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Vail players win Rocky Mountain Pickleball Championship titles, advance to nationals

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Vail's John Donovan won the 3.0, 25-49 men's singles title at the Rocky Mountain Pickleball Championships held in Littleton last month.
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A group of Vail pickleball players picked up titles at the Rocky Mountain Pickleball Championships last month in Littleton.

John Donovan won the 3.0, 35-49 men’s singles crown while Juli Young and Mike Leigh were victorious in the 4.5, 70 and over mixed doubles tournament. Leigh also teamed up with Jeff Wiles to capture the 4.5, 70 and over men’s doubles crown.

“I had just arrived in Denver late the night before from six weeks in Mexico, where I had recently torn my rotator cuff and biceps tendon surfing. So, I was playing at about 50%,” Leigh said. “My partners had to cover for me but I did not want to quit on them.”



Juli Young and Mike Leigh pose after winning the 4.5, 70 and over mixed doubles crown at the Rocky Mountain Pickleball Championships last month in Littleton.
Courtesy photo

Leigh said he and his partners have improved on communication this past summer.

“That’s the key to a successful doubles team,” he added.

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Athletes were awarded unique prizes. Instead of gold medals, each received beer glasses filled with coupons for free indoor play at The Picklr, massages and discounts for future tournaments.

“(It’s) nice to get a medal, but all of mine are sitting in a drawer somewhere. So, something with more value that we can use is great,” Leigh said.

Jeff Wiles and Mike Leigh took the title in the 4.5, 70 and over men’s doubles division at the Rocky Mountain Pickleball Championships held in Littleton last month.
Courtesy photo

Vail players continued their winning ways at the USA Pickleball Golden Ticket national qualifier event in Colorado Springs on July 9-13.

Young and Sherrie Farris won gold in the 4.0, 70 and over division. The pair cruised through the tournament — which featured almost 250 players competing across several different divisions — winning 15-3, 15-4, 15-8, 15-3 and 15-2 in their five games. The victory qualifies them for the national event in San Diego this November. Bruce Aronow and Steve Lincks claimed the silver medal in the 4.0, 60 and over age-group.

Bruce Aronow and Steve Lincks claimed the silver medal in the 4.0, 60 and over division at the USA Pickleball Golden Ticket national qualifier event in Colorado Springs on July 13, 2025.
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Leigh, who has written a couple books on the mental aspect of pickleball — and is currently working on a third — has a two-hour clinic coming up on July 27th in EagleVail. He said the clinic is based on his first book, “Zen and the Art of Pickleball.”

“We focus on both mental and physical activities to improve enjoyment of the game,” he stated.

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