Michigan duo takes home $25,000 after winning The Kitchen Open Austin

Alex Lantz

Director of Content

Last Edited

Sep 30 2025

Winning duo got better as the day went on Sunday

The toughest match on Sunday for Romano and Mogle came in the quarterfinals, where they beat the Kansas City team of TJ Stansbury and Bret Berryman 11-8, 11-7. Romano and Mogle were down midway through both games, but turned it on late to get the win.

Romano said the break between their quarterfinal win and the semifinals allowed them to get some food and refocus for the final two rounds, and their play improved as the day went on.

They beat Chase Womack (Texas) and Austin Gridley (Utah) 11-0, 11-4 in the semifinals, then won 11-5, 11-7 in the final over Matthew Barlow and Luke Lemaitre, who currently live and train in Nebraska.

“We’ve played so many matches together and we know each other’s games really well, so we’ve seen it all and know we can win any game,” Mogle, 26, said after the win. “I felt like we were in control at the kitchen line all weekend and playing really well.”

Game 2 of the gold medal match was close throughout, with Barlow and Lemaitre taking a 6-5 lead at one point, but again Romano and Mogle were able to finish strong.

“I thought we really cleaned up our game late in Game 2 and made a good, solid push at the end, and Nick hit a couple really nice shots when we needed it,” Mogle said. “I felt like our shot making was good in both of those games, and that’s what it takes to win a big match like that against really good players.”

$25,000 grand prize will help winners chase pro aspirations

Both Romano and Mogle said after Sunday’s win that the $25,000 they won will – for the most part – be reinvested back into their pickleball careers.

They have both been competing regularly this season in PPA Tour Challenger Series events and a handful of regular PPA Tour events as well, with some decent results in qualifiers and the early Main Draw rounds.

Both are in the Top 10 in the points standings in singles and men’s doubles on the Challenger Series. In addition to the $25,000 grand prize, Romano and Mogle also earned an automatic spot in the Main Draw at the Pickleball World Championships in Dallas in November.

“To win the cash is awesome, but also the exposure is really important,” said Romano, who is the director of pickleball and tennis at Barton Hills Country Club in Ann Arbor. “Being from Michigan, it’s a little harder to get that exposure because a lot of the good players now are in Texas and Florida -- the warmer climates. So this gives us a chance and we’re hoping to keep moving up in the rankings and see where we can take this.”

The Michigan duo is planning to run it back at The Kitchen Open Atlanta at the end of October, where there will again be a $25,000 grand prize on the line for the winners of the open division. REGISTER HERE.

“This win allows us to get through the end of the year travel wise and takes care of entry fees so we can play some more tournaments and really make a run at pro pickleball,” Mogle said.