Tritt/Harries & Longo/Yorke

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Game, Set, Cure...:

On Sunday, March 1st, as part of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Tennis Auction Ball & Tournament, 16 Women’s and Men’s Pro-Am teams donated their time and competed for the honor of top team.  The tournament was held at Westend Racquet Swim & Fitness Club in Allentown, PA and featured players with exceptional tennis credentials such as #1 Singles Players from various colleges, an ITF International Tournament competitor, a National Grass Court Champion, an ATP Tour player, a member of the Mexican Davis Cup Team and others. The public got to enjoy a free, great day of competitive tennis, compliments of various individuals and corporations that sponsored players.  Neil Curtis served as Tournament Director.

Dawn Ketterman-Benner

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Dawn Ketterman-Benner, EPD Board Member Honored:

On February 11th, EPD Board Members hosted a luncheon at Hotel Bethlehem and presented Dawn with a silver “tennis” bracelet in recognition and thanks for her over 25 years of volunteer service on the board.  Dawn resigned from the board at the end of 2008 in order to devote more time to the many responsibilities she has both outside of and at Moravian College where she is a full professor in the physical education department and winning coach for a variety of sports, including the women’s tennis team. “Coach” Benner has built one of the strongest tennis programs in Division III with a philosophy of producing players who work hard, play fair and have fun at a sport that can be played for their entire life.  She was awarded the Middle States Coach of the Year honors in 1999-2000.

Besides serving on the EPD Board, she was chair of the Collegiate Committee of the USTA/Middle States Section.
 
Dawn expressed her heartfelt thanks for the luncheon get-together and for the very unique and personal bracelet.  “You are special friends and people with whom I have shared many years and many fond memories. I wish the EPD continued success and I only hope our paths will continue to cross.”

Grace Buerlen, Founder

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30 Years....& still swingin':

The Easton Area Tennis League (EATL), a singles recreational league for women age 19 and older, celebrates its 30th Anniversary. The league was started in July of 1979 by Grace Buerlen, Millie Polomchak and Phyllis McClure, all tennis enthusiasts who recognized the need to provide a league for women to play competitively.  The league, which began with 23 women singles players and 6 doubles teams, has grown to over 100 players from throughout the Lehigh Valley and surrounding area, competing each summer in divisions of between 10-12 players, grouped by similar ability/levels of play.

After a few years, the league founders turned over the running of the league to Theresann Macaluso and Pic Schoenek, who in turn, passed the gavel to Loretta DeWalt and Regi Kunsman.  This duo ran EATL for a decade from the mid-eighties to the mid-nineties and became “infamous” for their end-of-the-year party. Chef Loretta prepared the food; hostess Regi opened up her house for the party.  Fun “tennis-themed” games were a highlight, along with the end-of-the-year awards.  Regi and Loretta eventually passed the torch to Carol McCrea and Ann Brown.  They ran the league for another decade, bringing new ideas to the league, including holding the year-end party at Northwood Racquet and Fitness Club, thus enabling the party to include tennis.  It was also during their tenure that the EATL website was launched with the help of league player, Trish Schafer. Again, after a decade, Carol and Ann transferred the league to the capable hands of its current leaders…Trish Schafer, Deb Butz and Christine Peterson.  This trio’s  innovative ideas … on-line registration and a creatively designed website which includes current year play information, division scores, court locations, EATL history and a photo gallery, along with their dedication to the league, have keep EATL thriving.  Check it out!  Visit the EATL website at www.eatl.org.

Julie Thomases

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Embrace Your Dreams honored at the Middle States Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner:

On March 1st at the Germantown Cricket Club in Philadelphia, Embrace Your Dreams (EYD) was named the Community Tennis Association of the Year by USTA Middle States Section in recognition of the organization’s work in the Lehigh Valley. Julie Thomases, Executive Director, accepted the award for EYD which provides after-school and summer tennis instruction for youngsters in the Lehigh Valley.  She described the program as a youth development program that teaches life skills through tennis.  Five year participant of the program, Santana Velez, who is currently a member of the Allen High School tennis team, stated, “I’ve been in this program for five years and it’s the best thing that has happened to my summers.”

Split Rock Winter Classic:

The second Split Rock Winter Classic, played the weekend of January 23-25th, drew a record 61 junior tennis players from as far away as Wilmington, Delaware.  The USTA sanctioned event conducted by Split Rock’s Tennis Director, George Wolbers, took place on the Galleria’s three Deco II  hard courts. The tournament consisted of singles competition for boys and girls in the12 to18 and under age groups.  Including first round consolation rounds, 59 matches were played in the two and a half days.

The results of the eight draws were: Boy’s 12’s Zach Shaff (Allentown) def. Peter Kazmierczak (Old Forge) 7-5, 6-3; Girl’s 12’s Amanda Cyr (Doylestown) def. Tyra Ott (Easton) 7-6, 6-2; Boy’s 14’s Pravav Patel (Chester,NJ) def. Egor Ivanov (Schnecksville) 6-1,6-4; Girl’s 14’s Haley Cohen (Philadelphia) def. Krishna Patel (Chester, NJ) 7-5, 6-2; Boy’s 16’s Shane Monroe (Ventor City, NJ) def. Ryan Clancy (Freehold, NJ) 6-0, 6-1; Girl’s 16’s Morgan Oechsle (Coopersburg) def. Split Rock’s Erin McDonnell 6-1, 6-4; Boy’s 18’s Noah Joachim (Sparta, NJ) def. Michael Meyer (Bernville) 6-1, 6-1; and in Girl’s 18’s Dyuti Das (Cherry Hill, NJ) defeated Monica Pechanec (Kenilworth, NJ) 6-1, 6-2.

Split Rock’s Classic Tennis Camps for juniors offer both day and overnight options. Camps will be held June 22 – 27, July 20-25 and July 27- August 1. For more information, visit www.moveintotennis.com.