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The second week of the 2025 Cherokee/Clay Senior Games got underway with games ranging from horseshoes to shuffleboard to the athlete-favorite pickleball.
The week kicked off with men’s and women’s singles horseshoes at Konehete Veterans Park in Murphy, then wrapped up across Valley River Avenue with the first day of swimming events at Murphy Health & Fitness.
Horseshoes
The second week of the 2025 Senior Games opened with men’s and women’s singles horseshoes at Konehete Veterans Park on May 5.
Taking home gold medals in women’s horseshoes were Kemberly Martin, Georgina Morolla, Michele Preisser, Lucy Lovins and Marcia Donnes. Earning silver medals were Melissa Watson, Jill Dash and Martha Reese. Earning bronze medals were Carla Davis and Linda Knowles.
In the men’s horseshoes competition, Donnie Hallman, Bart Harrison, David Miller, Rick Alringer and John Sias took home gold medals. Earning silver medals were Steve Gutierrez, Robert Law, Bob Martin and Gary Preisser. Earning bronze medals were Tony Schneidt, Michael Wilkins and David Baumann.
5K Power Walk
On the evening of May 5, athletes completed the 5K power walk. The women earning gold medals were Georgina Morolla, Michele Preisser, Debra Bolle and Ruth Harrell.
Men earning gold medals were Mark Berlinski, Bart Harrison, Bill Battle, David Baumann and Chuck Staten. Earning silver medals were Tony Schneidt and Gary Preisser.
Bowling (mixed doubles)
The only event on May 6 was mixed doubles bowling, which took place inside the UltraStar Multi-tainment Center at Harrah’s Valley River Cherokee Casino & Hotel in Murphy.
Taking home gold medals were the teams of Linda Knowles and David Baumann, Pauline Fry and Bill Battle and Mary Walsh and Richard Yeomans. Earning silver medals were the teams of Michele Preisser and Gary Preisser and Margaret Smith and Ray Smith.
Pickleball
Pickleballers were scheduled to play on May 7, but rain rolled in and postponed the men’s doubles and women’s singles until today. The results will be published in the May 21 edition of the Cherokee Scout.
Pickleball action kicked off Thursday with men’s singles and women’s doubles at the Hayesville Recreation Center’s pickleball courts.
Up first were the women’s doubles competition. Taking home gold medals were the teams of Jamie Barnett and Kathy Kent, Sabrina Clinard and Connie MacCorckle, Lori Coy and Judy Markley and Nancy Frahmann and Linda Fetzer.
Earning silver medals were the teams of Melissa Watson and Jill Dash, Linda Knowles and Nancy Baumann and Susan Fredriksen and Marcia Dones. Earning bronze medals were the teams of Lucy Jordan and Linda Bamfield and Meta Robinson and Patty Singer.
Men’s singles also competed and Donnie Hallman, Jack Barnes, Simon Childs and Harry Hearne took home gold medals. Earning silver medals were Steve Coulombe, Bob Martin and David Baumann. Earning bronze were Michael Kelischek and Terence Faries.
Friday morning at the Murphy pickleball courts, mixed doubles competition took place in one of their biggest events.
Earning gold medals in mixed doubles were the teams of Tracy Longobardi and Todd Yost, Suzan Grinarml and Tony Povinelli, Jamie Barnett and Scott Johnson, Sabrina Clinard and Lyndell Holt, Susan Fredrickson and Simon Childs and Judy Markly and Terence Faries.
The mixed doubles teams that earned silver medals were Maria Arbiv/Richard Altwarg, Melissa Watson/Fitch Hasbrouck, Linda Knowles/Jack Barnes, Meta Robinson/David Robinson and Nancy Baumann/David Baumann.
Teams that earned bronze medals were Connie MacCorkle and Jack Bacon, Gail Peck and Bruce Peck and Nancy Frahmann and Jack Frahmann.
Shuffleboard
Shuffleboard competition kicked off Thursday with the women at the Murphy Rock Gym. Earning gold medals were Kemberly Martin, Melissa Watson, Michele Preisser, Jenny Turner and Marcia Dones.
Women earning silver medals were Angie Barnes, Robin Alessi, Chris Faries and Martha Reese. Earning bronze were Barb Compton, Jill Dash, Joy Dockery and Margaret Smith.
Men’s shuffleboard took place Friday with Donnie Hallman, Jack Barnes, Michael Wilkins, Rick Alringer, Barry Fry and John Sias earning gold medals. Earning silver medals were Bart Harrison, Bob Martin and Ray Smith. Earning Bronze were Fred Dimmick, Joe Tanno and Gary Preisser.
Track & field
The second Saturday of track & field competition wrapped up with multiple events in running and power walking.
In the 50-meter dash, Crissy Raxter, Hope Reagan, Michele Preisser, Steven Stanley and Terence Faries took home a gold medals. Earning silver medals were Fred Dimmick and David Baumann. Earning a bronze was Bart Harrison.
In the 100m dahs, Crissy Raxter, Marla Arbiv, Michele Preisser, Steven Stanley and Terence Faries took home gold. Earning silver were Hope Reagan, Fred Dimmick and David Baumann.
In the 200m dash, Crissy Raxter, Marla Arbiv, Michele Preisser, Mark Berlinski, Tony Schneidt, Bill Battle and Terence Faries won gold.
In the 800m dash, Marla Arbiv, Michele Preisser, Mark Berlinski and Bill Battle won gold. Hope Reagan earned silver.
Swimming
Swimming events wrapped up the second week of the Senior Games as athletes headed to the pool at Murphy Health & Fitness on Saturday.
Art Hubbard earned gold in the 50-yard backstroke.
In the 50-yard breaststroke, Cathy McNeely, Jan Findley, Mary Bigos, Art Hubbard and Joe Tanno earned gold. Amanda Burts earned silver.
In the 50-yard freestyle, Cathy McNeely, Jan Findley and Mary Bigos won gold. In 200-yard breaststroke, Art Hubbard won gold.
In the 200-yard individual medley, Cathy McNeely won gold and Amanda Burts won silver. In the 500-yard freestyle, Amanda Burts won gold and Cathy McNeely won silver. Michael Kelischek won gold in the 500-yard freestyle.
Details: To see the upcoming events, results and to learn more, visit cherokeecountyseniorgames.org.