St. Louis Shock MiLP Teams Dominate Nashville Tournament

9 Medals Captured Out of 12 Possible at Pickleball Kingdom Henderson

HENDERSON, TN – The St. Louis Shock Minor League Pickleball (MiLP) program continued its unprecedented success this past weekend, capturing 9 medals out of 12 possible at the Nashville tournament held at Pickleball Kingdom in Henderson, Tennessee. The Shock fielded a tournament-record 17 teams across five DUPR divisions, showcasing the depth and talent of the sport's most comprehensive development program.

The dominant performance included 3 Gold medals, 4 Silver medals, and 2 Bronze medals, demonstrating the consistency and excellence that has become synonymous with Shock MiLP teams throughout the 2025 season.

TOURNAMENT RESULTS BY DIVISION:

DUPR 12's Division

🥇 GOLD MEDAL TEAM:

• Gary Rust
• Suzuyo Rust
• Rachelle Moss
• Troy Hamilton

🥉 BRONZE MEDAL TEAM:

• Seth Sherman
• Sarah Eftink
• Becky Bee
• Ken Sipe

DUPR 14's Division

🥈 SILVER MEDAL TEAM:

• TJ Slattery
• Lily Grelle
• Jessie Wang
• Andrew Haines

🥉 BRONZE MEDAL TEAM:

• Adarsh Bungley
• Anna Dornquast
• Amy Wood
• Joshua Wilson

DUPR 16's Division

🥇 GOLD MEDAL TEAM:

• Matt Hildesheim
• Christen Hildesheim
• Connie Ishii
• Carl Breeden

🥈 SILVER MEDAL TEAM:

• Cade Byrd
• Sara Darling
• Julie Wiggar
• Hunter Basnight

DUPR 18's Division

🥇 GOLD MEDAL TEAM:

• Chase Blickhan
• Kayleigh Trokey
• Katie McKee
• Andrew Walters

🥈 SILVER MEDAL TEAM:

• Jeffro Carrico
• Kim Church
• Kim Willi
• Vegas Hervoyavich

DUPR 20's Division

🥈 SILVER MEDAL TEAM:

• Bryan Willey
• Lorena Duknic
• Haley Jamison
• Aiden Petterson

2025 MiLP MEDAL COUNT UPDATE

With this weekend's success, the St. Louis Shock MiLP program has now earned medals at every tournament participated in during 2025, maintaining their perfect podium record. The Nashville results bring the season totals to:

Tournament-by-Tournament Breakdown:

• Tournament 1 (Tulsa, OK): 3 medals (1 Silver, 2 Bronze)
• Tournament 2 (Cape Girardeau, MO): 1 medal (1 Bronze)
• Tournament 3 (Loves Park, IL): 3 medals (2 Gold, 1 Bronze)
• Tournament 4 (Nashville, TN): 9 medals (3 Gold, 4 Silver, 2 Bronze)

2025 Season Totals:

• Total Tournaments: 4
• Total Medals Won: 16
• Gold Medals: 5
• Silver Medals: 5
• Bronze Medals: 6
• Medal Success Rate: 100% (medals at every tournament)

PROGRAM IMPACT

"What we witnessed in Nashville is exactly what we envisioned when we created the first Minor League Pickleball program in Major League Pickleball," said Andrew Haines, Chief Operating Officer of the St. Louis Shock. "Having 17 teams competing and bringing home 9 medals demonstrates the depth of talent we're developing across 8 states."

The MiLP program continues to set the standard for player development in professional pickleball, with 110 players from 8 states competing on Shock MiLP teams throughout the country. The program serves as a pipeline for competitive pickleball while building a nationwide community of Shock supporters.

LOOKING AHEAD

The success in Nashville builds momentum toward Marathon MLP St. Louis, scheduled for July 17-20 at Chaifetz Arena, where the professional St. Louis Shock team will compete on their home court. The undefeated Shock (8-0) continue their historic season with the support of their extensive MiLP family.

The next MiLP tournament competition is scheduled for June 14th in Kansas City, MO.

About the St. Louis Shock MiLP Program: The first Minor League Pickleball program in Major League Pickleball, featuring 110 players from 8 states competing in tournaments nationwide. The program has maintained a perfect medal record, earning podium finishes at every tournament entered in 2025. The MiLP program serves as both a competitive development pathway and a community-building initiative, expanding the Shock family across the United States.

About the St. Louis Shock: The St. Louis Shock is a premier professional pickleball franchise competing in Major League Pickleball (MLP). Founded in 2023, the organization has quickly established itself as an industry innovator both on and off the court. Led by one of the youngest and most dynamic player rosters in the league, the Shock competes at the highest level of professional pickleball while developing the sport's next generation through its pioneering Minor League Pickleball program. With a commitment to community engagement, player development, and entertainment excellence, the Shock is redefining the pickleball experience for fans, players, and partners alike. The team will host Marathon MLP St. Louis at Chaifetz Arena July 17-20, 2025. For more information, visit www.stlshock.com or follow @STLShockMLP on social media.