment and gift cards that were awarded as door prizes. The highlight of the prizes was a Selkirk LUXX Control Air Invikta paddle valued at $280, which was won by Maeghan Cavener, of Bella Vista, Ark.

After a full slate of round-robin matches and medal rounds, the following teams finished atop their respective divisions:

Men’s Doubles (3.5 and Above)

Gold: Taylor Lark (Pea Ridge, Ark.) / Grant Varner (Cassville)

Silver: Micah Perry (Bentonville, Ark.) / Brian Flores (Bentonville, Ark.)

Bronze: Fred Burge (Carthage) / Jonathan Palma (Carthage)

Men’s Doubles (3.5 and Under)

Gold: Cheney Kelley (Cassville) / Kaleb Artherton (Cassville)

Silver: Ashton Wheeler (Shell Knob) / Malachi Vincent (Cassville)

Bronze: Lawrence Wong (Centerton, Ark.) / Maheswara Rao Lekkala (Bentonville, Ark.)

Women’s Doubles

Gold: Thiare Gripka (Mt. Vernon) / Liz White (Springfield)

Silver: Maeghan Cavener (Bella Vista, Ark.) / Beth Bowman (Bentonville, Ark.)

Bronze: Tomi Blankenship (Cassville) / Taylor Kennedy (Cassville)

Mixed Doubles (3.5 and Above)

Gold: Josie Stubblefield (Rogers, Ark.) / Kevin Campbell (Springdale, Ark.)

Silver: Beth Bowman (Bentonville, Ark.) / Erik Rasmussen (Springdale, Ark.)

Bronze: Maeghan Cavener (Bella Vista, Ark.) / Jeff Colbert (Bella Vista, Ark.)

Mixed Doubles (3.5 and Under)

Gold: Audrey Kennedy (Cassville) / Grant Varner (Cassville)

Silver: Dulce Rivera (Cassville) / Victor Guzman (Bentonville, Ark.)

Bronze: Claudia Cruz (Monett) / Lawrence Wong (Centerton, Ark.)