36th Annual Challenge For Hope
Tennis & Pickleball Tournament held at Pinnacle Country Club
Honorary Chairs
Julie McGrover
VP, DMM
Entertainment & Office
Sam’s Club
Joey Huerta
VP Merchandising
Bed & Bath
Walmart
Joe Thomas
VP Merchandising
Home Improvement
Walmart
Katie Smith
VP Merchandising
Adult Beverage
Walmart
Challenge for Hope: Weekend Schedule & Teams
October 2–4, 2026 | Pinnacle Country Club | Rogers, Arkansas
Play with purpose. Every player package and sponsorship supports Arkansas Crisis Center and our work to provide compassionate crisis support, suicide prevention and mental health resources across Arkansas.
Challenge for Hope: Getaways That Give Back
Find your next adventure. Help someone find connection.
Explore our silent auction and bid on getaways to Antigua, Costa Rica, Italy and more. Bidding closes Saturday, October 3, at 9:00 PM Central Time. Everyone is welcome to bid, and you do not need to attend or be present to win.
Raffle Tickets & Mulligans
Support connection and add a little extra fun to your weekend! Mulligans are $25, with a limit of one per day, per player. Prepay for raffle tickets and mulligans online, then pick up your raffle tickets and mulligan pinwheel at tournament check-in on Friday.
All times are local Central Time. Schedules are subject to change. Find your team below, then check your match and team photo times.
Weekend at a Glance
Friday, October 2
| Time | Activity | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 3:00–6:00 PM | Tournament check-in | Tennis + Pickleball | Pinnacle Country Club Tennis Shop. Pick up tournament information and swag bags. |
| 6:00–7:30 PM | Tennis clinics & drills with the pros | Drop-in clinics and drills with our Challenge for Hope tennis pros. |
Saturday, October 3
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 7:00 AM | Tennis tournament play begins. See the match schedule below. |
| 8:00 AM | First scheduled pickleball team starts. See team start times below. |
| 9:00–10:00 AM | Tennis clinic | Court 2 |
| 10:00–11:00 AM | Tennis clinic | Court 2 |
| 10:00 AM | Pickleball pro clinic |
| 11:00 AM–Noon | Target Tennis | Court 2 |
| 11:30 AM–1:00 PM | Player lunch by the pool | Tennis + Pickleball |
| Noon | Tennis pro exhibition |
| Noon | Pickleball pro exhibition featuring Rob Suski, Katie Gaines and Kaden Seward (a Matrix Club Pro) |
| 2:00–3:00 PM | Tennis clinic | Court 2 |
| 3:00 PM | Pickleball pro clinic |
| 4:00–5:00 PM | Ball Kid Clinic | Tennis Court 2 |
| 7:00 PM | VIP Cocktail Hour & Dinner | Pinnacle Country Club Clubhouse. By invitation for sponsors and invited guests, pros and supporters. |
Sunday, October 4
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 7:00 AM | Tennis tournament play begins. See the match schedule below. |
| 8:00 AM | First scheduled pickleball team starts. See team start times below. |
| 9:00–10:00 AM | Tennis clinic | Court 2 |
| 10:00–11:00 AM | Tennis clinic | Court 2 |
| 11:00 AM | Pickleball pro clinic |
| 11:00 AM–Noon | Target Tennis | Court 2 |
| 11:30 AM–1:00 PM | Player lunch by the pool | Tennis + Pickleball |
| 1:00–2:00 PM | Tennis clinic | Court 2 |
| 2:00–3:00 PM | Tennis clinic | Court 2 |
| 4:00 PM | Pickleball pro clinic |
| 4:00–5:00 PM | Ball Kid Clinic | Tennis Court 2 |
| 5:00 PM | Tennis pro exhibition featuring our celebrity tennis pros |
Tennis Match Schedule
Each tennis round is 50 minutes. The supplied schedule lists team matchups; individual player pairings and court assignments are not included. Please arrive 30 minutes prior to your match to allow time for parking, etc.
Saturday, October 3
| Time | Match |
|---|---|
| 7:00 AM | Team 10 (Luke Jensen) vs. Team 3 (Mark Chellas) |
| 8:00 AM | Team 2 (Willy Canas) vs. Team 9 (John Lloyd) |
| 9:00 AM | Team 10 (Luke Jensen) vs. Team 4 (Jerome Millet) |
| 10:00 AM | Team 5 (Ann Grossman) vs. Team 3 (Mark Chellas) |
| 11:00 AM | Team 4 (Jerome Millet) vs. Team 2 (Willy Canas) |
| 12:00 PM | Tennis pro exhibition |
| 1:00 PM | Team 7 (Denis Riabuchin) vs. Team 1 (John Doohan) |
| 2:00 PM | Team 5 (Ann Grossman) vs. Team 8 (Brenda Schultz) |
| 3:00 PM | Team 1 (John Doohan) vs. Team 6 (Cassie Cervantes) |
| 4:00 PM | Team 6 (Cassie Cervantes) vs. Team 7 (Denis Riabuchin) |
| 5:00 PM | Team 1 (John Doohan) vs. Team 2 (Willy Canas) |
Sunday, October 4
| Time | Match |
|---|---|
| 7:00 AM | Team 3 (Mark Chellas) vs. Team 4 (Jerome Millet) |
| 8:00 AM | Team 5 (Ann Grossman) vs. Team 2 (Willy Canas) |
| 9:00 AM | Team 3 (Mark Chellas) vs. Team 1 (John Doohan) |
| 10:00 AM | Team 4 (Jerome Millet) vs. Team 5 (Ann Grossman) |
| 11:00 AM | Team 8 (Brenda Schultz) vs. Team 9 (John Lloyd) |
| 12:00 PM | Team 10 (Luke Jensen) vs. Team 7 (Denis Riabuchin) |
| 1:00 PM | Team 8 (Brenda Schultz) vs. Team 6 (Cassie Cervantes) |
| 2:00 PM | Team 9 (John Lloyd) vs. Team 10 (Luke Jensen) |
| 3:00 PM | Team 8 (Brenda Schultz) vs. Team 7 (Denis Riabuchin) |
| 4:00 PM | Team 9 (John Lloyd) vs. Team 6 (Cassie Cervantes) |
| 5:00 PM | Tennis pro exhibition |
Saturday Tennis Team Photos
| Photo time | Teams |
|---|---|
| 6:45am | Team 3 & 10 |
| 7:45am | Team 2 & 9 |
| 8:45am | Team 4 |
| 9:45am | Team 5 |
| 12:50pm | Team 1 & 7 |
| 1:45pm | Team 8 |
| 2:45pm | Team 6 |
Tennis Teams
Select a team to view its captain, players and match times.
Team 1 | Captain: John Doohan
Saturday: 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM, 5:00 PM
Sunday: 9:00 AM
Players: Derrick Dohmen, Joan Cook, Julia Smith, Sharon Gunter, Michael McGill, Caroline Mejia, Jill Berta, Alberto Suarez, Callie Brannon
Team 2 | Captain: Willy Canas
Saturday: 8:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 5:00 PM
Sunday: 8:00 AM
Players: Marjorie Hanus, Soner Senlicki, Kinzie Wright, Maria Carolina Mendez Vives, Gracie Gentry, Michael Morse, Deanne Cicatiello, Alysia Treece, Jim Daniels
Team 3 | Captain: Mark Chellas
Saturday: 7:00 AM, 10:00 AM
Sunday: 7:00 AM, 9:00 AM
Players: Reid Backhouse, Susan Chronister, Maria Blunden, Todd Hanus, Laura Aguilar, Laura Schmitt, Clara Park, Mark Schmidt, Chere’ Skinner
Team 4 | Captain: Jerome Millet
Saturday: 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM
Sunday: 7:00 AM, 10:00 AM
Players: Brock Hauser, Steve Hinkebein, Darcy Wright, Jen Wheeler, Bob McKeel, Maria Abdin, Janett Rivera, Carrie Overton, David Vaughan
Team 5 | Captain: Ann Grossman
Saturday: 10:00 AM, 2:00 PM
Sunday: 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM
Players: Mike Theile, Ben Fox, Ann Theile, Alison Creasey, Kay Cashman, Joe Treece, Melissa O’Carroll, Amy Elliott, Paula Schmidt
Team 6 | Captain: Cassie Cervantes
Saturday: 3:00 PM, 4:00 PM
Sunday: 1:00 PM, 4:00 PM
Players: Ryan Rieger, Eric Bailey, Andrew Fano, Cathy Knight, Nicki Dallison, Elizabeth Hampton, Elise Reynolds, Kristine Warner, Abbi Nelson
Team 7 | Captain: Denis Riabuchin
Saturday: 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM
Sunday: 12:00 PM, 3:00 PM
Players: Peter Bailey, Jeff Greer, Thor Larsen, Jessica Fischer, Stephanie Lightle, Angel Morelos, Sally Beemsterboer, Kathryn Stark, Laura Kryzanowski
Team 8 | Captain: Brenda Schultz
Saturday: 2:00 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM
Players: Peel Chronister, Suzanne Lankford, Steve Elliott, Leah Keller, Helen Peng, Diane Young, Patrick Chen, Jodee Gore-Miller, Michelle Senlikci
Team 9 | Captain: John Lloyd
Saturday: 8:00 AM
Sunday: 11:00 AM, 2:00 PM, 4:00 PM
Players: Cooper Gommel, Casey Tauber, Jeff Tomblin, Kim Larsen, Teresa Fano, Tish Guptan, Chuck Buttry, Sarah Bright, Caren Berger
Team 10 | Captain: Luke Jensen
Saturday: 7:00 AM, 9:00 AM
Sunday: 12:00 PM, 2:00 PM
Players: Mike Stephenson, T.R. Rose, Brent Jimenez, Judy Cicatiello, Patti McGill, Amanda Byrd, Ken Sanders, Dondi Sanders, Kristin Tomblin
Pickleball Teams & First Match Times
These are the first match times for each day. Please arrive 30 minutes prior to your match to allow time for parking, etc. For more information on the full schedule, please reach out to Teri Thiele at 479-903-4851.
| Team | Saturday, October 3 | Sunday, October 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Team Challenge | 8:00 AM | 10:00 AM |
| Team Hope | 8:00 AM | 9:00 AM |
| Team Connect | 9:00 AM | 10:00 AM |
| Team Overcome | 9:00 AM | 8:00 AM |
| Team Empower | 1:00 PM | 9:00 AM |
| Team Brave | 2:00 PM | 8:00 AM |
| Team Fierce | 2:00 PM | 12:00 PM |
Team Challenge
Players: Lina Cheung, Will Fernandez, Joshua Jimenez, Laura Jo Randall, Richie Roberts, Unmi Swindall
Team Hope
Players: Angel Coenen, Bruce Dixon, Karen Leach, Alfredo Mayne-Nichols, Heather Petros, Angie Stacy
Team Connect
Players: Ryan Dainsberg, Mike Gottholm, Angie Hughes, Eva O'Neil, Efros Robinson, Emma Sebould
Team Overcome
Players: Jenny Grieser, David Petros, Abby Roberts, Nirmay Sharma, Joe Stacy, Galen Thiele
Team Empower
Players: Ty Banerjee, Connor Chronister, Travis Delker, Allen Kilgore, Mimi Sharpe, Nancee Spry
Team Brave
Players: John Coker, Cindy Farrell, Marylou Kilgore, James Murphey, Chris Sparks, YuYing Zhang
Team Fierce
Players: Randall Black, James Brown, David Dillon, Elizabeth Hampton, Constance Lents, Lisa Spry
Play with Purpose
Thank you for being part of Challenge for Hope. Together, we are helping Arkansans find connection, support and hope when they need it most.
