Atlantic Racquet Press  (2003-2004)

Summer & Fall 2004

Fall:

 * 2004/USTA/MS/EPD Rankings: Kudos to Brittany Ostrowski who should have been listed as #1 in Girls’ 14 Singles in the USTA Middle States 2004 Yearbook instead of being listed in the honorable mention group.  Be sure to congratulate her!

 * New Program for Inner City Kids:  Pike Tennis Association

 * Eleventh Annual Firecracker Round Robin Tournament: The Sand Island Tennis Courts in Bethlehem, PA …the place; July 5th…the date for the Eleventh Annual Firecracker Round Robin Tournament.  Art Smith, tennis Director at Sand Island, coordinated the event.   It was a great outing with good weather, good tennis and good fun!

 * Wheelchair Athletes play tennis for the “love” of the game:   In early July, 32 players zipped around the courts of Lehigh University’s Lewis Tennis Center as part of the Lehigh Valley Tennis Classic, a tournament for wheelchair-bound players.  Bob Amelio was the tournament director.  The idea for the tournament was conceived when members of the Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living Free Wheelers, a wheelchair sports club that sponsors the tournament along with Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital, noticed that a number of athletes involved with the organization were playing the sport.

 * Winners two years in a row:  Joan Starnes and Betty Krupka won the Gold Medal at the Senior Games (65’s Women’s Doubles) which were held the first week of July at Shippensburg University.  They will be heading to Pittsburg in June of next year for Nationals.  Starnes and Krupka are both from Bethlehem, PA. 

 * Scholar Athletes:  Kavi Sud of Emmaus High School and Jeylan Erman of Freedom High School in Bethlehem, PA, won this year’s District 11 Tennis Scholar Athlete Awards.  Jeylan played No. 1 singles for Freedom.  She reached District quarterfinals during each of her playing years.  Kavi was the Lehigh Valley Conference champ and he played in the state tournament.  He has a USTA ranking of 136 and a USTA/MS ranking of 2.  His high school coach said he is real focused, whether as a player on the court or in terms of academics off the court.  Congratulations to both!

 * Kidz Faire:  For the second year, USTA had a tennis booth at the Monroe County YMCA’s Kidz Faire at Shawnee Mountain.  The Faire was held June 26th and 27th.  Don Arbaugh, Joe Romano and Barb VanBuskirk, along with many volunteers manned the booth.

 * The USTA Women's Professional Circuit returned to the Lehigh Valley on June 6, 2004, when Westend Racquet Club hosted the MECCO Cup Tournament. The tournament, sponsored by MECCO Commercial Lending of the Lehigh Valley, benefits the Boys' and Girls' Clubs of Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton. The presenting sponsor for the tournament is Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

 Summer 2004

 Spring 2004 Atlantic Racquet Press

 WINNERS, WINNERS, WINNERS…Thank you to all individuals and teams who play tennis in events within EPD as well as those who represent EPD in Middle States and National Events. Kudos to all participants and congratulations to all winners!  EPD is truly fortunate to have so many tennis enthusiasts, players and winners!!!

 * The United States Tennis Association/Middle States Section/Eastern PA District Awards- The United States Tennis Association/Middle States Section/Eastern PA District’s 2003 Annual Meeting was held on Sunday, November 16th, at Moravian College, Haupert Union Building, in Bethlehem, PA.  Following the meeting, a Reception and Awards Presentation Luncheon was held.  USTA/MS/EPD 2003 Award Winners, PIAA State Winners, and the Moravian College Women’s Tennis Team---Middle Atlantic Athletic Conference 2003 Team Champions, Division III and their coach, Dawn Ketterman-Benner, were recognized.

Awards presented included:

o EPD and MS Pro of the Year- Craig Cronrath, Nesquehoning, PA 

o Club of the Year- Birchwood Racquet Club, Clark Summit, PA

o Organization of the Year- Embrace Your Dreams (Allentown/Bethlehem)

o Organization of the Year- Pike Tennis Association, Ken Baumel

o Media of the Year- Scranton Times

o Family of the Year- Dale Reppert Family, Kutztown, PA

o Volunteer of the Year- Sally Evans, Bethlehem PA

o High School Coach of the Year- Walt Cole, Pen Argyle High School

o EPD and MS College Coach of the Year- Dave Shook, Lehigh University

o PIAA State Winners:

* Christene Kansky- AA Girls Singles State Champion 2003, Crestwood High School

* Ashley Reed and Courtney Reed- AA Girls Doubles State Champions 2003, Wyomissing High School

* Wyomissing High School- AA Girls Team State Champions 2003- Sally Allen, Coach

* Ravi Pujara and Usman Zafar- AA Boys Doubles State Champions 2003, Blue Mountain High School

* Moravian Academy- AA Boys Team State Champions 2003- Tom Schoeninger, Coach

In addition, certificates of appreciation were given to EPD Board Members Sally Evans, Bruce Kisthardt, Janice Snyder, Dawn Benner and John Radzwillowicz.  Jack Monick, 2004 EPD President, presented Bob Wakiyama, out-going EPD President, with a plaque.

Bette Salmon, Middle States President, attended both the EPD Annual Meeting and the Awards Presentation Luncheon.  She congratulated all award recipients and spoke to the crowd about the goals of Middle States.

Prizes donated by USTA/MS and Fromuth Tennis were given away.

* Moravian College Women’s Tennis Team- The Moravian College women’s tennis team, the Greyhounds, won their fourth consecutive MAC title and seventh in the last eight years.  Having lost four starters from last year’s team and thirteen players from the program over the past two years, coach Dawn Benner knew it would be a tough season.  Benner credits the girls for getting themselves ready for the season by playing USTA leagues and taking lessons over the summer prior to the season.  She also credits the addition of assistant coach Sarah Tritt.  Tritt attended Southwest Texas State in San Marcos, Texas.   She is currently tennis director for the Embrace Your Dreams program, which provides tennis for underserved youngsters. 

* The USA Team Tennis Turkey Gobbler was held at Northwood Racquet & Fitness Club in Easton, PA over Thanksgiving Weekend, 2003.  Youngsters from various clubs and organizations throughout EPD participated.  Winning teams included:

3.0 Scores:

      First-Oakmont Tennis Club (49 Points)

      Second- Northwood Racquet and Fitness Club (45 points)

      Third- Pocono (35 points)

      Fourth- West End Racquet Club (33 points)

 

3.5 Scores:

      First- Oakmont Tennis Club (50 points)

      Second- Pocono (40 points)

      Third- West End (35 points)

 

All had fun… and good sportsmanship prevailed!

Thanks go to Don Potts, Bruce Kisthardt and Barb VanBuskirk for their organizational efforts.

* Tennis, a sport for a lifetime…

National Champs- The Sand Island Super Senior team, captained by Bill Marston, won the 3.5 national doubles tennis championship in Scottsdale, Arizona, November 21-23, 2003.  To qualify for the national championships, the team won the Lehigh Valley league as well as the sectional championships in Lancaster, Pa, where they competed against teams from PA, NJ and DE.  Ten teams from across the United States competed at the national tournament in Scottsdale, AZ.  The Sand Island Team defeated teams from Maryland, Michigan, New York, Colorado, and Missouri to win the championship.

Team members who competed in Arizona include:  from Bethlehem - Bill Marston, Captain, and Ray Zinas; from Easton - Joel Dean, Jules Pigliacampi and Jack Thaler; from Nazareth – Larry Walter; from Scranton – Dale Wise; and from Washington, NJ – John Keck.

* Meet the USTA/MS/EPD 2004 Officers and Committee/Chairs:

President: Jack Monick

First Vice President: Don Potts

Treasurer: Judy Neunzig

Secretary: Ellen Bishop

Regional Vice Presidents:

      Poconos: Ken Baumel

      Wilkes Barre/Scranton: Shawn Gravish

      Berks/Schuylkill: Ralph Tutlane

      Lehigh Valley: Syman Hirsch

Executive Secretary: Barb VanBuskirk

District Delegate/Past President: Bob Wakiyama

Committee/Chairs People:

      Rankings: Ralph Tutlane

      Awards: Jan Snyder

      Budget: Judy Neunzig

      Communication (email): Jack Monick

      Communication (website)- Ken Baumel

      Fundraising: TBA

      Grants: Sy Hirsch

      Area Activities: Penny Ruchno

      District Activities: TBA

      Membership: Dawn Ketterman-Benner

      Multicultural: Ellen Bishop

      Programs: TBA

      Publicity/Schedules: Loretta DeWalt

      USA Team Tennis: Bob Wakiyama

      Tournaments: Tim Haus

      Umpires: Mary Beatty

      CTA: Don Potts

      League Tennis: Judy Neunzig

* 2003 Junior Singles First Place Rankings- These young players could some day be adult champions.

Boy’s 10- Bret Lesavoy        Girl’s 10- Jessica King

Boy’s 12- Timmy McGurrin            Girl’s 12- Kristen Gensiak

Boy’s 14- Peter Cognetti            Girl’s 14- Brittany Ostrowski

Boy’s 16- PJ Marranca         Girl’s 16- Alex Sebia

Boy’s 18- Paul Frankhouser          Girl’s 18- Anne Eiskowitz

* EPD Junior Rankings 2003-

      Boys 10 Singles

      1. Bret Lesavoy

      2. Daniel Jasinski

      2. Stephen Brand

      4. Jeb Helmers

      4. Eric Perez

      6. Will Cognetti

      6. Kristi Karanxha

      Boys 12 Singles

      1. Timmy McGurrin

      2. Michael Meyer

      3. Josh Palmer

      4. Bret Lesavoy

5. Guy Lesavoy

6. Michael Kaneff

7. Alexander Marchese

8. Derek Kopen

9. Phillip Altier

9. Will Cognetti

 

    B12 Singles Honorable Mention

 Jason Alford

Bernard Appel

Shawn Bittinger

Luke Brady

Rory Corcoran

Michael DiSanto

Zachary Feldman

Alex Fratti

Matt Garbin

Sam Greene

Kai He

Jeb Helmers

Benjamin Hyers

Daniel Jasinski

Michael Kachmar

Thomas Karam

William Kenny

Jeffery Krenitsky

Devin Patel

Jimmy Saunders

Andrew Schwepfinger

 Boys 14 Singles

 1. Peter Cognetti

2. Tommy Meyer

3. Jarrett Siwiec

4. Evan Bolus

5. Jonathan Markson

6. Taggert McGurrin

7. Josh Palmer

8. Timmy McGurrin

9. Ryan Savitz

10. Christopher Finney

10. Jason Alford

10. Drew Slocum

 Boys 14 Singles Honorable Mention

 Sam Bellows

Julius Bolock

PJ Kachmar

Timothy Mathew

Jonathan Maula

Mark McNally

Andrew Newcomb

Fernando Perez

Tyler Reppert

Alex Rosen

Steven Rosen

Joshua Rosenberg

Joseph Rubin

Morten Thomsen

 

  Boys 14 Doubles

 1. Derek Kopen/Morten Thomsen

2. PJ Kachmar/Drew Slocum

3. Rory Corcoran/Michael Kachmar

 

    Boys 16 Singles

 1. PJ Marranca

2. Julius Bolock

3. Douglas Morrow

4. Tommy Meyer

5. Tyler Reppert

6. Jonathan Maula

7. Jarrett Siwiec

8. Taggart McGurrin

9. Michael Rosenzweig

10. Robe Paulson-Houser

10. Sagar Kamprath

10. Sam Bellows

10. Daniel Drago

     Boys 16 Singles Honorable Mention

 Matthew Altimare

Sam Barrer

Zack Brady

Peter Cognetti

Naveen Dasa

Peter Eyvazzadeh

Ross Feinstein

Benjamin Felten

Ariel Maidansky

Kyle Manson

Brennan Miller

Chris Minora

Austin Peters

Robbie Silverblatt

Adam Sopko

Gregory Stepniak

Jared Surnamer

     Boys 18 Singles

       1. Paul Frankhouser

       Boys 18 Singles Honorable Mention

 Matthew Altimare

Brad Hendershot

Patrick Luchowski

Peter Lutz

Jonathan Miller

Charles Morrow

Douglas Morrow

Matthew Prusack

Gentry Radwanski

Matthew Rogan

Jeffrey Rothstein

 Boys 18 Doubles

 1. PJ Marranca/Tommy Meyer

2. Patrick Luchowski/Matthew Rogan

3. Dustin Speicher/Geoff Whitley

4. Paul Frankhouser/Peter Lutz

5. Ryan Savitz/Kevin Raynes

       Girls 10 Singles

 1. Jessica King

2. Joana Karanxha

3. Courtney Ostrowski

4. Julianna Soroka

       Girls 12 Singles

 1.. Kristen Gensiak

2. Anne Cognetti

3. Cassandra Bowman

4. Jessica King

5. Brittany Catalan

6. Courtney Ostrowski

7. Ashley Abda

8. Joana Karanxha

9. Julianna Soroka

 

     Girls 12 Singles Honorable Mention

 Jessica Dzugan

Rachel Hoffman

Brijelle Hudock

Nathalie Kocon

Michelle Perez

Lauren Rhine

Julie Anne Seidel

 

     Girls 14 Singles

 

1. Kristen Gensiak

2. Anne Cognetti

3. Alexandra Nelson

4. Cassandra Bowman

5. Jessica King

 

     Girls 14 Singles Honorable Mention

 

Emily Bogart

Jessica Foux

Kaytlin Kopen

Haley Lesavoy

Brittany Ostrowski

Courtney Ostrowski

Stephanie Vidov

Martha Wood

 

      Girls 14 Doubles

 

1. Kristen Gensiak/Brittany Ostrowski

2. Cassandra Bowman/Erica Kurtzman

3. Jessica King/Courtney Ostrowski

       Girls 16 Singles

 1. Alex Sebia

2.  Brittany Ostrowski

3. Julie Gum

4. Megan Manahan

5. Lauren Abda

6. Katie Meyer

7. Catherine Stines

8. Dana Direnzo

9. Kristen Gensiak

10. Maria Farraro

       Girls 16 Singles Honorable Mention

 Lauren Andrews

Ashley Cesare

Katheri Chorpenning

Caroline Cognetti

Nicole Cruciani

Elizabeth Edwards

Julia Haney

Melissa Haney

Liz Karam

Allison Kolubinskyj

Natalie Kottke

Sherin Mathew

Kate Mickere

Alex Nelson

Courtney Reed

Tristin Reppert

Mallory Rozema

Nina Shah

Serina Stein

Kasey Struble

Kristen Struble

Stephanie Vidov

Melissa Weinstein

       Girls 18 Singles

 1. Anne Eiskowitz

2. Madeline Smith

3. Julia Ivanova

4. Ashley Wentzel

 

      Girls 18 Singles Honorable Mention

 Taryn Cappellini

Andrea Dragonette

Stephanie Gardner

Jillian Grieshaber

Jennifer Heckler

Micaela Lettrich

Heather Levine

Kerriann Lynn

Megan Manahan

Brittany Ostrowski

Elizabeth Pepe

Elizabeth Raposa

       Girls 18 Doubles

 1. Martha Blakely/Gabriela Mastromarino

2. Alex Sebia/Nina Shah

3. Ashley Reed/Courtney Reed

4. Kerrianne Lynn/Ashley Wentzel

5. Sarah Mennone/Ashley Wentzel

 * MECCO Cup Pro Tennis Players at the US Open- Ten MECCO Cup pro women’s tournament players made it to the US Open last year.  Wild Cards for the US Open Main Draw went to Angie Haynes, an 18 year old from California; Bethanie Mattek, also 18, ranked 131 in the world who played Jennifer Capriati in the first night match at the 2003 US Open; and Shenay Perry, age 19, who is ranked 164 and won two $50,000 tournaments this past summer.  Wild card entries for the Qualifying Rounds of the Open were handed to Ally Baker, from Raleigh, NC; Jessica Kirkland, a 15 year old from Ohio; Kelly McCain, a student at Duke University and friend of the Granson family from Bethlehem, who has 2 daughters who also play tennis for Duke; Jewel Peterson, a USC graduate, who stayed with Lee and Dolly Butz of Allentown while playing the MECCO Cup tournament; Kristen Schlukbir, a USTA pro circuit player with a big power game; and Shadisha Robinson.  In addition, the 2002 MECCO Champion, Tanner Cochran, also earned a slot.

 The MECCO Cup USTA Pro Circuit $25,000 Women’s Tennis Tournament was played in June in Allentown at the Westend Racquet and Fitness Club.

 The 4th MECCO CUP $25,000 Women’s Tennis Tournament, hosted by Westend Racquet Club in Allentown, PA, will be held June 6-13, 2004.  Qualifying matches will be held on Sunday and Monday, June 6th and 7th.  Main draw matches will be played beginning Tuesday June 8th and continue through Friday, June 11th.  Semi-finals will be played on Saturday, June 12th with the finals being held on Sunday, June 13th. 

 * Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day at the US Open- For the past 14 years, EPD President Bob Wakiyama has taken a group of youngsters from Schuylkill and Carbon Counties to the US Open.  This year, thanks to Middle States, 47 young tennis enthusiasts from Bob’s program received tickets to attend Kids’ Day. 

 * From Bruce Kisthardt, USA Manager-

o Also, for sites that did programs last year and want to continue this year, you must complete the site form that was mailed recently by Ben Zislis of Middle States. Return the completed form to Ben. Anyone needing a site form can contact Bruce at bkisthardt@msn.com.  

 

Spring 2003 Atlantic Racquet Press

The Eastern Pennsylvania District honored its award winners for 2002 at its annual meeting held November 24th at Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA. Those honored included: the MAC Commonwealth Conference champion Moravian College women’s tennis team, lead by head coach Dawn Benner and assisted by Sharon Lamond, the PIAA Class 3A girls champion team, the Freedom Patriots, coached by Karen Kohn, the Eastern PA District high school coach of the year, Eileen Carbone, coach of Northampton High School’s girls Konkrete Kids, Media Person of the Year, Keith Groller, Assistant Sports Editor for the Morning Call, Pro of the Year, Mo Koregarker from Northwood Racquet and Fitness Club, and Volunteer of the Year, Bruce Kisthardt.

Eileen Carbone and Mo Koregarker went on to win the USTA Middle States coach and pro of the year, respectively.

William Penn Elementary School in Bethlehem, PA, combined world geography and tennis, in an effort to encourage a love of learning as well as introducing a life long sport.

The 48 fourth and fifth grade inner city students who participated in The Davis Cup Tennis program, sponsored through USA Team Tennis, were given racquets and tennis instruction. The students were divided into teams, each representing a world Davis Cup country. Each team researched their country on the internet. They developed posters for the competitions and designed visors and team uniforms. Countries competed against each other. The final competition was held for the entire student body. The students, through competition, learned good sportsmanship as well.

William Penn teachers, Joanne Jones and Ann Brown organized and ran the program. Local tennis players from Moravian College, along with Mitch Weissbein, USTA representative, supported the program with coaching and leadership.

This program has been nominated for an Excellence in Education Award through the Colonial Alliance for Public Schools (CAPS). CAPS is a broad-based community coalition dedicated to promoting the success and value of public schools across the Intermediate Unit 20.

Kidsfest will be held on April 6, 2003 from 10 AM – 5 PM at Stabler Arena on the campus of Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. Middle States sponsors a booth to introduce area youngsters to the game of tennis. Kids have the opportunity to receive free mini-lessons from local Lehigh Valley tennis pros, who volunteer their time. A mini-tennis court is set up at the booth. Prizes donated by local clubs as well as Wilson Sports will be available for the young players to win.

The Moravian College women’s tennis team captured the Middle Atlantic Conference Championship for the third year in a row. Since 1994, Moravian has a record of 131 – 11 and has won six of the last seven Middle Atlantic Conference titles. The team includes Lehigh Valley players Jennifer Genevese, from Whitehall, and Becky Deringer, from Allentown. Jenn and Becky play No.1 and 2 singles respectively and team up to play No.1 doubles.

Jenn, who has played for the Greyhounds over the past four seasons, has a career record of 51 – 12. She has enjoyed her experience with the Moravian College tennis program so much that she’s considering coming back next year as a graduate assistant. Jenn states, "Fun is still the most important thing about playing tennis at Moravian I never expected to have as much success as we’ve had, but I knew from Day 1 that I would have fun here. We compete hard and work at it, but we still have fun. I’m going to miss it."

Dawn Benner, women’s tennis coach of Moravian College, was named Commonwealth Coach of the Year, making this the fourth year in a row she has won the award. This past season, the Moravian Greyhounds won their third straight league title and their sixth crown in seven years. Benner credits the kids for her success saying that they make her look good. When she recruits team players, she not only looks for tennis ability, but for players who are leaders and who are successful in the classroom and will be successful in life after graduation.

Bob Wakiyama, President of Eastern PA District, received a "certificate of recognition" from USTA for his summer recreational program in Schuykill County. It was signed by both Merv Heller and Dennis VanderMeer.

The Wyomissing Area High School girl’s tennis team won its third straight PIAA 2A high school championship. Wyomissing was led by PIAA state 2A singles champion Grace Blakely, PIAA 3rd place finisher Susan Pollack, and PIAA 2A doubles champions, sisters Ashley and Courtney Reed. The other starting members of the Wyomissing team include: Samantha Rothenberger, Jennie Fromuth, and Becca Rees.

In addition to the state title, Wyomissing also won its 4th consecutive league and District 3 titles. Grace Blakely won her third league and fourth district singles title. Susan Pollack was the runner-up at both the league and district singles. Grace and Susan won the county doubles championship, beating Ashley and Courtney Reed. The Reeds regrouped and went on to win the district and state doubles titles.

Amanda Granson, the youngest of 4 girls, is ranked one of the top 14-year-old players nationally. Amanda played scholastic tennis at Freedom High School this past season and along with her sister Jessie, won the District 11 doubles title and helped the Freedom Patriots win the District 11 and PIAA Class 3A team championships.

Amanda was named The Morning Call’s first girls tennis player of the year for her contributions to the team as well as her unbeaten record. According to Amanda, her older sisters, Katie and Sarah, both PIAA Champions, showed her the ropes and were a big help to her. She said, "I learned a lot from them." Amanda wants to go to college and then play on the pro tour.

Congratulations to Amanda, the Morning Call’s first girl’s tennis player of the year!

By the way, Amanda’s sister, Jessie, was named the fall scholar-athlete of tennis by The Morning Call for her efforts in leading the Freedom High School team to the PIAA 3A tennis championship.

Winter 2003 Atlantic Racquet Press  
It has been a little more than a year since I became the media liaison for EPD. Unfortunately, even though I submit all articles sent to me, because of space limitations not all get printed. I recently received good news from Judith Arnold, Editor-in-Chief of the Atlantic Racquet Press. Effective with this issue, our Middle States Section will be subsidizing the cost for each District to have a full page in the newsletter. Thank you Middle States. 
wever, I am concerned that so few people in EPD send me information about events that are occurring within our District. We have a lot happening in all areas of EPD. I am appealing to all players and organizational members. Please send me newspaper articles or notifications of tennis events that will or have taken place within our District as well as any glossy photos you may have from the event. I don't feel as if I am including events that are taking place throughout the District. I am currently brainstorming ways of gathering information from all areas of the EPD.

In closing, I want to thank all of you who have sent articles for me to submit to our publications, the Atlantic Racquet Press and the Court Reporter, and hope that you will continue to submit items to me. For those of you who have not, I solicit your help in gathering news items, especially from areas of EPD other than the Lehigh Valley area where I reside.
Your tennis media liaison, 

Loretta DeWalt
------------------------------------------------
Keystone State Games: The Keystone State Games, the largest multi-sport festival in PA, took place in the Wilkes Barre area the week of July 30. Competitions were held in 15 Olympic-Style events, including tennis. Gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded. Medallists qualified for the State Games of America, which will be held in August 2003 in Connecticut. These games are played bi-yearly and will have representatives from 40 states.
Team players from the USTA Kirby Park 4.0 team won the gold in both of the men's singles tennis divisions. Stuart Stein won the men's 45's and Bill Ziegler won the men's open. Mary Ann Nowak who plays on the USTA women's 4.0 Kirby Park team, was the silver medallist in the women's 45 singles tennis category. Mary Ann and Stuart also played mixed doubles and won the silver medal.

Berks County IAA Girls Tennis Tournament: Wyomissing's Grace Blakely defeated teammate Susan Pollack to win the BCIAA Girls Tennis Tournament. The place was the Governor Mifflin Intermediate tennis courts. Two teammates and friends were matched up to play against each other for the title. Blakely having previously won 2 BCIAA flight 1 singles titles is ranked #1 in under-18 girls singles in the Middle States Tennis Association and competes in National Tournaments as well. Pollack, a junior who lost to Blakely in last year's finals, was competitive throughout the match. Pollack said she felt she played well but made some "stupid mistakes". As of Blakely, Pollack said, "It's her senior year. It's her time to shine. I have next year."At the conclusion of the singles match, the two teammates paired up to win the BCIAA flight 1 doubles title.

Susan Pollack & Grace Blakely 

Lehigh Valley Conference Tournament: Freedom High hosted the first Lehigh Valley Conference Tournament in September. Freedom dominated the tournament winning 3 golds and 2 silvers as well as the tournament championship. Amanda and Jessica Granson won at No. 1 and No. 2 singles. Lauren Gambaccini and Jeylan Erman, also from Freedom, won the No. 2 doubles. Coming in second was Bethlehem Catholic, getting a gold at No. 3 singles from junior Mary McHugh. First year players, Sherri Bell and Serena George from Liberty High School, won at No. 3 doubles. Also winning were Northampton's No. 4 doubles team of Emily Klein and Katja Greulich. 

Athletes of the Week:The week of October 31 was when Bethlehem Catholic's Katie Muething was named Athlete of the Week by the Morning Call newspaper. Katie says tennis has become her favorite sport since she went out for the team as a freshman. At the time, she was just looking for something to do until the softball season started. Katie completed her senior season by helping the Golden Hawks team win the District 11 Class 2A title. Her team coach, George Harmanos, has been amazed by Katie's tenacity. He states, "Katie was successful in softball, but things didn't come as easily in tennis. She played right away as a freshman and just kept working at it." Muething said that because she started playing the game late, she feels she doesn't have all the weapons some other players have so she just tries to get everything back. She hopes to play college tennis.
Bekah Elliott, a senior at Freedom High School, was named Athlete of the Week on October 3 by the Morning Call newspaper. Bekah is a team captain and has played on the Patriot's team for four years. She was undefeated as a sophomore. She medalled every year in the Mountain Valley Conference and with doubles partner Aylin Erman, earned silver in the new Lehigh Valley Conference this year. Her coach, Karen Kohn, says that Bekah is very competitive and enjoys the closeness of her team. "She has also learned the importance of staying positive during tough matches," Kohn said.On September 26, the Morning Call named Becky Deringer Athlete of the Week. Becky played high school tennis for Dieruff. Now, a sophomore at Moravian College in Bethlehem, she plays No. 2 singles. She says Moravian has an awesome team with supportive coaches. Dawn Benner, the head coach at Moravian, has produced teams that have won five of the last six MAC titles and has done it by recruiting talented players from the Lehigh Valley area. Becky is studying to be an elementary teacher.
Kaitlyn Carpenter, a freshman at Allentown Central Catholic, was named Athlete of the Week on September 19 by the Morning Call newspaper. Kaitlyn began her athletic career in gymnastics. Kaitlyn feels that competing in gymnastics has made her mentally tough and thus has helped prepare her for tennis. She has only 1 loss playing at No. 1 singles, that being at the hands of Amanda Granson, also a freshman who plays for Freedom and has recently returned from a year of training at a tennis academy in Hilton Head, S.C. Kaitlyn feels she played her best against Amanda but needs better strategy to compensate for Amanda's experience. She looks forward to playing her again and wants to work hard to get better. (note: Glossy photo is in the mail)

First Lehigh Valley Conference Tennis Title: The Konkrete Kids of Northampton High School won the 1st Lehigh Valley Conference championship. The Northampton team, which completed their season with a 16 - 0 record, were underdogs. They competed against powerhouse teams such as Emmaus, Parkland and Freedom. The Konkrete Kids took on many good players and teams to win their 1st league title since 1994. "The girls deserved this. They had a terrific attitude and worked very hard", according to Eileen Carbone, who has coached the team for 29 years. She said that even though most of the girls don't take lessons, the got together several times a week during the summer prior to the start of their season. Their hard work paid off. According to Carbone, "When the current seniors were freshman, we didn't win a match the entire year. So you can see how far we've come." (note: Glossy photo is in the mail) 
District 11 Girls Singles Championships:Kaitlyn Carpenter added to her accomplishments by winning the District 11 class 2A singles tennis tournament held at the West End Racquet Club by defeating Isabel Stepniak the No.1 seeded defending champion, a senior from Moravian Academy, in 2 sets, 6-3, 6-2. Kaitlyn, a left-hander who credits her mental toughness from being a gymnast handled the pressure of the media. Kaitlyn felt she was well prepared for the District competition because of the many tough opponents, many older and more experienced, she played during her Lehigh Valley Conference season. She indicated she had been practicing hard and had a lot of support from her coach and teammates. Her team coach, Maureen McGorry said, "Kaitlyn is doing well because she is having fun."
Megan Breen, a senior from Stroudsburg, won her second consecutive singles District 11 Class 3A tennis championship by beating Blue Mountain's Amanda Bedway in 2 sets. Megan and Amanda both hit hard balls but Megan was the more consistent. Breen is the first District 11 champion from Stroudsburg.

District 11 Girls Doubles Championships: The finals of the District 11 doubles tournament were held in October at the Westend Racquet Club. Freedom High School's Jessie and Amanda Granson, following in the footsteps of their older sisters Katie and Sarah, two-time District 11 doubles champs, won the Class 3A title. Moravian Academy's Isabel Stepniak and Julie Stein won the 2A championship match. 
District 11 Girls Team Championships: George Harmanos and his Golden Hawks team won the District 11 2A team championship for the third time in five years. Harmanos said his goal this season was to win the team gold and go to states, even though Moravian Academy, the defending champs, were tough. Becahi finished its season with a 16 - 3 record, losing only to the Lehigh Valley Conference champion Northampton team, the Freedom High team and to District One's Harriton team in the first round of the state tournament. Harmanos credits his team's success to its "feisty nature", including his No.1 singles player Katie Muething who he feels is one of the best competitors he's ever coached. Despite losing Muething and the doubles team of Meredith Spirk and Megan Haney to graduation this year, he feels his team can remain a top contender in Class 2A. Harmanos, who is assisted by Lindy Morgan, has completed his 26th year of coaching the team. (note: Glossy photo is in the mail) 
PIAA Girls Team Championships: Representing District 11, the Freedom High School Patriots won the PIAA Class 3A championship, which was played at the Blair Racquet Club in Altoona. Coach Karen Kohn said that the team was loose because they were the underdogs in every match. They played relaxed because they went into the competition having no expectations. "We were thrilled just to be there", Kohn said. The title was clinched by a win over District One's Lower Merion team. The Patriot team won the gold with wins coming from Amanda Granson at No.1 singles, Jessie Granson at No.2 singles and Elliot and A. Erman at No.2 doubles. (note: Glossy photo is in the mail) 

Rookie of the Year: Laura LeVan, a Parkland High School graduate, has just completed an outstanding freshman season playing for DeSales. She was named Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom Conference Rookie of the Year and was selected to the conference's first team.Events: On Thursday, October 24, 2002, Cedar Crest College in Allentown, PA held A Celebration of Women in Sports featuring Billie Jean King. This First Annual Celebration of Women in Sports will benefit the Women's Sports Foundation, which King founded in 1974, and Cedar Crest College. The event included a session entitled Tips from the Champion for 300 students from the Lehigh Valley and their sponsors, Dinner with Billie Jean, a public presentation, Celebration of Women in Sports, featuring and honoring Billie Jean King and a Closing Reception with Billie Jean. BJ King's contributions to the women's movement have been recognized on numerous occasions. She received an honorary degree from Cedar Crest College president, Dr. Dorothy Gulbenkian Blancy.

October 18, 2002 was the date and The Sheraton Reading Hotel the place, for an evening honoring Merv Heller to benefit the Berks County Tennis Fund of Berks County Community Foundation. The evening included a silent auction, dinner and program with emcees Pam Shriver and Patrick McEnroe. Berks County Tennis Fund of Berks County Community Foundation is dedicated to improving the quality of life for children and adults through the sport of tennis.
...........


Re: Atlantic Racquet Press
From the Desk of Bruce Kisthart, -- July 02
Pat Wenger of the Philadelphia district phone me and asked for all members of EPD to send a letter to the following members of the Marketing committee in support of continuing with ARP! They should be sure to copy Anne Humes Middle States president. Please ask them to do so at our next EPD meeting.
Thanks

Marketing Committee Chair Cindy Mable 1141 Locust St, Columbia, PA.
Anne Lo Prinzi Vice chair 7 Jesse Dr. Mercerville, N.J. 08619
Barbara Long Board Liaison 11 Bellwood Dr. Langhorne, PA. 19053
Middle States President Anne Humes 28 Forester Dr. Princeton, N.J. 08540

P.S. It would be a good idea to have as many people as you can write in support of ARP. Perhaps a petition could be used to get as many names as possible in support. Everyone I have talked to agrees that Atlantic racquet press does a great job and Judy goes above and beyond to support MS. Why change?

http://www.atlanticracquetpress.com/

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