Lucy Golub - reporter3.riverbendnews@gmail.com
Four ladies from the local area traveled to Macon, Ga., to compete at a high level in pickleball. Macon is home to one of the largest pickleball facilities in the world, now known as "Rhythm & Rally, Sports & Events," which has transformed from the former Macon Mall into a 32-court pickleball hub.
On Friday, Jan. 3, Rhythm & Rally hosted the Men's Singles and Women's Singles events. Saturday, Jan. 4, was dedicated to the Women's Doubles and Men's Doubles, while Sunday, Jan. 5, was reserved for Mixed Doubles.
On Saturday, Live Oak resident Becky Skipper teamed up with Madison resident Toby Rooks in the Women's Doubles Skill: 3.0 for players aged 60 and above. Concurrently, Madison residents Terri Rykard and Dolly Rump competed in the Women's Doubles Skill: 3.5 for players aged over 60 and 70 combined.
Both teams represented their area well among the 1,211 competitors. Rykard and Rump f inished fifth out of 25 teams in the 3.5 category, while Skipper and Rooks secured fourth place in the 3.0 division. Both teams demonstrated strong performances starting at 7 a.m. on Saturday, winning their f irst matches—Rykard and Rump with a score of 15-5 and Skipper and Rooks at 15-12. Throughout the day, they played between seven to 10 games each and advanced to the playoffs. A highlight of the event occurred when Skipper executed an impressive "Around The Post" (ATP) shot to score.
By the end of the day, the four ladies had thoroughly enjoyed their time in Macon and left feeling happily exhausted.