Eden Prairie pickleball player earns Hall of Fame spot
Jackie Faegre will join the Minnesota Senior Sports Hall of Fame after a long run of national success.
Pat Thompson
April 23, 2026
Jackie Faegre of Eden Prairie poses with medals and a Minnesota flag at a national pickleball championship event. Faegre will be inducted into the Minnesota Senior Sports Hall of Fame on May 1.Jackie Faegre of Eden Prairie started playing pickleball 12 years ago for exercise and enjoyment. When pickleball’s popularity exploded across the United States, she rode the wave to national championships and enshrinement in the Minnesota Senior Sports Hall of Fame.
“Pickleball is my No. 1 exercise, chasing the ball around for fun and meeting socially with so many nice friends,” Faegre said.
She has booked an especially important social function on Friday, May 1. She and nine other senior athletes will be inducted into the Minnesota Senior Sports Hall of Fame at Banquets of Minnesota, 6310 Highway 65 NE, Fridley.
“Pickleball started as a way to stay active and connected,” Faegre said. “Pickleball gave me far more than I ever imagined -- friendships, competition and purpose. To be inducted into the Minnesota Senior Hall of Fame, especially among such an outstanding group of honorees, is humbling and incredibly meaningful.”
The 2026 Hall of Fame class represents a diverse group of athletes who have excelled in sports ranging from ultra-distance running to powerlifting and martial arts, to softball, baseball, pickleball and tennis, swimming, bandy, track and marathons. The five men and five women participate in 12 different sports.
Their accomplishments span local, national and international competition, displaying the spirit of lifelong athleticism.
Jerry Peterson, a 2024 Hall of Fame inductee from Plymouth and Minnetonka, nominated Faegre for this year’s induction. “Jackie is the most successful female pickleball player at the national level from Minnesota,” he said. Peterson and Faegre partnered in the World Huntsman Games in St. George, Utah, finishing as runners-up.
“She is very skilled and also a very competitive player,” Peterson said. “Consistency is the key, and she has a great understanding of racquet games to start with. Strategies involved in tennis are consistent with pickleball. You do not win on a national level without being competitive and skillful.”
Faegre’s credentials establish her as Minnesota’s most successful female pickleball player at the national level. She won all four of the biggest national tournaments multiple times, including championships at the 55, 60, 65 and 70 age divisions. She has won Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa championships.
She is also a two-time winner of the U.S. Tennis Association championships. Tennis was the sport of her youth growing up in Great Falls, Montana, and playing at the University of Montana in Missoula.
Pickleball’s national growth has pushed participation to nearly 25 million players since its introduction by three dads from the state of Washington in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, just across Puget Sound from Seattle. Future Washington lieutenant governor Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum started playing on a badminton court with ping-pong paddles and a perforated plastic ball.
And now, pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America for multiple consecutive years, with many millions of players. Minnesota, at the peak of the micro-boom, ranks fifth nationally in pickleball interest with 200% growth in just three years. Facilities like Life Time report that there are more than 250,000 players in Minnesota annually.
A resident of Eden Prairie for 26 years, Faegre moved to Minnesota when she began a career as a Northwest Airlines flight attendant and, of course, continued playing tennis at the Northwest Racquet and Swim Club before Life Time became the major athletic club in the area. Her tennis experience was vital in starting to play pickleball. “I integrated my tennis skills into pickleball, a smooth transition,” she said. “I do it for fun now.”
Faegre plays at community courts in Eden Prairie and Chanhassen.
“Although she no longer plays tournaments, Jackie still plays pickleball two hours a day,” Peterson said. “She is a lifelong athlete and role model.”
Faegre summed up her feelings, saying, “This honor really belongs to the people I’ve played with over the years — the partners, competitors, and friends who make the game so special. I’m grateful to be included with this remarkable group of Hall of Fame inductees representing so many sports.”
The other 2026 Minnesota Senior Sports Hall of Fame inductees
Elaine DeVries, 75, Eagan, marathon. Ten-time Boston Marathon finisher. Completed all seven major world marathons: Chicago, New York, Boston, Berlin, Tokyo, London and Sydney. Longtime running coach. Hiked the 500-mile Camino de Santiago in Spain and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. Active cyclist, pickleball player, tap dancer and golfer.
Brenda Dockendorf, 85, Cold Spring, powerlifting. Started power lifting at 60, setting records by 64. Holds five state power lifting records. Mother of six and grandmother of 10. Competes mostly against 20-year-olds.
Michael Koppy, 75, Hermantown, ultra running. Set the fastest known time on the 320-mile Superior Hiking Trail at 70. Oldest person to finish the Arrowhead 135-miler at 74. Holds age-class course records at 50 miles, 100K and 100 miles in races from 100 to 300 miles. Volunteer high school cross-country ski coach and fundraiser for local YWCA races. Serves on the YWCA board.
Patsy Lillehei, 82, Minneapolis, swimming. Medalist in the National Senior Games. Competes in breaststroke, butterfly, freestyle, individual medley and relays. Holds six Minnesota State Masters records. Overcame a heart attack and related surgery. Believes “motion is medicine.” Selected to carry the torch at the opening of the National Senior Games in Minnesota.
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Chris Middlebrook, 68, Minneapolis, bandy. Enshrined in the Bandy Hall of Fame for his work as a player, coach, organizer, benefactor and mentor. Known as the Godfather of U.S. Bandy. Won 14 U.S. championships as a player, appeared in 173 international matches and served as U.S. team captain for 15 years. Coached women’s and men’s national teams in world championships. President of the American Bandy Association for 18 years.
Randy Moselle, 72, Rogers, baseball. Member of the Minnesota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame and the Roy Hobbs World Series Hall of Fame. Two-time State Amateur Tournament MVP with 28 consecutive appearances. Played on Minnesota Bees Roy Hobbs World Series championship teams at 60, 65 and 70. Selected to multiple All-Star teams. Played on more than 20 national championship teams.
Betsy Murray, 56, North Oaks, track. Holds multiple Minnesota records in sprint and middle-distance events. Competes in races from 50 meters to 1,500 meters. Earned 21 Minnesota Senior Games medals, including 19 golds. Won six gold medals at one Minnesota Senior Games meet. Multiple national championships and podium finishes. Respected teammate and mentor.
Lon Stole, 76, River Falls, Wisconsin, softball. Member of the Minnesota USSSA Hall of Fame and National Senior Softball Hall of Fame. Still plays about 100 games a year in his 70s. Competes at the major and major-plus levels. Played on teams that won 20 national and world championships. Selected All-World 14 times, with MVP honors as well.
Pat Worley, 77, Minneapolis, karate and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Tenth-degree black belt and second-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Competitor, instructor, school owner and promoter. Three-time International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Masters World Champion. Multiple jiu-jitsu championships worldwide. President of Karate Championships Inc. Published Sport Karate magazine. Member of the Taekwondo Hall of Fame.
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Team Award: Mud Ducks Hockey, Cottage Grove.
Jackie Faegre will join the Minnesota Senior Sports Hall of Fame after a long run of national success.
Pat Thompson
April 23, 2026
Jackie Faegre of Eden Prairie poses with medals and a Minnesota flag at a national pickleball championship event. Faegre will be inducted into the Minnesota Senior Sports Hall of Fame on May 1.Jackie Faegre of Eden Prairie started playing pickleball 12 years ago for exercise and enjoyment. When pickleball’s popularity exploded across the United States, she rode the wave to national championships and enshrinement in the Minnesota Senior Sports Hall of Fame.
“Pickleball is my No. 1 exercise, chasing the ball around for fun and meeting socially with so many nice friends,” Faegre said.
She has booked an especially important social function on Friday, May 1. She and nine other senior athletes will be inducted into the Minnesota Senior Sports Hall of Fame at Banquets of Minnesota, 6310 Highway 65 NE, Fridley.
“Pickleball started as a way to stay active and connected,” Faegre said. “Pickleball gave me far more than I ever imagined -- friendships, competition and purpose. To be inducted into the Minnesota Senior Hall of Fame, especially among such an outstanding group of honorees, is humbling and incredibly meaningful.”
The 2026 Hall of Fame class represents a diverse group of athletes who have excelled in sports ranging from ultra-distance running to powerlifting and martial arts, to softball, baseball, pickleball and tennis, swimming, bandy, track and marathons. The five men and five women participate in 12 different sports.
Their accomplishments span local, national and international competition, displaying the spirit of lifelong athleticism.
Jerry Peterson, a 2024 Hall of Fame inductee from Plymouth and Minnetonka, nominated Faegre for this year’s induction. “Jackie is the most successful female pickleball player at the national level from Minnesota,” he said. Peterson and Faegre partnered in the World Huntsman Games in St. George, Utah, finishing as runners-up.
“She is very skilled and also a very competitive player,” Peterson said. “Consistency is the key, and she has a great understanding of racquet games to start with. Strategies involved in tennis are consistent with pickleball. You do not win on a national level without being competitive and skillful.”
Faegre’s credentials establish her as Minnesota’s most successful female pickleball player at the national level. She won all four of the biggest national tournaments multiple times, including championships at the 55, 60, 65 and 70 age divisions. She has won Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa championships.
She is also a two-time winner of the U.S. Tennis Association championships. Tennis was the sport of her youth growing up in Great Falls, Montana, and playing at the University of Montana in Missoula.
Pickleball’s national growth has pushed participation to nearly 25 million players since its introduction by three dads from the state of Washington in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, just across Puget Sound from Seattle. Future Washington lieutenant governor Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum started playing on a badminton court with ping-pong paddles and a perforated plastic ball.
And now, pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America for multiple consecutive years, with many millions of players. Minnesota, at the peak of the micro-boom, ranks fifth nationally in pickleball interest with 200% growth in just three years. Facilities like Life Time report that there are more than 250,000 players in Minnesota annually.
A resident of Eden Prairie for 26 years, Faegre moved to Minnesota when she began a career as a Northwest Airlines flight attendant and, of course, continued playing tennis at the Northwest Racquet and Swim Club before Life Time became the major athletic club in the area. Her tennis experience was vital in starting to play pickleball. “I integrated my tennis skills into pickleball, a smooth transition,” she said. “I do it for fun now.”
Faegre plays at community courts in Eden Prairie and Chanhassen.
“Although she no longer plays tournaments, Jackie still plays pickleball two hours a day,” Peterson said. “She is a lifelong athlete and role model.”
Faegre summed up her feelings, saying, “This honor really belongs to the people I’ve played with over the years — the partners, competitors, and friends who make the game so special. I’m grateful to be included with this remarkable group of Hall of Fame inductees representing so many sports.”
The other 2026 Minnesota Senior Sports Hall of Fame inductees
Elaine DeVries, 75, Eagan, marathon. Ten-time Boston Marathon finisher. Completed all seven major world marathons: Chicago, New York, Boston, Berlin, Tokyo, London and Sydney. Longtime running coach. Hiked the 500-mile Camino de Santiago in Spain and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. Active cyclist, pickleball player, tap dancer and golfer.
Brenda Dockendorf, 85, Cold Spring, powerlifting. Started power lifting at 60, setting records by 64. Holds five state power lifting records. Mother of six and grandmother of 10. Competes mostly against 20-year-olds.
Michael Koppy, 75, Hermantown, ultra running. Set the fastest known time on the 320-mile Superior Hiking Trail at 70. Oldest person to finish the Arrowhead 135-miler at 74. Holds age-class course records at 50 miles, 100K and 100 miles in races from 100 to 300 miles. Volunteer high school cross-country ski coach and fundraiser for local YWCA races. Serves on the YWCA board.
Patsy Lillehei, 82, Minneapolis, swimming. Medalist in the National Senior Games. Competes in breaststroke, butterfly, freestyle, individual medley and relays. Holds six Minnesota State Masters records. Overcame a heart attack and related surgery. Believes “motion is medicine.” Selected to carry the torch at the opening of the National Senior Games in Minnesota.
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Chris Middlebrook, 68, Minneapolis, bandy. Enshrined in the Bandy Hall of Fame for his work as a player, coach, organizer, benefactor and mentor. Known as the Godfather of U.S. Bandy. Won 14 U.S. championships as a player, appeared in 173 international matches and served as U.S. team captain for 15 years. Coached women’s and men’s national teams in world championships. President of the American Bandy Association for 18 years.
Randy Moselle, 72, Rogers, baseball. Member of the Minnesota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame and the Roy Hobbs World Series Hall of Fame. Two-time State Amateur Tournament MVP with 28 consecutive appearances. Played on Minnesota Bees Roy Hobbs World Series championship teams at 60, 65 and 70. Selected to multiple All-Star teams. Played on more than 20 national championship teams.
Betsy Murray, 56, North Oaks, track. Holds multiple Minnesota records in sprint and middle-distance events. Competes in races from 50 meters to 1,500 meters. Earned 21 Minnesota Senior Games medals, including 19 golds. Won six gold medals at one Minnesota Senior Games meet. Multiple national championships and podium finishes. Respected teammate and mentor.
Lon Stole, 76, River Falls, Wisconsin, softball. Member of the Minnesota USSSA Hall of Fame and National Senior Softball Hall of Fame. Still plays about 100 games a year in his 70s. Competes at the major and major-plus levels. Played on teams that won 20 national and world championships. Selected All-World 14 times, with MVP honors as well.
Pat Worley, 77, Minneapolis, karate and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Tenth-degree black belt and second-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Competitor, instructor, school owner and promoter. Three-time International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Masters World Champion. Multiple jiu-jitsu championships worldwide. President of Karate Championships Inc. Published Sport Karate magazine. Member of the Taekwondo Hall of Fame.
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Team Award: Mud Ducks Hockey, Cottage Grove.
Minnesota Masters Win SSUSA 2019 title
Another World Title
The Minnesota Masters 80s team won another title at the 2019 SSUSA World Masters Championships last month. Team photo above.
The team submitted the following players for all tournament honors:
Don Carruth - second leading hitter on the team with a .782 batting average. Even had extra base hits despite playing with an injury. Always a team player.
Tom Daniel - Hit well and fielded well. Ran as a courtesy runner for other players over 30 times plus running for himself.
Doc Agard - one of the leading hitters at .739 batting average. Steady in the field. Was instrumental as middle infielder on many double plays with his strong throw to first base.
Bob Lenzmeier - Another one of our strong hitters with a .727 batting average. Handled throws to first base in a way that made them look easy and routine. Best first baseman in the tournament.
Earle Anderson - Pitched eight games and only walked four batters. Held opponents to average of eight + runs per game. Batted .500. Best pitcher in the tournament.
Lowell Thompson - Leading hitter at .842 batting average - with six walks gave him an .880 on base percentage. Probably best batting stats in tournament.
MVP
Norm Setnicker - Hands down the best all around player in the tournament. One of our leading hitters with a .750 batting average. And he hit for power with almost half of his hits being for extra bases. Norm's play at shortstop was excellent. His arm is so strong that it made the difference on numerous plays at first base and at home plate. An opposing manager was in awe watching Norm.
The Minnesota Masters 80s team won another title at the 2019 SSUSA World Masters Championships last month. Team photo above.
The team submitted the following players for all tournament honors:
Don Carruth - second leading hitter on the team with a .782 batting average. Even had extra base hits despite playing with an injury. Always a team player.
Tom Daniel - Hit well and fielded well. Ran as a courtesy runner for other players over 30 times plus running for himself.
Doc Agard - one of the leading hitters at .739 batting average. Steady in the field. Was instrumental as middle infielder on many double plays with his strong throw to first base.
Bob Lenzmeier - Another one of our strong hitters with a .727 batting average. Handled throws to first base in a way that made them look easy and routine. Best first baseman in the tournament.
Earle Anderson - Pitched eight games and only walked four batters. Held opponents to average of eight + runs per game. Batted .500. Best pitcher in the tournament.
Lowell Thompson - Leading hitter at .842 batting average - with six walks gave him an .880 on base percentage. Probably best batting stats in tournament.
MVP
Norm Setnicker - Hands down the best all around player in the tournament. One of our leading hitters with a .750 batting average. And he hit for power with almost half of his hits being for extra bases. Norm's play at shortstop was excellent. His arm is so strong that it made the difference on numerous plays at first base and at home plate. An opposing manager was in awe watching Norm.
Nominate a deserving senior athlete or team for the Hall of Fame!
Click Here for the nomination form.
Click Here for the nomination form.