Van Wert man half of nat’l champion pickleball team

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

A local man and a northeast Indiana woman are officially national champions.

Neil Straley, 55, of Van Wert and Melissa Prows, 49, of Fort Wayne, won the USA Pickleball Amateur National Championship Gold Medal at the Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego, California. They claimed the title on November 22 by winning the Mixed Doubles 3.5 Level and age group 40-49 event.

USA Pickleball is the national governing body for pickleball in the United States. It’s National Championship Series consists of six regional championships held in various locations around the country.

“The National Championship Series is considered the premier event for pickleball in the United States and showcases the best amateur and pro talent,” Straley explained.

In order to be invited to nationals, a doubles team must earn a Golden Ticket. A team must come in first (gold) in a local regional. Straley and Prows won the gold in Cincinnati this past summer to advance to national competition.

“At regionals in Cincinnati we went 5-1 in six pool games to 15 points,” Straley explained. “We earned our way into single elimination tournament with top record teams. We then won two of three games to 11 in final four.  Next in the championship we won two of three.”

There were 11 teams in the duo’s bracket in San Diego.

“Double elimination but if you lost, then bronze was best possibility,” Straley stated. “We had a bye in first round, based on best UTR (Universal Tennis Rating) player ratings. We went 6-1 overall that day and we won the championship by winning two of three games. We lost the first game 9-11, then won 11-4 and 11-3 in Games 2 and 3 to win gold.”

The second place team (silver medalist) was from New York.

Straley has been playing pickleball, a sport that has rapidly boomed in popularity, for seven years while Prows has been playing over six years.

“Melissa loves that anyone can play pickleball,” Straley said. “Any age or level of experience can play and enjoy the game. She likes that it can be competitive or just for fun.”

“I love the social aspect,” he continued. “I’ve made a lot more friends. I also like that it can be ultra competitive at sanctioned tournaments with referees or playing rec and having a lot of laughs and poking fun with friends or any pickleballers.”

“I also enjoy the strategic aspect of pickleball,” he added.

Straley said he and Prows plan to play more tri-state  (Ohio/Michigan/Indiana) tournaments and also plan to play another regional in 2026 in hopes of qualifying for another national at a higher level. He said USA Pickleball has not announced where the nationals will be held yet, including what major cities will be hosting regionals.