Left to right: Tom Dawson, Jeff Dunn, Jerry Strom, Keith Ori, Bob Dunst, Bob Borengasser, Mike Mann, Leif Lindgren (photo by Jim Carlson)
Jeff Dunn
The 2025 Arizona Pickleball Players League (APPL) is made up of more than 3,000 players across the State of Arizona and is played at a variety of skill levels, from 2.5 through 4.5.
Our very own Stevie’s Wonders team, which includes nine players from Sun Lakes, earned the right to compete at the highest APPL level (4.5) after winning the State Championship last year at the 4.0 level.
Representing the IronOaks Pickleball Club are Tom Dawson, Jack Hill, Bob Borengasser, and David Zapatka who joined forces with current Cottonwood Pickleball Club members Keith Ori, Jerry Strom, Mike Mann, Leif Lindgren, and Jeff Dunn.
“Once we moved up, we knew it would be a challenge,” said Jerry Strom who is co-captain of Stevie’s Wonders. “We’ve shown that we belong in this league. Every game has been determined by only a few points.”
“We actually had some good crowds at our home matches,” said Leif Lindgren. “It was fun to see so many of our pickleball friends and families come out to support us.”
The 2026 APPL season will kick off in January. Be sure to check the APPL website for the schedule, and come out to support the team.