august 2012 - united states tennis...

AUGUST 2012

“Do you know what you are going to do for the fall league season?”

2012-13 League Restructure Information

N RTHERN EXPOSURE

That is the question we at USTA Northern keep hear-ing regarding the 2012-13 USTA League Restructure as people try to figure out what age group or groups they

are going to play. With leagues at 18 & Over, 40 & Over and 55 & Over, there are so many new opportunities for players to par-ticipate. There are also some misconceptions we keep hearing and hope to clarify today.

Q. I am 42 years old. Does that mean I can only play in the 40 & Over league?

A. Noooooooo. Not at all. The new play structure actually rewards the older player! The older you are, the more you can play. A 42-year-old can play both 18 & Over and 40 & Over, while a 60-year-old can play 18 & Over, 40 & Over and 55 & Over. The new age levels are just another way the USTA is trying to ensure fun and competitive matches. Similar to how NTRP ratings level the playing field, the new age divisions work the same way. We often hear from the 42-year-old that they do not like playing that 22-year-old whippersnapper who just graduated from college. Now with a 40 & Over league, you will not have to do that. But there is nothing that says a 42-year-old cannot play 18 & Over leagues as well. Frankly, we encourage it!

Q. Match play is going to be every week, even in the winter. How will you be able to get in all the matches? Isn’t court time going to be an issue?

A. We hope not. USTA Northern put together a task force specifically for the new league restructure. After evaluating the number of teams currently playing on each night, we found that by shifting some levels to different nights, we would be able to accommodate weekly play for everyone. We also found that we should be able to keep start times similar to what they are now.

Q. Are all the changes (3 full seasons, new age divisions) really going to work?

A. We think it will, and with it, will be a tremendous oppor-tunity for all players to play even more tennis throughout the year. We haven’t even mentioned the additions of 40 & Over Mixed Doubles and another short season of NTRP Doubles (with the ultimate prize being playing at Indian Wells during the BNP Paribas Championships). With that said, as with any change, things are fluid and will be subject to review. The task force will be meeting once again in November to monitor the progress of the new revisions. We encourage all of you to please send any feedback regarding the new league structure, good or bad, to Nancy Lundberg at [email protected]. Your feed-

back will tell us whether or not this is working and where we can make improvements!

Q. Am I reading this right ... do we only have 2 weeks to register a team?

A. With the addition of a third full season and a second short season, timing is tight and people will need to be proactive in regards to what leagues they are interested in playing. Although it only appears you have two weeks, in actual-ity, once Early-Start (Early August for Fall I) or Year-End ratings (Early December for 2013) come out, you can reg-ister your team at anytime for the 2013 season. The team deadline also means that you only have to have your team registered. It does not mean that you need to have your minimum rosters in place, but if you do not field a team after registering one, you will not receive a refund.

So what are you waiting for? Registration is open now for the 2012-13 Early Start season in the Twin Cities with team registra-tion deadline being Friday, August 24. For more questions, please contact Kelley Okerman at [email protected].

www.northern.usta.com 3

2013 League Dates, Deadlines & Days of Play LEAGUE SEASON REGISTRATION OPENS TEAM REGISTRATION PLAY SEASON DEADLINE

EARLY START: After Early Start Ratings are published Friday, August 24, 2012 October 8 - December 21, 2012

Adult 18 & Over (in early August)

Adult 40 & OverAdult 55 & OverAdult 65 & OverMixed 18 & Over

WINTER: After Year End Ratings are published Monday, December 10, 2012 January 7 - March 31, 2013

Adult 18 & Over (in early December)


SPRING: After Year End Ratings are published Friday, March 8, 2013 April 1 - May 10, 2013

NTRP Doubles (in early December)

SUMMER: After Year End Ratings are published Friday, March 29, 2013 May 13 - July 31, 2013

Adult 18 & Over (in early December)


FALL: After Year End Ratings are published Friday, July 19, 2013 August 12 - October 11, 2013

NTRP Doubles (in early December)

Mixed 40 & Over

NOTES:1. Registration Open Dates: Early Start Registation will be available as soon as the Early Start Ratings are published in early August. All other League Season Registrations will be available after publication of the Year End Ratings in early December.

2. Age: Each player shall have reached the required minimum age prior to or during the calendar year in which such player participates in his or her fi rst local league. (For ex-ample, if you turn 40 anytime during 2012, you can sign up to play 40 & Over.)

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY 7.0 & 9.0 Mixed 3.5 Men & Women - 4.0 Men & Women - 2.5 Women - 3.0 & 5.0 6.0; 8.0; 10.0 Mixed 18 & Over 18 & Over 18 & Over 18 & Over Men & Women 18 & Over 18 & Over

4.5 Men & Women - 3.0 Men & Women - 4.5 Men & Women - 40 & Over 40 & Over 18 & Over

8.0 Men & Women - 7.0 Men & Women - 3.5 Men & Women - 4.0 Men & Women 55 & Over 65 & Over 40 & Over 40 & Over

9.0 Men - 6.0 Women - 7.0 & 9.0 65 & Over 65 & Over Men & Women - 55 & Over

8.0 Men & Women - 65 & Over

NOTES:NTRP Doubles and Mixed 40 & Over - Days of Play to be determined.

Tony Larson Wins Third Straight Lipton Tea & Honey Aquatennial Title

4 mAgAzIne AUGUST 2012 N RTHERN EXPOSURE

Tony Larson (Brooklyn Park Minn.) won his third straight men’s singles title and Hannah Dake (Excelsior, Minn.) her first women’s singles titles at the 17th Annual Lipton Tea & Honey Aquatennial Tennis Classic at One Financial Plaza and Baseline

Tennis Center in Minneapolis. Larson, who has won this tournament four of the last five

years, defeated Notre Dame sophomore Wyatt McCoy (Shoreview, Minn.) 7-5, 6-4 in the finals. Dake, who is a senior at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., beat Melanie Yates (New Brighton, Minn.), who will be a fresh-man at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., 7-5, 6-3.

McCoy bounced back to win the doubles title with part-ner Juan Pablo Ramirez, who plays at the University of Minnesota. McCoy and Ramirez defeated Gopher teammates Eric Frueh and Brendan Ruddock 4-6, 7-5, 1-0 (7) for their first Aquatennial title. In women’s doubles the team of former

Nebraska All-Big 12 player Imke Reimers and former Gopher Lindsay Risebrough won their second consecutive championship with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Paulina Castillejos, who played at Kansas State, and Marina McCollom, who competed at DePaul.

Reimers also defended her mixed doubles title along with former Gopher Erik Donley. Reimers and Donley won their third straight championship with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Gopher senior Alexa Palen and former Gopher John Pratt.

With a total purse close to $6,000, the singles win-ners took home $600 and the doubles champions $500.

The two-week tournament also featured appear-ances by the Aquatennial Queen and ambassadors, a 10 and Under tournament won by Taylor Gill, and free giveaways including bottles of Lipton Tea & Honey each day of the tournament.

The 2012 tournament was supported by Title Sponsor: Lipton Tea & Honey; Champion Sponsors: Canadian Pacific; Dorsey & Whitney LLP, Hempel, Implex, Life Time Fitness, Sport Court North and USTA Northern; Advantage Sponsors: University of Minnesota Baseline Tennis Center, Erbert & Gerbert’s, Take Care Chiropractic & Wellness, Twin City Tennis Camps and K&B Document Technologies. This was an official associated event of the Minneapolis Aquatennial.

“This was the best Aquatennial Tournament yet,” tournament director Lisa Mushett said. “We had the most players in history and our best field yet. We also had tremendous support from our tournament sponsors, the downtown business community and the media. We are already looking forward to the 18th Annual event.”

Starting from left; Dan Nabedrick, Dr. Ryan Olson, Steve Hartwig, Chuck Schwalbe, Dusty Boyer, Eric Spotke, Denise Marti, John Erickson, Steve Champlin, Brenda Rivera, Ted Bodiker, David Laugen

Hannah Dake won her first women’s singles title.

Tony Larson won his third straight men’s singles title.

Kristi Bushinski (952-358-3280)Junior and Officials Programming Assistant [email protected]

Pat Colbert (952-358-3283)Assistant Executive Director/Director of Junior [email protected]

Chris Dummermuth (605-496-1612)Tennis Service Representative – South [email protected]

Jean Forbes (952-358-3292)Junior Teams [email protected]

Mike Goldammer (952-358-3284)Executive [email protected]

Cory Haugen (952-887-5001, ext. 0)Administrative [email protected]

Hayley Horning Shibley (701-306-8997)Tennis Service Representative – North [email protected]

Brandon Jackson (952-358-3291)Director of Junior [email protected]

Nancy Lundberg (952-358-3286)Director of Adult [email protected]

Lisa Mushett (952-358-3282)Director of Marketing and [email protected]

Christine Nickels (952-358-3290)Director of Community [email protected]

Kelley Okerman (952-358-3287)Adult Competition Specialist/Twin Cities Area League [email protected]

James Poehler (952-358-3281)[email protected]

Sandy Smith (952-358-3288)Director of Membership & [email protected]

Tony Stingley (952-358-3289)Director of Training and [email protected]

Carol Thies (952-358-3285)Adult Competition [email protected]

1001 West 98th Street, Suite 101Bloomington, MN 55431

(952) 887-5001 • (800) 536-6982Fax: (952) 887-5061

STAFF DIRECTORY

Volunteering with USTA Northern - Is it in You?


You may know that USTA Northern is one of 17 sections that comprise the USTA. You may also know that our mission is to “promote and develop the growth of tennis.”

And many of you probably know that the day-to-day operations of the organization are run by an administrative staff; 16 of them to be exact. However, did you know that USTA Northern is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization that relies heavily on volunteers to grow the game?

USTA Northern has a volunteer board of directors who is responsible for the fiscal and operational health of the organiza-tion. The board is a diverse group of 18 tennis advocates from around the Section who are committed to the mission and believe that tennis makes a difference in people’s lives. Many of the vol-unteers serving on the board of directors have spent significant volunteer time in their respective tennis communities and have also volunteered for many years with USTA Northern on various councils and committees.

The benefits of volunteering are countless. You can learn or develop a new skill. You can enhance the community you live in or a program/initiative you care deeply about. Volunteering can be motivating by providing a sense of achievement. Thorough volun-teering, you can find new interests and hobbies. You can meet a diverse range of people, and much, much more. Volunteering can bring so much joy and reward to one’s life.

If you are reading this article, tennis is probably an important part of your life. If this is true, and you have an interest in making a stron-ger impact for the benefit of the game and the people who play it, I would encourage you to consider volunteering for USTA Northern.

USTA Northern has six councils and 13 committees that oversee the majority of our priority programs and services. Service terms are two years and candidates are welcome from all geographical areas of the Section (Minnesota, North and South Dakota and

Northwestern Wisconsin). The primary roles of a council and committee member include:

1. Recommending ideas, thoughts and changes to Council/Committee Chair and Staff Liaison on any new or existing pro-grams, services or initiatives the Council/Committee oversee.

2. Review, monitor and evaluate those programs and activi-ties connected to Council/Committee duties to ensure the Council/Committee and Staff Liaison meet its goals.

3. Work together with volunteers and staff in the spirit of coop-eration and teamwork.

Our current two-year term finishes at the conclusion of 2012, and we are actively encouraging our members to apply for the 2013-2104 term. More details about the councils and committees and their charge are available at www.northern.usta.com. The deadline to apply is October 1, 2012. If you are currently serving on a committee, you must reapply by October 1 to be considered once again.

USTA Northern prides itself on providing the best possible ser-vices to our members. We can only do this with the help from our volunteer base. Working together, volunteers and staff, we can and will continue to impact lives through this wonderful game. Many thanks to those of you who have given of your time and talents to volunteer; whether it be in your local community or for the Section. Your efforts and dedication are truly appreciated!

See you on the courts,

Mike Goldammer

USTA Northern Councils and CommitteesTo learn more about an individual committee, please visit www.northern.usta.com.

AdulT Tennis CounCil – To advise and support staff and volunteers at all levels with promoting and expanding adult tennis programming which include innovative play formats and opportunities, adult/senior tournaments and usTA leagues.

• Adult Tournament Play Committee • Adult Tournament Grievance sub-Committee• leagues Committee • leagues Grievance sub-Committee• league & Adult Tournament Grievance Appeals sub-Committee• Twin Cities league Committee

CommuniTy develoPmenT CounCil – To advise and support staff and volunteers at all levels with promoting and expanding community development initiatives which include community programming initiatives, CTAs and nJTls, and section grants.

• CTA/nJTl Committee • Grants Committee

diversiTy And inClusion CounCil – To advise and support staff and volunteers

at all levels with promoting and expanding diversity as an integral part in all facets of our organization as well as tennis programs throughout the section.

Junior Tennis CounCil – To advise and support staff and volunteers at all levels with promoting and expanding junior tennis programming which include Player development, Jr. Team Tennis and Tennis on Campus programming.

• Jr. Team Tennis Committee • Player development Committee • Tennis on Campus Committee

membershiP CounCil – To recommend, support and assist the section in its efforts to increase membership, both individual and organizational, to retain existing members and to add value to member benefits.

offiCiAls CounCil – To advise and support staff and volunteers at all levels with promoting and expanding our officials initiatives which include assignments, recruitment, evaluation and training.

• disciplinary Committee • disciplinary Appeals Committee

Congratulations Spring High School Tournament Winners

6 mAgAzIne AUGUST 2012

MinnesotaDusty Boyer of Forest Lake became

the first male player in Minnesota State Tournament history to win four straight Class AA singles titles, while Myles Tang of Breck won his second consecutive state championship at the 2012 Minnesota Boys State High School Tennis Tournament in Minneapolis. Luke Elifson and Martin Beck of Minneapolis South won the AA doubles crown, while Rochester Lourdes’ Robert Turlington and Brian Utz won the Class A title.

Boyer completed his run to history with a convincing 6-4, 6-2 over Scott Elsass of Eden Prairie in the finals. Tang marched through the Class A draw, losing only 10 games the whole tour-nament. In the finals, Tang defeated Connor Oberle of Holy Family Catholic 6-3, 6-2.

Elison and Beck took home their first state championship with a 6-1, 7-5 win over Forest Lake’s Toby Boyer and Zachary Decker. In the Class A championship, Turlington and Utz beat Tucker Sjoblad and Andrew Engel of Breck 6-2, 6-3.

Elk River won the Class AA title, while Breck squeaked by to win the Class A team title. Elk River defeated Wayzata, 5-2, in the finals. Eagan finished third and Rochester Mayo won the consolation championship.

Breck defeated Rochester Lourdes, 4-3, in the Class A finals. Blake won the third-place match and Thief River Falls won the consolation finals.

North DakotaGrand Forks Red River won its 11th straight team cham-

pionship, while Karen Moe of Fargo South became the first non-Red River girl since 1998 to win the singles championship at the 2012 North Dakota Girls State High School Championships at Courts Plus in Fargo, N.D. The Red River doubles team of Lalanghi Marasinghe and Cindy Lim won the doubles crown.

Red River won the team title 3-2 over Bismarck St. Mary’s, as they clinched the title early by winning the No. 2 singles position and the No. 1 and No. 2 doubles spots. Winners for Red River were Mimi Yunker at #2 singles, Marasinghe and Lim at #1 doubles and Alexis Caoili and Paige Reiling at #2 doubles.

In singles, Moe became only the second girl from Fargo to win a state singles title when she defeated Caitlin Bakke of Bismarck St. Mary’s 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. Marasinghe and Lim won the all-Red River final defeating Samantha Anderson and her sister, Maddie, 6-3, 6-1. Samantha Anderson was named the outstanding senior player.

South DakotaSioux Falls Wash-

ington won the team title at the 2012 Boys South Dakota State High School Tournament in Rapid City, S.D. Washington was first with 713 points, fol-lowed by Sioux Falls O’Gorman with 565.5 and Watertown with 488. Washington won six of nine flight championships as South Dakota declares champions in six singles flights and three doubles divisions.

Washington’s Conner Tieszen won his first South Dakota Flight 1 singles championships over Anthony Rauschenbach of O’Gorman. Rauschenbach answered back though as he and partner Tommy Entwistle won the Flight 1 doubles crown over Tieszen and Dobby O’Donnell. Other winners included:

SINGLESFlight 1: Conner Tieszen (Washington) def. Anthony Rauschenbach (O’Gorman) 6-4, 6-2Flight 2: Tommy Entwistle (O’Gorman) def. Chuck Tang (RC Stevens) 6-1, 6-1Flight 3: Tanner Heiser (Watertown) def. Scott Miller (Washington) 6-2, 2-6, 6-4Flight 4: Mark Schroeder (Washington) def. Mark DeSpeigler (Watertown) 6-4, 6-4Flight 5: Luke Haffeman (Washington) def. Dan Shultz (SF Lincoln) 6-1, 6-2Flight 6: Nate Ackert (Washington) def. Sam Ellison (O’Gorman) 6-0, 6-1

DOUBLESFlight 1: Entwistle/Rauschenbach def. Tieszen/Dobby O’Donnell 6-3, 4-6, 6-2Flight 2: Miller/Haffeman def. Brian Billion/Lukas Lederer (O’Gorman) 6-4, 6-1Flight 3: Schroeder/Dylan Zastrow def. Tony Wever/Michael Nicholas (Huron) 6-1, 6-2

WisconsinEau Claire Memorial advanced the 2012 Wisconsin State

High School Tournament in Madison, where it fell in the semi-finals to eventual finalist Homestead 6-1. Individuals from Memorial, Baldwin-Woodinville and Altoona also represented the Northern Section at the state tournament.

Dusty Boyer is the only person in Minnesota history to win four state singles titles.

Sioux Falls Washington won South Dakota Team title.

N RTHERN EXPOSURE


Congratulations to the winners at the 2012 USTA Northern Junior Section Championships at Baseline Tennis Center in Minneapolis (Girls) and Lakeville South High School (Boys) in Lakeville, Minn. The winners automatically qualify for Zonal, Intersectional or National tournaments throughout the United States.

2012 USTA Northern Girls Junior Section ChampionsSINGLESGirls 18s: Jessie Aney (Rochester, Minn.) d. Alexis Nelson (St. Paul, Minn.) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4Girls 16s: Summer Brills (Minneapolis, Minn.) d. Patty Zhao (Maple Grove, Minn.) 6-3, 6-2.Girls 14s: Sophia Reddy (Eden Prairie, Minn.) d. Hayley Haakenstad (Chanhassen, Minn.) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4Girls 12s: Olivia Paradise (St. Paul, Minn.) d. Taylor Jackson (Lakeville, Minn.) 6-1, 6-2

DOUBLESGirls 18s: Sierra Halverson (Burtrum, Minn.)/Caroline Ward (Edina, Minn.) d. Aney/Nelson 8-5Girls 16s: Kylie Boyer (Rochester, Minn.)/Haakenstad d. Sonya Das (Arden Hills, Minn.)/Zhao 8-5Girls 14s: Natalie Lorentz (St. Louis Park, Minn.)/Reddy d. Savanna Crowell (Savage, Minn.)/Taylor Jackson (Minneapolis, Minn.) 8-3Girls 12s: Taylor Kopfer (Edina, Minn.)/Paradise d. Lainey Axell (Plymouth, Minn.)/Margaux Boyer (Edina, Minn.) 8-3

2012 USTA Northern Boys Junior Section ChampionsSINGLESBoys 18s: Erik Nordahl (Eden Prairie, Minn.) d. Elliott Sprecher (Cadott, Wis.) 6-0, 6-4Boys 16s: Charlie Adams (Wayzata, Minn.) d. Maxwell Olson (Edina, Minn.) 6-3, 6-4Boys 14s: Nick Beaty (Wayzata, Minn.) d. Jake Kuhlman (Grand Forks, N.D.) 6-3, 6-4Boys 12s: Sebastian Vile (Rochester, Minn.) d. Davis Lawley (Fargo, N.D.) 6-0, 6-1

DOUBLESBoys 18s: Nordahl/Sprecher d. Thomas Nath (Rochester, Minn.)/Myles Tang (Minneapolis) 8-0Boys 16s: Zach Ekstein (Eagan, Minn.)/Jesse Sprinkel (Minneapolis, Minn.) d. Olson/Joey Richards (Eden Prairie, Minn.) 8-5Boys 14s: Jackson Allen (Shakopee, Minn.)/Beaty d. Jason Howard (Rochester, Minn.)/Mark Johnson (Hudson, Wis.) 8-4Boys 12s: Lawley/Maxim Zagrebelny (Eagan, Minn.) d. Nick Aney (Rochester, Minn.)/Paul McCallie (Burnsville, Minn.) 8-3

2012 Junior Section Champions

Congratulations JTT Section Champions


Fred Wells Wins Both 14s and 18s Advanced Titles

The Fred Wells Tennis and Education Center won both the 14s and 18s Advanced Championships at the 2012 USTA Northern Jr. Team Tennis Section Championships

at the Baseline Tennis Center in Minneapolis.The Fred Wells 18s defeated Life Time Fitness — Fridley

in the finals, 39-27, while the 14s also defeated Fridley, 35-31, for the title. Members of the winning Fred Wells’ 18s team are Erika Williams, Helen Klass-Warch, Jessa Richards, Jesse Sprinkel, Joey Richards, Kelly Jen-Ai Reger, Lacey Sprinkel, Luke Elifson, Maalik Konop-Defreitas, Madeline Buxton, Martin Beck, Sunny Tang, Tacy Lay, Ulrick Boyogueno, Vonnick Boyogueno and Zach Eckstein. The head coach is

Brandon Heath. Players on the 14U Champions are Anshul Bharath, Cason Hiers, Chloe Ann Hall, Haley Lickfold, Hayley Haakenstad, Jordan Schenck, Loic Boyogueno, Luke Moorhead, Mark Thomas Johnson and Taylor Jackson. Heath and Clay Sollenberger were the coaches.

In the 18s, Life Time Fitness — White Bear was third after defeating Sioux Empire Fitness. Fargo-Moorhead won the consolation championship and Brainerd was the Silver Flight winner.

In the 14s, Team Rafa defeated Sioux Empire Fitness for third place, while Shakopee won the consolation championship and Danny Wilson Tennis Academy was the Silver Flight winner.

18’S ADVANCED TEAM: (L to R) — FRONT ROW: Tacy Lay, Maalik Konop-DeFreitas, Madeline Buxton, Kelly Reger, Sunny Tang. MIDDLE ROW: Lacey Sprinkel, Vonnick Boyogueno, Zach Ekstein, Helen Klass-Warch. BACK ROW: Coach Brandon

Heath, Luke Elifson, Jesse Sprinkel, Ulrick Boyogueno, Martin Beck.

14’S ADVANCED TEAM: (L to R) — FRONT ROW: Chloe Hall, Anshul Bharath, Luke Moorhead, Taylor Jackson, Hayley Haakenstad. BACK ROW: Jordan Schenck, Loic Boyogueno, Mark Johnson, Cason Hiers, Haley Lickfold (Coach Clay Sollenberger).

Congratulations to the following players who received Sportsmanship Awards at the 2012 JTT Championships

Girls 18s Intermediate Winner Laura McGuigan

Boys 14s Advanced Winner Raghu Inturi

18 Advanced Sportsmanship Winner Guthrie Coughlin

N RTHERN EXPOSURE


14s and 18s Intermediate TitlesThe Chaska/Chanhassen Sky Knights and Eau Claire won

the 18 and 14 Intermediate titles, respectively, at the 2012 USTA Northern Jr. Team Tennis Section Championships at Baseline Tennis Center.

Chaska/Chanhassen, coached by Jim Mason, defeated Life Time Fitness – Oakdale in the championship 37-27. Members of the winning team include Alex Sarkis, Anna Gasperlin, Brooke Lapinski, Jack Braaten, Jaylen Schrader, Julia Galler, Kevin Lungay, Laura Taylor, Lydia Passolt, Mark Meier, Megan Huggett, Ryan Auer and Ryan Ormson.

Eau Claire won the 14s title, defeating Wayzata Country

Club in the finals 32-14. Head coach Matt Sem’s team includes Cassandra Barr, Christian Theyerl, Devon Bourget, Isabel McDaniel, Jospeh Delmastro, Luke Nihawan, Sean Bochman and Sohil Brahmbhatt.

Life Time Fitness Fridley Green was third in the 18s, while Fridley White won the consolation title. Sioux Empire Fitness claimed the Silver Flight.

In 14s, the Greater Minnesota String Symphony was third. Life Time Fitness – White Bear was the Consolation champion and Hastings took home the Silver Division title.

12s Advanced and Intermediate TitlesLife Time Fitness — Bloomington South won the Advanced

title and Longview Tennis Club in Duluth the Intermediate championship at the 2012 USTA Northern Jr. Team Tennis 12s Section Championships at Baseline Tennis Center.

Life Time – Bloomington South won its round-robin flight with 111 total-games won. Sioux Empire Fitness was second with 98 total games. Members of the winning team were Britta Iverson, Christina Lu, Ellen Puzak, Garrett Springer,

Hunter Roseth, Nisal Liyanage and Rachel Wheaton. Spencer Jones served as the coach.

Longview defeated Sioux Empire Fitness in the 12 Intermediate finals 25-18. Members of the winning team were Aili Hietala, Annabelle Humphreys, Ethan Hietala, Luke Hietala, Nolan Humphreys, Nore Heinitz, Sahen Rai, Shay Callaway and Spencer Bubacz. Patrick Greehan was the coach. Life Time Fitness – White Bear was third, defeating Brainerd.

12’S INTERMEDIATE TEAM: (L to R) — FRONT ROW: Shay Callaway, Annabelle Humphreys, Nore Hienitz, Aili Hietala. BACK ROW: Patrick Greehan, E.J. Hietala,

Sahen Rai, Luke Hietala, Spencer Bubacz. MISSING: Nolan Humphreys.

14’S INTERMEDIATE TEAM: (L to R) — FRONT ROW: Sean Bochman, Sohil Brahmbhatt, Isabel McDaniel, Joseph Delmastro. BACK ROW: Luke Nijhawan,

Cassandra Barr, Devon Bourget COACHES: Matt Boughton, Matt Sem.

18’S INTERMEDIATE TEAM: (L to R) — FRONT ROW: Laura Taylor, Lydia Passolt, Julia Galler and Kevin Lungay. MIDDLE ROW: Alex Sarkis, Brooke Lapinski, Anna Gasperlin, Jack Braaten and Ryan Ormson. BACK ROW: Ryan Auer,

Jaylen Schrader and Coach Jim Mason.

12’S ADVANCED TEAM: (L to R) — FRONT ROW BOYS: Hunter Roseth, Nisal Liyange, Garrett Springer. BACK ROW GIRLS: Christina Liu, Rachel Wheaton,

Britta Iverson, Spencer Jones (coach), Ellie Puzak.

18U Advanced Girl: Rachel Schneider (Shakopee Avengers)18U Advanced Boy: Guthrie Coughlin (Brainerd Lakes Area Aces)14U Advanced Girl: Olivia Keelin (Fargo Moorhead)14U Advanced Boy: Raghu Inturi (Shakopee Corsairs)12U Advanced Boy: Graham Leonard (Sioux Empire Falls Chase

Our Ace)

18U Intermediate Girl: Laura McGuigan (Fargo/Moorhead)18U Intermediate Boy: Joseph Olsen (Eagan White Stars)14U Intermediate Girl: Marissa Swenson (Mankato Diamonds)14U Intermediate Boy: Andrew Jeyachandran (Bloomington South)12U Intermediate Girl: Shay Callaway (Longview Shipmates)12U Intermediate Boy: Andy Hedburg (AV Alley Gators)


Donkena & Smith-Dennis NCAA Division III FinalistsAmrik Donkena (Richester,

Minn.) and Mya Smith-Dennis (Savage, Minn.), both of Gustavus Adolphus, earned finalist hon-ors at the 2012 NCAA Division III Doubles Championships in Cary, N.C. Donkena and Smith-Dennis lost to Luis Rattenhuber and Austin Chafetz of Amherst 6-4, 5-7, 3-6 in the champion-ship match. Donkena and Smith-Dennis earned All-America honors and finished the season with an 31-5 record.

Amy Haugen and Christian Miguel Cortinas Win Tennis & Life Family Contests

Congratulations to Amy Haugen (Excelsior, Minn.) and Christian Miguel Cortinas (Brandon, S.D.) as they were the winner of the 2012 Family Tennis & Life Camp Mother’s Day and Father’s Day Contests, respectively. Amy and her son, Joseph, and Christian Miguel and his father, Christian, attended camp in July.

USTA Northern Announces 2012 Northern Stars Participants

Congratulations to the following junior players who have been selected as part of the 2012 Northern Stars High Performance Tennis Program: Cooper Anderson (White Bear Lake, Minn.), Anna Beaty (Wayzata, Minn.); Regan Dolezal (Woodbury, Minn.), Lauren Ferg (St. Paul, Minn.), Caleb Fridinger (Woodbury, Minn.), Monterey Knewtson (Fargo, N.D.), Emily Norman (Rochester, Minn.), Samantha Nichols (St. Paul, Minn.), Tanner Parr (Edina, Minn.), Ryne Reger (Minneapolis, Minn.), Matteus Schmidt (Sioux Falls, S.D.), Madeline Suk (Hopkins, Minn.) and Kevin Turlington (Rochester, Minn.).

Dan James Showered With Multiple AwardsCongratulations to Dan James (Oakdale, Minn.) who was

named the USOC Paralympic Coach of the Year for Tennis and the ITF Wheelchair Coach of the Year. James helped Americans achieve outstanding results in 2011 as David Wagner won the quad titles at both the Australian and US Opens, and also won the US Open doubles title with Nick Taylor. Additionally, he coached Mackenzie Soldan, Emmy Kaiser, Jon Rydberg and Steve Welch to gold medals at the 2011 Parapan American Games. In addition to his coaching duties, James serves as an ambassador for wheelchair tennis, helping develop programs throughout Africa and Central America, and spends countless hours partici-pating in camps, clinics and other growth of the game programs. James was also named head coach of the U.S. Paralympic Tennis Team that will compete in London August 29-September 9, with the tennis competition schedule for September 1-8 at Eton Manor in Olympic Park.

Rochester Regional Training Center Participants

Congratulations to the 24 junior players selected to participate in the second USTA Northern Regional Training Center at the Rochester Athletic Club in Rochester, Minn.

Mya Smith-Dennis and Amrik Donkena

Son Christian Miguel wrote about his dad Christian to win the Father’s Day Contest.

24 junior players participated in the second USTA Northern Regional Training Center in Rochester, Minn.

N RTHERN EXPOSURE


This camp was for kids born between 2002-04 and includ-ed: Zoe Adkins (Maple Grove, Minn.), Aashish Bharath (Rosemount, Minn.), Sujit Chepuri (Minneapolis, Minn.), Matthew Fullerton (Edina, Minn.), Taylor Gill (Wayzata, Minn.), Hunter Heck (New Brighton, Minn.), Tomas Jay (Edina, Minn.), Nisal Liyanage (Eagan, Minn.), Joe Mairs (Edina, Minn.), Matias Maule (Wayzata, Minn.), Julietta Mazzoldi (Prior Lake, Minn.), Yasser Mohiuddin (Medina, Minn.), Reegan Mullaney (Edina, Minn.), Clare Palen (Rochester, Minn.), Ryne Reger (Minneapolis, Minn.), Alec Sargent (Rochester, Minn.), Nicole Snezhko (Plymouth, Minn.), Garrett Springer (Lakeville, Minn.); Michael Tang (Rapid City, S.D.), Josefina Trella (Eden Prairie, Minn.), Alex Von TerschPohrer (Minneapolis, Minn.), Kevin Turlington

(Rochester, Minn.), Gavin Young (Apple Valley, Minn.) and Karin Young (Apple Valley, Minn.).

Dan James and Jon Rydberg Lead World Team Cup To Seventh-Place Finish

Dan James (Oakdale, Minn.) and Jon Rydberg (St. Paul, Minn.) represented the United States at the 2012 BNP Paribas World Team Cup May 21-27 in Seoul, Korea Republic. The U.S. team, coached by James, placed seventh in Men’s World Group I and remains in World Group I into 2013. Rydberg finished 3-4 in the tournament and is expected to be named the U.S. Paralympic Team.

US Open Qualifying Tournament

Congratulations to Eric Frueh and Jessie Aney, both of Rochester, Minn., who won the mixed doubles champion-ships at the USTA Northern Section Qualifying Tournament at Baseline Tennis Center. They will represent the Section at the 2012 US Open National Qualifier August 22-25 in New Haven, Conn.

Aney, who is 14 years old, and Frueh, a sophomore at the University of Minnesota, defeated Aaron Johnson and Amber Washington, both of St. Paul, 5-7, 6-1, 10-3 in the finals.

“Once we got down, it became crunch time and we had to step up and get into the moment. We knew we had to get ahead early in the tiebreak. Whenever it is a set and a tiebreaker, you cannot take anything for granted.” Frueh said.

In the women’s finals, 15-year-old Nyla Beenk (LeClaire, Iowa) won a three-set thriller against 13-year-old Alexis Nelson (St. Paul, Minn.) 2-6, 6-1, 6-4.

“The third time was the charm,” Beenk said. “It was a tough match and I got behind early. I just tried to play my game and I started to serve better in the second set.”

Evan Song (Henderson, Nev.) beat Wyatt McCoy (Shoreview, Minn.) in the men’s final 6-1, 7-6 (6). After easily winning the first set, Song fell behind 3-0 in the second set before fighting his way back into the match. The two stayed on serve for the remainder of the match, forcing a tiebreaker. Song fought off three set-points before win-ning the tiebreaker 8-6.

“My dad had put together a good game plan and I played well in the first set, but then Wyatt picked up his game,” Song said. “He is such a consistent player and I was trying to end the points early. The longer the rallies with Wyatt, the harder it is to beat him.”

The singles winners advance to the US Open National Qualifying Tournament August 17-21 in New Haven, Conn.

Eric Frueh and Jessie Aney


Pro Happenings by Bruce gullikson

Tennis is a great sport and can teach us many life lessons – both good and bad. One of the best lessons one

can learn is how to be a good sport, and not just because it is the right thing to do.

“You cannot be serious… chalk flew up… it was clearly in… this is the pits of the world.”

Who said the aforementioned rant? Most people – even non tennis players – know the answer is John McEnroe. Who was his opponent? The answer is Tom Gullikson. In the short attention span and sound-bite society we live in, often times bad behavior can be glamorized or justified. I know I have heard people justify their own poor behavior by say-ing McEnroe played better when he lost his temper - this is the perception, but is it reality?

McEnroe’s most notable matches were against Bjorn Borg, and if you watch them, amazingly, he doesn’t lose his temper. He focuses on the task at hand because he had a great deal of respect for Borg and knew he couldn’t afford to lose focus. If McEnroe truly did play better when he got angry, why did he blow a two sets to love and a service break lead in the third to Ivan Lendl in their 1984 French Open final? The answer is, it cost him a chance at a Grand Slam and will haunt him forever.

Does being a good sport simply mean not getting angry? The answer is definitely no. One area that has gotten out of control is the question of “Are you sure?” If you think about it, you are basi-cally asking your opponent if they are cheating. This questions is used so often that t-shirts are being made with this motto. I am all for free enterprise, but is this really the lesson we want our play-ers to learn? Other than intimidating our opponent, or alienating them, what purpose does that question serve?

Do line calls beat you? Or is it your reaction to a line call that beats you? The second is much more likely. Minnesota Vikings coaching legend Bud Grant said never put yourself in a position

for the officials to decide a game. Tennis players could learn from this lesson, What is the most frequent statement when someone thinks their opponent missed a call? That ball was on the line. What player in the history of tennis is good enough to hit the line anytime they want? None. It is funny how non-ATP and WTA players feel like they hit the line so frequently. Maybe we should give us more margin for error when we play. This seems to work well for Nadal, Djokovic and Federer.

You might be saying enough of the sermon already. Everyone knows they are supposed to be a good sport, but the will to win is greater. Wanting to win is precisely why you should strive to be a great sport. Federer is widely known to have the best sportsmanship of any player, and as world No. 1, he could prob-ably be a bit arrogant. Instead, he is known as the nicest player in the game. Look at the long list of tennis champions and you will see that the vast majority were noted for their sportsmanship. Sampras, Laver, Nadal, Evert, Edberg, Graf - the list goes on and on as these champions were winners not only with their rackets, but with their behavior.

Elliot Teltscher, a former world ranked top-10 player, asked the question what is the opposite of winning? Most people thought the answer was a no-brainer. However, Teltscher said the opposite of winning is not competing. How many times do you see when someone loses in the first round, they mysteriously become ill and do not play in the backdraw?

Have you ever had the experience of someone telling you how poorly they played after the match? Many times, this is what comes from the winner’s or loser’s mouth. Be grateful for win-ning, as you played good enough to win, and thank your opponent for the match. Consequently, when you lose, be a gracious loser. Even if you did not play well, your opponent took advantage of your errors and won the match. You do not have to play the best, you just need to play better than your opponent that day.

Compete hard and fair and you will always be a winner.

Five Receive USTA Serves ScholarshipsCongratulations to the following USTA Northern juniors who were awarded scholarships from USTA Serves, the National

Charitable Foundation of the United States Tennis Association (USTA). Robert Rasmussen (Hutchinson, Minn.) won the $10,000 Rosalind Walter Scholarship, while Alex Anderson (Aitkin, Minn.), David Bergstrom (Grand Marais, Minn.), and Trent Meinke (Sioux Falls, S.D.) received $8,000 College Education Scholarships and Kimmy Mrozek (Swanville, Minn.) earned a $1,000 College Textbook Scholarship. Overall, the USTA awarded 59 high school students a variety of college scholarships, totaling more than $410,000. Robert Rasmussen Kimmy MrozekTrent MeinkeDavid BergstromAlex Anderson

N RTHERN EXPOSURE


Tennis RocksOver 100 kids participated in Tennis Rocks! The Play Day May

19 at Augsburg College in Minneapolis. Thirty-six 36-foot courts were set up on the football field at Augsburg and kids of all ages and ability levels were able to play tennis with over 60 of the kids being new players. Each kid received a t-shirt, a transition ball and a free USTA membership.

SmashZoneSmashZone, USTA’s mobile unit promoting 10 and Under

Tennis, made its only Northern Section appearance on Sunday June 3, at Grand Old Day in St. Paul. This FREE event was set up in the parking lot of the Wildwerscheid Funeral Home and offered two rally courts and a semitrailer with interactive activi-ties and video games.

Tennis Rocks and Smash zone


Student: Hey JB – I don’t feel much like hitting today. My girlfriend broke up with me.

J.B.: Sorry to hear that, Junior. I sup-pose you could take the day off. You could go home to your room, close the blinds, play Xbox and tell your parents you’re not hungry for dinner. You could probably do that for a few days before your parents call the shrink. But first, lemme tell you a story about Andre Agassi.

Student: I get dumped, and you’re gonna sit there and tell me another Agassi story?

J.B.: In the Winter of 1999, he and Brooke Shields got divorced. He had been in the midst of a major comeback, but the divorce threw him into a funk. He got ejected from the San Jose tournament for verbally abusing a line official, and he wanted to skip clay season and the French Open.

Student: Who’s Brooke Shields?

J.B.: Google her later, Junior. What matters is that Agassi’s coach, Brad Gilbert, wouldn’t have it. He said: “This is going to be a great year. This is the best thing that’s ever happened to your tennis.” Andre, of course, was miserable, and didn’t understand. “You’re rid of all that drama,” he said. “Instead of lying around, feeling your pain, let’s go put some pain in your opponents.”

Student: So what happened?

J.B.: B.G. was right. Andre went to Paris and won the French Open for the first and only time in his career. Then he made the finals of Wimbledon. Then he won the US Open and finished 1999 ranked No. 1 in the world. Then he won the Australian to start 2000. Four straight majors finals, three wins. At age 29, Agassi had the best stretch of his career—of just about anyone’s career, actually.

Student: Whoa. That’s crazy.

J.B.: Not as crazy as you think, Junior. Competitive tennis is an odd pursuit, and it can mess with your head, but it can do won-ders for it, too. Another one of Agassi’s advisors told him that his mind had been “a swamp—stagnant, fetid, seeping in every direction,” and that it was time for it be “like a river—raging,

channeled and pure.”

Student: Yeah, mine is definitely a swamp right now, dude. But what do I about it?

J.B.: I’ll tell you what you’re gonna do about it. You’re gonna grab those sticks, lace up and step on the court with me, Junior. It’s just gonna be you, me, the ball, and 78 feet of hard court. You’re gonna put work in. You’re gonna work your body. Work your game. Work your mind. You’re gonna take all that chaos in your head and funnel it into the space between these white lines. Then you’re gonna get out of bed and do it again tomorrow, and the day after that and the day after that. Then you’re going to step out into the void and

compete, just you and your guts against the odds, your rivals, and the world. You’re going to dig deep, stare down those demons, and see what it’s in that little heart of yours. Then you’re going to wake up, two months from now, and you’re going to wonder why we ever had this conversation.

Student: Are you being serious or messing with me? I can never tell, JB.

J.B.: I know it sounds a little ridiculous right now, but when you bear down and zero in on that ball, things simplify. The good comes into focus, and exes, the old scores, the dramas, they all fade into the background. Out here, things start to make sense.

Student: Now you’re going to tell me that tennis is, like, a metaphor for life, right coach?

J.B.: It’s not life, Junior—just a slightly better version of it.

Student: So did Brooke ever try to get back with Agassi after he started winning everything?

J.B.: She came to see him before the ‘99 Wimbledon final

Student: And?

J.B.: He was already dating Steffi Graf.

Student: I’ll be there in half an hour, Coach.

Hey J.B.I DOn’T’ FeeL LIKe PRACTICIng TODAY

N RTHERN EXPOSURE


Nominations Open For USTA Northern Annual Awards

Know of a special individual or organization that should be honored for all they have given to the sport of tennis. Now is your chance to recognize and thank them for their great work. Nominations are being accepted for the 2012 USTA Northern Awards including:

•AlbertTeeterAdultSportsmanshipAward•FamilyoftheYear•FrankVoigtProoftheYear•JackDowAdultDevelopmentAward•JerryNoyceJuniorSportsmanshipAward•BobLarsonMediaExcellenceAward•MemberOrganizationoftheYearAward•WardC.BurtonJuniorDevelopmentAward•Wolfenson/RatnerCommunityServiceAward

For a complete awards packet including a nomination form, descriptions of each award and past winners, visit www.north-ern.usta.com. For more information, contact Lisa Mushett at [email protected] or at (952) 358-3282.

Nomination deadline is September 14 and the winners will be honored at luncheon on November 17 as part of the USTA Northern Community Tennis Workshop.

SAVE THE DATE: USTA Northern Community Tennis Workshop/Annual Meeting November 16-17

The USTA Northern Community Tennis Workshop, Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet is scheduled for November 16-17 at the Fred Wells Tennis and Education Center. Visit www.northern.usta.com for more information as it becomes available. Also that weekend is the Third Annual Eric Butorac Minnesota Tennis Challenge at Life Time Athletic Eden Prairie. To order tickets, visit www.ebmntc.com.

Six Attend NJTL Leadership Camp in MinneapolisThe USTA announced that Lizzie Casey, Ntomong Brandon

Lee, Lindsey Miller, Miranda Lamb and Carissa Morrison from St. Paul, Minn., and Nicholas LaPoint from Eau Claire, Wis., were included in a group of 36 student-athletes from around the nation selected to attend the 28th Annual USTA/NJTL Tennis Leadership Camp July 16-22 in Minneapolis, July 16-22. The camp was for youth ages 12-14 who participate in National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network chapters nationwide.

This year’s camp was held on the campus of the University of Minnesota and included a tour of Target Field; leadership meetings with USTA Northern Executive Director Mike

Goldammer, United States Paralympian Jon Rydberg and St. Paul City Councilman Melvin Carter III, a volunteer event with Books for Africa and a scavenger hunt at the Mall of America.

Baseline Tennis Center To Host Paralympic Pre-CampThe Baseline Tennis Center played host to the pre-camp

August 5-8 for the 2012 United States Paralympic Tennis Team. All nine members of the team came to Minneapolis for the four-day camp which was the primary training camp prior to leaving for the 2012 Paralympic Games September 1-8 in London. U.S. head coach Dan James (St. Paul, Minn.) and Paralympic team member Jon Rydberg (St. Paul, Minn.) were both in attendance.

St. Paul Urban Tennis Receives USTA Serves GrantUSTA Serves, the

National Charitable Foundation of the United States Tennis Association, award-ed St. Paul Urban Tennis in St. Paul, Minn., a grant worth $12,500 for its ten-nis and educational programming. USTA Serves has awarded more than $400,000 in grants to 44 community tennis and education organizations during its 2012 spring funding cycle.

Get More Kids on Your Courts— Host an Event For Worldwide Day of Play!

Host a USTA Free Tennis Play Day in celebration of Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day of Play any day from September 1–October 6. Be part of the excitement and bring new players to your courts by hosting an event. As a host, your event will be featured in a search-able database on YouthTennis.com. Also, receive customizable mar-keting materials to promote your event! For more information, or to

register you event, visit www.Youthtennis.com/host_events/?InitiativeCode=WWDP2012&linkidentifier=_emailsection2.

Community Tennis Update

august 2012 - united states tennis...

Documents