2025 Fall Brawl - St. George, Utah
Over 1,000 registered players | Perfect weather | Incredible memories
The 2025 Fall Brawl in St. George, Utah, was an unforgettable experience! With more than 1,000 registered players, the energy was high from the very first round. The tournament followed a best 2-out-of-3 format with a classic losers bracket—one game to 15 (win by two, with a come-around).
Don’t you just love a come-around?
This is what makes the Fall Brawl truly special. Just because you lose early doesn’t mean you’re out or stuck in a consolation bracket. You actually have the chance to play your way all the way back to gold—and that’s exactly what happened for some of us!
Tournament Atmosphere
Great weather made it easy to enjoy every match, whether playing or spectating.
Centrally located water stations helped everyone stay hydrated.
Morning amenities included coffee, granola bars, and fruit, which were much appreciated.
Tons of vendors and sponsor tents created a lively atmosphere.
Bathrooms were decent, though they could’ve used more frequent cleaning.
Women’s Doubles
I had the honor of playing women’s doubles with my amazing friend, Chris Why. She graciously agreed to play down in age so that I could play up in skill level with her. If you know Chris, you know she brings a calm, joyful energy and never faces a challenge without a kind word and her signature “Cheers!”
We didn’t come out on top, but the experience was golden. Chris knows people from all over the country, and having her by my side made the entire day so special.
Mixed Doubles
We started our mixed doubles journey with a tough loss—11-8, 11-9—dropping us into the losers bracket. From there, it was do-or-die: one game to 15, and a loss would send us packing.
But we didn’t quit.
With my partner Jon (pronounced "Yawn") Vrolyks, we dug deep, adjusted our game when needed, and kept each other calm and focused. We battled through match after match—playing all day and well into the night—and made it all the way back to face (and beat!) the very team that had knocked us down early. We won Gold!
That’s the magic of the come-around—lose early, win late, and still take it all. We were completely exhausted, but so proud.
Our friends were cheering us on the entire time—especially Debbie Devane, who was playing mixed 4.0 in the 60-69 division. Debbie and her partner went undefeated and also brought home Gold!
When I wasn’t playing, I was cheering Debbie on—and vice versa. That’s the kind of community this sport creates.
Community & Connections
Jon had a great group of family and friends with him, and I’d absolutely love to hang out with them again. So many others in our circle medaled as well, including Janis Thomas, Betsy Legendre, and Bev Billingsley.
We also made some wonderful new friends—like Bev’s blind date Christy Mariano and her wife Karen, who traveled from Albuquerque, NM. The ability to connect and laugh in between matches made this day even more memorable.
Final Thoughts
This tournament gets ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me!
The natural beauty of St. George, the sportsmanship, the fierce play, and the sense of community made for a week I’ll never forget.
Additionally, we mixed in a day trip to Zion national park with our group. It was so much fun! We rented ebikes and the weather was amazing!
Put this one on your list!
