Of USTA Serves Scholarships - Amazon S3 09 tennis life.pdfSportsmanship Award, Bob Larson Media...

Section Has Six Winners Of USTA Serves Scholarships

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USTA Northern junior members Jamie Golden (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.), Gabrielle Kachena (Yankton, S.D.),

Lisandra Scheevel (St. Cloud, Minn.) and Justin Westad (Minneapolis) all received College Education Awards worth $6,000, while Bridget Doyle (Mendota Heights, Minn.) was given a College Textbook Award of $1,000 and Camille Warren (Minneapolis) earned a $500 Player Incentive Award from USTA Serves – Foundation for Academics. Character. Excellence. Overall, USTA Serves granted 71 high school students nationwide a variety of scholarships totaling $379,000 this spring.

USTA Serves is the philanthropic and charitable entity of the United States Tennis Association. An objective of USTA Serves is to encourage children to pursue their goals and highest dreams by succeeding in school and becoming responsible citizens. Each year, USTA Serves awards scholarships

to deserving youth who have participated in USTA and other organized youth tennis programs, have demonstrated high aca-demic achievement and a financial need for college matriculation.

The College Education Award rewards high school seniors who have excelled aca-demically, demonstrated community ser-vice and participated in an organized tennis program. A member of the Show Choir, Honors Choir and Spartan Choir, Golden is also a voice for children, serving in the Feed My Starving Children program. She is captain of her high school tennis, basketball and softball teams; recipient of the Triple “A” Award for athletics, academics and art; and a Girl Scouts Gold Award winner. With her eyes on an eventual teaching position, she’ll be an education major at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minn.

Kachena plays three musical instruments and competes in two sports including ten-nis. She is a member of several clubs, serves

on the United Way Advisory Board, participates in many church activities and community service fundraising projects and holds a part-time job. Her school’s 2007 Athlete of the Year and 2009 Women in Sports Award winner, she will study nursing at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Whether it’s serving as editor of her school yearbook, partici-pating in band and choir, or captaining the tennis team, Scheevel is a high-profile student-athlete. She has a 4.03 grade point aver-age in advanced and AP classes and participates in USTA Jr. Team Tennis and USTA tournaments. She has also taught tennis in local programs. The National Honor Society member is planning to major in biology at Bethel College.

Westad received the Outstanding Academic Achievement Award for Athletes and compiled a 3.5 GPA in advanced courses for four consecutive years. In addition to a mission trip to Brazil, he took part in the Lasallian Ministry through the Christian Brothers Conference and was a tennis center volunteer. He plans to attend De Paul University in Chicago.

Doyle won a College Textbook Award given to 12 people nationally. It is a one-time award assisting students in purchas-ing textbooks or supplies. She will attend Carleton College in Northfield, Minn.

Warren received a Player Incentive Grant which is a one-time, nonrenewable grant of $500 that can be used for tournament entry fees, indoor/winter lessons, summer tennis programs, and/or fees for participation in USTA and other tennis organization programs. Awards are given to students that have the potential to play high school varsity tennis or that are currently on a varsity team. w w w . a d v a n t a g e t e n n i s a c a d e m y . c o m

E l e v a t e y o u r g a m e .

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Know an individual or an organization that is outstanding in what it does for the game of tennis? Now is your chance

to recognize those individuals or organiza-tions. Nominations are being accepted for the 2009 USTA Northern Annual Awards. Deadline is September 15, 2009.

Nominations are being accepted for the following awards including the Albert Teeter Adult Sportsmanship Award, Family of the Year, Frank Voigt Pro of the Year, Jack Dow Adult Development Award, Jerry Noyce Junior Sportsmanship Award, Bob Larson Media Excellence Award, Member Organization of the Year Award, Rocky Rockwell Grassroots Official Award, Ward C. Burton Junior Development Award and the Wolfenson/Ratner Community Service Award.

The Annual Awards dinner is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 21, at Minnesota Valley Country Club in Bloomington, Minn., from 6-9 p.m. Tickets are $40 per person.

To learn more about each award or to download a nomination form, please visit www.northern.usta.com. For more information, or to order tickets, please contact Lisa Mushett at (952) 358-3282 or at [email protected].

NominateDeserving Individuals For USTA Northern Awards

Three Selected For NJTL National Leadership Camp

Junior players Todd Biederman (Maple Grove, Minn.), Courtney McDonald (Roseville, Minn.) and Sam Selvig (Apple Valley, Minn.) represented USTA Northern at the National

Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) Leadership Camp July 21-27 in Denver, Colo.The Tennis Leadership Camp was developed in 1984, providing an educational and moti-

vational tennis experience for NJTL participants who could not otherwise afford such an opportunity. The week-long session emphasizes character and leadership development, good sportsmanship, physical fitness, proper nutrition and other healthy attitudes.

Biederman has participated in Jr. Team Tennis through Maple Grove Parks and Recreation, while playing on his junior high school team. He also participates in clinics and camps offered through the Maple Grove Crimson Tennis Association. In addition to tennis, he plays bas-ketball and soccer.

McDonald is part of the Girls Squad program at the Fred Wells Tennis & Education Center in St. Paul and participates in the St. Paul Urban Tennis program year round. She also plays USTA tournaments at the Challenger 2 level.

Selvig has been a member of the NJTL chapter of Cedar Isle Estates the past three years, participating in Regional Rallies. He also is involved in an after-school tennis program and plays USTA Jr. Team Tennis. An avid athlete, he participates in baseball, golf and skiing and is a musician.

Dale Collette won the Adult Sportsmanship Award in 2008.

Sam Selvig and coach Patty Mraz.

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

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

Kristi Bushinski (952-358-3280)Adult and Junior Tennis [email protected] Buysse (952-358-3290)Community Tennis Assistant/Jr. Team Tennis [email protected] Cantellano (952-358-3291)Community Development [email protected] Colbert (952-358-3283)Assistant Executive Director and Junior Competition [email protected] Egart (952-358-3292)Corporate and Collegiate Tennis [email protected] Goldammer (952-358-3284)Executive [email protected] Haugen (952-887-5001, ext. 110)Administrative [email protected] Johnson (952-358-3285)Adult Competition [email protected] Lundberg (952-358-3286)Community Tennis Assistant/Adult Tournament [email protected] Mushett (952-358-3282)Director of Marketing and [email protected] Okerman (952-887-5001, ext. 110)Administrative [email protected] Poehler (952-358-3281)Administration [email protected] Horning Shibley (952-358-3295)Tennis Service [email protected] Shute (952-358-3287)Twin Cities Area League [email protected] Smith (952-358-3288)Director of Membership and [email protected] Stingley (952-358-3289)Diversity [email protected]

STAFF DIRECTORY

18 TennisLife magazine SepTember 200 9

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

Christine Buysse (952-358-3290)Junior Teams [email protected]

Becky Cantellano (952-358-3291)Director of Tennis Programs and [email protected]

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

Jean Forbes (952-358-3297)Junior Teams [email protected]

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

Cory Haugen (952-887-5001, ext. 110)Administrative [email protected]

Hayley Horning Shibley (952-358-3295)Tennis Service Representative – North [email protected]

Kara Johnson (952-358-3285)Director of Adult [email protected]

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

Nancy Lundberg (952-358-3286)Community Development [email protected]

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

Kelley Okerman (952-887-5001, ext. 110)Administrative [email protected]

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

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

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

Six Selected To USTA Northern Hall of Fame


Congratulations to Joan Baker (Excelsior, Minn.), Tom Fridinger (White Bear Lake, Minn.), Sue Gregor (Wayzata, Minn.), Ginger Helgeson-Nielsen (formerly of Edina, Minn., and now a resi-

dent of Alpine, Calif.), John King (St. Paul, Minn.) and Dick Riley (Edina, Minn.), who make up the 2009 USTA Northern Hall of Fame Class. These six honorees join an elite list of 86 other members who are part of the USTA Northern Hall of Fame located at the Fred Wells Tennis & Education Center in St. Paul, Minn.

The 2009 Hall of Fame Induction ceremony is October 2, 2009, at Minnesota Valley Country Club in Bloomington, Minn. Tickets for the event are $60 and available by contacting Lisa Mushett at (952) 358-3282 or at [email protected].

The 2009 USTA Northern Hall of Fame Class

JoaN Baker – Baker is a long-time player and tennis volunteer on both a local and national level. She currently serves as the Chair of the USTA National Nominating Committee, which is the highest honor one can hold, as this commit-tee determines the USTA National President and Chairman of the Board, as well as the remaining Board of Directors. She is the first person from USTA Northern to ever hold this position.

She has a long-standing history volunteering within USTA Northern serving as Chair of the Junior Tennis Council from 1997-2000. She also was a member of the USTA Northern Board of Directors dur-ing that time, before serving as Treasurer in 2001-02, President in 2003-04 and Section Delegate in 2005-06.

As a player, she was ranked No. 1 in women’s 35 singles in 1983 and No. 2 in the Section in both 1982 and 1986. She has played women’s daytime league and USTA League Tennis, advancing to Nationals 14 times in her career. She also was a member of the USTA Northern Intersectional Team several times.

Baker was the winner of the Albert Teeter Adult Sportsmanship Award in 1997, and has won the President’s Award three different times under three different Presidents. She is the only person in the Section to receive the honor on three different occasions.

Supported by her husband, Rich, Baker’s daughter, Elizabeth, won the USTA Northern Junior Sportsmanship Award in 1990, and her daughter, Tara, won the Minnesota State High School Doubles Championship in 1990, after finishing second in 1989.

Tom FridiNger – Introduced to tennis in his teen years by his father and brother, and without formal lessons, Fridinger developed his highly unorthodox ping-pong-derived strokes through-out his junior and college years in Virginia. He played tennis at William & Mary and was the Southern Conference Champion at #1 doubles and #4 singles as a senior.

Fridinger resumed play in his 30s when he

moved to Minnesota after taking a job with 3M, helping build the 3M Tennis League from 50 members in 1968 to over 300 players in the mid 1970s. He soon began playing USTA Northern age-group tournaments. In 1981, at the age of 40, he won his first Sectional title with long-time doubles partner Ron Baukol in the 35s. Between 1985 and 2008, Fridinger won 34 Northern Section Championships and was ranked #1 in his age group 17 times in combined singles and doubles. He also was the winner of the Albert Teeter Adult Sportsmanship Award in 1986.

Fridinger won the men’s National Public Parks doubles title in 45s in 1985 and 50s in 1992. He has also played USTA League Tennis since its inception and traveled on an estimated 15 teams to assorted National Championships.

Tennis has always been a family affair for Fridinger with his favorite practice partner – his wife Ellen – and his sons Bruce and Steve. He won the 1987 Equitable Family Tennis Challenge Regional Championship with Steve in Chicago and then played at Flushing Meadows during the US Open. He has also played in over 10 national Senior Father-Son tournaments with Steve, achieving a national ranking as high as #3 in 2003.

A long-time supporter of InnerCity Tennis and St. Paul Urban Tennis, Fridinger has been a summer and after-school volunteer for SPUT over the years and now serves on its Board of Directors.

Sue gregor – Gregor is also a long-time player and volunteer on both a Sectional and National level, but it is junior tennis that is at the root of Gregor’s passion. In 1991, Gregor devel-oped the Interregional Tournament Program which formed junior exchanges with teams from Wisconsin, Iowa and Nebraska. These exchanges have expanded over the years to the prestigious Zonals and Intersectionals tournament for junior

players.Now, Gregor is the Chair of the USTA National Jr. Team Tennis

Committee and has held that position the last three years. Over the past 13 years, Gregor has served on a number of USTA National Committees including Junior Competition, Schools, Membership and Junior Recreation.

Locally, Gregor is the Chair of the USTA Northern Awards Committee, serving in that capacity since 2006. She is also a member of the USTA Northern Grants and Jr. Team Tennis Committees. She was Chair of the Junior Tennis Council from 1992-96 and a member of the USTA Northern Board of Directors from 1994-96. She then served as Secretary of the Section from 1997-98, Treasurer from 1999-2000, President from 2001-02 and Section Delegate from 2003-04.

She also is a long-time player of USTA League Tennis and Women’s Daytime League and also volunteers her time on the local level offer-ing free tennis lessons for neighborhood children in Wayzata. She has dedicated many hours to USTA Northern Special Olympics efforts, and in 1992, was given the Ward C. Burton Junior Development Award.

Her husband, Ilja, is also an active tennis player and currently serves as the Vice Chair of the USTA National Information Technology Committee. She has three sons, Kyle, Karl and Clark, two of whom

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play tennis. They were the winners of the USTA Northern Family of the Year Award in 1996.

giNger HeLgeSoN-NieLSeN – Helgeson (now Nielsen) is perhaps the greatest women’s tennis player to ever come out of Minnesota. Originally from St. Cloud, until she moved to Edina after seventh grade, Helgeson was the first-ever winner of three consecutive Minnesota state singles championships at Edina High School. Coached by her brother, Brace, through-out juniors and high school, she was ranked #1

in USTA Northern at all age levels and finished fifth at the Girls 18s National Grass Court Championships.

She was a four-year letterwinner at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif., and a three-time All-American. She finished her senior season ranked No. 4 in the nation in singles and reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA singles tournament as both a junior and senior. She finished her playing days as Pepperdine’s all-time leader in career winning percentage (.837) and #2 in career wins with 77. She was inducted into the Pepperdine Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008.

After her collegiate career, Helgeson played professionally for several years, including appearances at all four of the Grand Slams. She was ranked as high as #5 in the United States and #29 in the world in 1994, and won her only WTA tournament that year – the Auckland Pro Championship. In 1994, she also reached the round of 16 at both the Australian Open with a win over Anke Huber and the US Open, defeating Wimbledon singles champion Conchita Martinez. She also advanced to the quarterfinals in doubles at the French Open and Wimbledon and in mixed doubles at the US Open. In her career, she defeated a number of popular players including Monica Seles, Martina Navratilova, Mary Jo Fernandez and Anna Kournikova, among others.

She is married to Todd Nielsen and is a part-time tennis teaching professional. She also has two children, Garret (9) and Trent (6).

JoHN kiNg – King has been a longtime ten-nis contributor both on and off the court. For over 50 years, King has competed at the highest level in the Section, achieving a Section ranking of some kind annually over the past 45 years. As a junior player, he was ranked No. 6 in singles and No. 3 in doubles in 1960. As a collegiate player, he finished as MIAC Conference runner-up twice while attending St. Thomas. In 1972,

he achieved his first #1 ranking with Ric Yates in men’s doubles. He won a Section championship in mixed doubles in 1973, and start-ing in 1991, King either won a Section championship or was ranked No. 1 in his age group six of the next nine years. He has also played on a number of USTA League Tennis teams that have advanced to National Championships, winning the adult 5.5 title.

It is perhaps what he has done off the court that is even more impressive. From 1970 to 2006, King developed urban youth ten-nis programs in the Twin Cities. In 1970, King joined fellow Hall of Famer Jack Thommen and Bob Speed as one of the founders of the Minneapolis Urban Tennis Program, now called InnerCity Tennis. He left that program in 1989 and started the St. Paul Urban Tennis Program, serving as its Executive Director from 1991-2006. There, he teamed with Hall of Famer Fred King, building that program from 125 youth at three sites to over 3,000 youth at 30 sites. The St. Paul program was recognized by the USTA as one the top 15 neighbor-hood park tennis programs in the country in 2000.

King has served as an inner city tennis coach, teacher and USPTA Pro 1 for over 35 years and has developed scholarship and men-tor programs for the kids who participated. King coached at both Minneapolis North and South High Schools during his 30-year teaching career. He was a teaching pro at the St. Paul Tennis Club and Town & Country Club, working with fellow Hall of Famer Bucky Olson. King was also a pro at North Oaks Tennis Club, Southview, St. Paul Indoor and the Como and Lilydale indoor facilities.

He was the recipient of the Ward Burton Junior Development Award in 1993, and was honored with the NPTA Community Service Award in 2003. In May of 2009, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Northern Division of the USPTA.

diCk riLey – Riley has been an active tennis player and volunteer in USTA Northern since moving to the Twin Cities 40 years ago. He has dedicated more than 35 years of service to both USTA Northern and USTA National in a wide variety of roles. He has more than 21 years on the USTA Northern Board, serving as the Section Delegate, President, Treasurer and Board Member during that time. He has also

served on or chaired many national USTA committees and is cur-rently on the national USTA Olympic Committee. In 2002, he served as the Acting Executive Director of USTA Northern until the organi-zation filled the position in 2003.

In 1980, Riley was the Section’s first chair of USTA League Tennis (known then as the Michelob Light Adult Tennis League), a position he held for 14 years. He built the league from the ground up grow-ing the league from 100 participants in 1980 to over 1,800 players three years later. Now, more than 10,000 players now participate on a yearly basis.

Riley dedicated more than 15 years as President of Friends of Tennis, Inc. - the 501c3 arm of USTA Northern - and is currently the Vice Chair of that non-profit organization, recently renamed the Northern Tennis Foundation. He also currently serves on the St. Paul Urban Tennis Board of Directors, is a member of the University of Minnesota Baseline Tennis Club, and is on the tennis committee at Interlachen Country Club.

In 1983, Riley was the recipient of the Midwest Hero of the Year Award presented by Tennis Midwest. In the mid 80s, one of his many important contributions as President of the Section was instituting the Junior Sportsmanship Award. In 1989, he shared the USTA Northern Tennis Person of the Decade Award with Steven Champlin. In 1998, and again in 2004, he received the USTA Northern President’s Award.

With his wife, Carolyn, and children, Kate and Scott, the Rileys were named the USTA Northern Family of the Year in 1995, and went on to win the 1996 National Ralph W. Westcott USTA Family of the Year Award. Carolyn is also an active volunteer with the USTA and is currently Chair of the national USTA Awards Committee. Kate played basketball for the University of Illinois and Scott won both the 1992 Minnesota state high school team and individual doubles tennis championships.

Riley won the Iowa state high school doubles championship in 1960, was a three-year letterwinner at the University of Iowa from 1961-64, and was ranked in the Section in singles, doubles and mixed doubles from 1978-80. In 1979, he and partner Annalee Hansen won both the Lipton Iced Tea Mixed Doubles Regional Championship and the National Public Parks Junior Veteran Mixed Doubles title. He achieved a #1 section ranking in men’s 35 doubles with partner Chuck Mikkelson in 1980.


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Congratulations To 2009 Junior Sectional Winners

2009 Summer National TournamentsJuLy 11-1716 Intersectionals - Shreveport, La. 3 girls/boys will be endorsed by the section to attend

JuLy 19-2612 Girls Clay Courts – Boca Raton, Fla. 12 Boys Clay Courts – Greensboro, N.C.14 Girls Clay Courts – Plantation, Fla.14 Boys Clay Courts – Fort Lauderdale, Fla.16 Girls Clay Courts – Virginia Beach, Va.16 Boys Clay Courts – Delray Beach, Fla.18 Girls Clay Courts – Memphis, Tenn.18 Boys Clay Courts – Delray Beach, Fla.2 boys/girls will be endorsed by the section to attend

JuLy 29-auguST 212 Zonals – Omaha, Neb.14 Zonals – Virginia Beach, Va.16 Zonals – Waco, Texas12 girls/boys are endorsed by the section to attend

JuLy 31-auguST 418 Boys National Team Championships – Urbana, Ill. 6 boys will be endorsed by the section to attend

auguST 3-8 18 Girls National Team Championships – Novato, Calif. 6 girls will be endorsed by the section to attend

auguST 5-8Billie Jean King World Team Tennis Junior Nationals – San Diego, Calif. 3 girls/boys, total, ages from 18s will be selected by the section to attend

auguST 8-16 12 Girls Hard Courts – Alpharetta, Ga.12 Boys Hard Courts – North Little Rock, Ark.14 Girls Hard Courts – Peachtree City, Ga.14 Boys Hard Courts – San Antonio, Texas16 Girls Hard Courts – San Diego, Calif.16 Boys Hard Courts – Kalamazoo, Mich.18 Girls Hard Courts – Berkeley, Calif.18 Boys Hard Courts – Kalamazoo, Mich.2 boys/girls will be endorsed by the section to attend


Former Minnesota state champion Wyatt McCoy (Shoreview, Minn.) and current North Dakota state cham-

pion Callie Ronkowski (Grand Forks, N.D.) took home the Boys and Girls 18s sin-gles titles, respectively, at the 2009 USTA Northern Junior Sectional June 5-10 at the Baseline Tennis Center on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis, Minn. All singles winners earned automatic invita-tions to represent USTA Northern at Zonal, Intersectional and national tournaments around the United States this summer.

McCoy, who was seeded No. 1, had an easy time in beating Hamish Weerasinghe (Edina, Minn.) 6-2, 6-2 in the finals. Weerasinghe rebounded, winning the dou-bles title with partner Mya Smith-Dennis (Savage, Minn.) 8-6 over McCoy and Josh Oothoudt (Minot, N.D.).

Ronkowski, the #2 seed, was a two-time winner, claiming both singles and doubles. She defeated top-seed Amber Washington (St. Paul, Minn.) 6-0, 6-1 in the finals, and then teamed with Sarah Whitaker (Dellwood, Minn.) in winning the doubles championship when top-seed Alexa Palen and her partner Emilie Renault, both of Rochester, Minn., had to withdraw.

In girls 16s, Minnesota AA state champion Aria Lambert of Excelsior, Minn., defeated sixth seed Meghana Vasireddy (Golden Valley, Minn.) 6-0, 6-0 in the finals. Lambert also won the doubles championship teaming with Kelsey Frechette (Rochester, Minn.) in defeating Jennifer Hartjes (Woodbury, Minn.) and Adele Henke (Edina, Minn.) 9-8.

Second-seeded Jack Hamburg (Rapid City, S.D.) won the boys 16s with a 6-4, 6-1 win over third seed Eric Frueh (Rochester, Minn.). Hamburg and Frueh then teamed together in winning the doubles champion-ship with a 9-8 win over second seed Dusty Boyer (Ham Lake, Minn.) and Scott Elsass (Eden Prairie, Minn.).

In Boys 12s, seventh seeded Jesse Sprinkle (Minneapolis, Minn.) defeated top-seed Gregory Wischer (Grand Forks, N.D.) 6-1, 4-6 and 7-6 (3). Wischer rebounded to win the 12s doubles with partner Charlie Adams (Maple Grove, Minn.) 9-7 over sec-ond seed Nic Beaty (Wayzata, Minn.) and Kavir Kumar (Minneapolis, Minn.).

In Girls 12s, top seed Ingrid Neel (Rochester, Minn.) defeated Kylie Boyer (Rochester, Minn.) 6-4, 6-0. Boyer did take home the doubles title with partner Kate

Rosenow (Rochester, Minn.) with an 8-6 win over Alexis Nelson (St. Paul, Minn.) and Sofia Terzic (Rochester, Minn).

In Girls 14s, Mimi Yunker (Grand Forks, N.D.) defeated Jessie Aney (Rochester, Minn.) 6-1, 6-2, and then won the doubles cham-pionship with partner Lalangi Marasinghe (Grand Forks, N.D.), defeating Aney and Neel 8-3.

Top-seeded Elliott Sprecher (Cadott, Wis.) won the Boys 14s championship with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 win over #2 Myles Tang (Minneapolis, Minn.). In doubles, #2 seed Maalik Konop-DeFreitas (St. Paul, Minn.) and Kai Skallerud (Edina, Minn.) won the title with an 8-2 win over Joey Anderson (Thompson, N.D.) and Taylor Parr (Edina, Minn.).

Mimi Yunker (left) and Lalangi Marasinghe won the girls

14s doubles championship. Yunker also won the Girls 14s singles title.

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Getting to Know Billy Paluch


BiLLy PaLuCHRapid City, S.D.

Stevens High SchoolNine-Time South Dakota State Champion

Rapid City’s Billy Paluch is a nine-time South Dakota state champion, including three titles in Flight 1 singles and five Flight 1 doubles crowns. He also became the all-time win-

ningest boys tennis player in South Dakota history winning 142 matches in his career, including the last 102 contests he played at Stevens High School. Who is the only person in South Dakota with more career high school wins than Paluch? His older sister, Whitney, who won 158 matches and is a junior at Cal State Northridge.

Paluch now enters a new chapter in his tennis career, playing at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., this fall, while majoring in business.

Learn more about South Dakota’s career win leader and what makes him tick.

Q. How did you start playing tennis? a. I was 4 years old when I started. My dad (who is a tennis pro and owns Tennis Center of the Black Hills in Rapid City) and sister (Whitney) got me out there.

Q. did your dad push tennis on all of the kids? a. He definitely pushed it on us at the beginning. I actually enjoyed it a lot more once I got older, but it really helped me with the other sports I played like baseball and basketball.

Q. you definitely come from a tennis playing family. Can you talk about that?

a. Everyone in my family played tennis. My mom played at St. Thomas, my dad at New Mexico and my sister is currently playing at Cal-State Northridge. I also had an uncle that played in college and my cousin, Corey, plays at South Dakota State. I couldn’t break the tradition.

Q. you are carrying on that family tradition by play-ing at Creighton university in omaha next year. Why Creighton?

a. I visited the school and liked the atmosphere and the coach. It was a good fit for me and is somewhat close to home (8 hours). It also has really good academics and I want to major in business so that was important. I was familiar with it because my sister looked at Creighton too, and really liked it.

Q. you won your eighth and ninth South dakota state cham-pionships this year, including your third straight Flight 1 singles crown. What was that like?

a. Honestly, it was a lot of pressure. I think it is a lot harder when everyone expects you to win year after year. This was definitely the most challenging year for me. I have played Brad Entwistle (of Sioux Falls O’Gorman who he played in the finals) 13 times in the past three years, and every time, the matches got closer and closer. In the end, it meant a lot to me that I was able to do my best each time and come out on top.

Q. you also finished your career as the all-time winningest singles player in South dakota Boys history with 142 wins, including winning your last 102 consecutive match-es. reflect on that.

a. It was pretty amazing. I really just tried to play my best each time out on the court and was fortunate to keep winning a lot of those matches.

Q. you also had a very successful doubles record, winning five doubles state titles, including two with your cousin Corey. do you prefer doubles to singles?

a. I am actually a better doubles player I think. Doubles is more fun and there is less pressure. It is nice to have someone on the court with you.

Q. What are your tennis strengths? a. My serve and my forehand are probably my best strokes. The great thing about that is you can always work on those two shots even if you have no one else to hit with. My serve also sets up a lot of points for me.

Q. Where can you improve your game? a. I am always working on moving better. I need to move my feet more when I play. I also can work on my mental game, but it is get-ting better. That comes with growing up I think.”

Q. When you are not playing tennis, what do you like to do? a. I like going to the lake. I played basketball in high school and I like playing other outdoor sports like Frisbee. I really like anything with a lot of movement.

Q. Talk about your uSTa experience over the years and play-ing junior tournaments.

a. It really has been unforgettable. I like playing people outside of Rapid City and meeting new players. I enjoyed all of the Zonals and team competitions the most. We would play against each other all year, and then finally come together and play as teammates. That has been a great experience.

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2009 Spring State Tournament Recaps


Minnesota Boys

Edina won its third Minnesota Boys State High School Class AA team title in four years and 11th since 1987 with a 6-1 win over

Rochester Mayo, while Forest Lake freshman Dusty Boyer won his first Minnesota AA state singles championship. The Edina doubles team of Steven Pjevach and Erik Nordahl claimed their first state title as well.

Edina dominated the tournament, losing only four individual matches. In the finals, Edina won all four singles positions eas-ily, losing a total of five games. Edina won the first two doubles points before Mayo salvaged the final doubles match.

Boyer won his first state title without dropping a set in the pro-cess. After a 6-3, 6-3 opening-round win against David Erickson of Osseo, Boyer then defeated Eric Frueh of Rochester Century by the same score. Boyer handled Edina’s Noah Swiler in the semifi-nals 6-2, 6-4, and dominated the championship match with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Eden Prairie’s Justin Haag.

Pjevach, a senior, and Nordahl, a freshman, advanced through the tournament without losing a set before defeating junior Marcel Gyswyt and sophomore Ryan Erickson of Hopkins 6-4, 7-6 (3) in the championship match.

In Class A, Breck won the team title with a 6-1 win over Rochester Lourdes, while sophomore Ben Kopecky of Lourdes

won his second straight Class A Singles Championship. The Blake team of Tips Jackley and Ford Traff took home the doubles title. For Jackley, it was his third straight state doubles championship.

After surviving their first-round match against Blake 4-3, Breck cruised through the rest of the tournament. Breck then beat Benson/KMS 7-0 and Lourdes 6-1, losing only the No. 1 singles slot.

Kopecky won his second state title in as many years with rela-tive ease. He lost only 10 games the entire tournament, with five of those coming in the finals against Will Oberrender of Breck in a 6-2, 6-3 win.

In doubles, Jackley and Traff did not lose a set in four matches. The duo defeated Breck’s Grant Bemis and Andrew Engel 6-1, 7-5 in the finals.

North Dakota Girls

Grand Forks Red River won its eighth consecutive state team tennis championship, while also sweeping the individual

singles and doubles championships at the 2009 North Dakota Girls State Tennis Championships in Bismarck, N.D.

Red River once again defeated Bismarck Century in the cham-pionship match 4-1. Red River has beat Century each of the last eight years for the state title. Century is the last team to beat Red River, as they won the 2001 state championship.

No. 1 player Callie Ronkowski got Red River on the board quick-ly with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Hallie Welk, which would be a preview of the individual singles final. Grand Forks’ No. 2 player Samantha Anderson and No. 3 player Mimi Yunker also won their matches, clinching the championship for the Roughriders. Also earning a win for Red River was the No. 2 dou-bles team of Linnea Johnson and Shirlene Luk, who topped Century’s Hailey Whitman and Rachel Larson 6-4, 7-5. Century’s only win came in the final match of the dual in No. 1 doubles as Sara Janes and Erin Swanberg beat Red River’s Lalangi Marasinghe and Madison Hovland 6-3, 7-5, avoiding the sweep.

Ronkowski, a junior, successfully defended her individual singles title, defeating Welk 7-6 (7-1), 7-5, while in doubles, eighth grader Marasinghe and seventh grader Yunker became the youngest team to win a state doubles title when they topped Williston’s Rachel Hennessy and Katie Slemin 5-7, 6-3, 6-3.

Hennessy was named the North Dakota Senior Player of the Year for her efforts. Callie Ronkowski

Dusty Boyer

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Sioux Falls O’Gorman ended Rapid City

Stevens stranglehold on top of the boys tennis standings by winning the team title at the 2009 South Dakota State High School Tennis tournament in Sioux Falls, S.D. O’Gorman finished with 705 points and won six individual titles. Stevens, who had won the past three state titles, was second with 508 points, while Sioux Falls Lincoln was third with 462.5.

In the individual finals, Billy Paluch of Stevens won his third straight Flight 1 championships with a 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 win over Brad Entwistle of O’Gorman in a repeat of the 2008 championship match. It was the fourth state singles title for Paluch as he won the Flight 2 champi-onship as a freshman. In South Dakota, six singles champions are crowned - one per flight - and three doubles winners.

Stevens’ Jack Hamburg won Flight 2 for the third straight year with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over second seed Jameson Goetz of O’Gorman. Hamburg won Flight 4 in 2006 as an eighth grader. In Flight 3, Elliot Czarnicki of O’Gorman won his first state title with a 6-4 6-0 win over Tom Tolman of Rapid City Central.

Anthony Rauschenbach of O’Gorman won his second state title taking the Flight 4 crown with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory over Peter Chang of Lincoln. Rauschenbach won the Flight 6 title in 2008. In Flight 5, O’Gorman’s Kevin Rance defeated David Brandsrud of Watertown 7-6, 6-1, while Tommy Entwistle of O’Gorman won the Flight 6 crown with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Stephen Tibbles of Stevens.

In doubles, Paluch and Hamburg won Flight 1 for the third straight year with a 6-2, 6-3 defeat of Sioux Falls Roosevelt’s Kyle Lambertz

and Mitch Barr. In Flight 2, Czarnecki and Rance defeated Jared Carrels and Austin Bierle of Aberdeen Roncalli 6-2, 6-3. In Flight 3, Rauschenbach and Brian Billion defeated Brandsrud and Johnson of Watertown 6-4, 6-4.

The 2009 All-tournament team included Paluch, Hamburg, Czarnecki, Rauschenbach, Rance, Tommy Entwistle, Lambetz, Barr, Billion and Mike Margolies of Aberdeen Central.

The Spirit of Max Award winner was JD Carrells of Aberdeen Carroll and Sioux Falls Washington won the Sportsmanship Award for the second straight year.

South Dakota Boys

Billy Paluch and Jack Hamburg won their third straight South Dakota Flight 1 doubles title.

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This organization receives financial support for allowing Liberty Mutual to offer this auto and home insurance program.*Figure based on a February 2008 sample of auto policyholder savings when comparing their former premium with those of Liberty Mutual’s group auto and home program. Individual premiums and savings will vary. **Discounts and credits areavailable where state laws and regulations allow, and may vary by state. To the extent permitted by law, applicants are individually underwritten; except in Massachusetts, not all applicants may qualify. †Accident Forgiveness coverage subject to termsand conditions of Liberty Mutual’s underwriting guidelines and is not available in all states.Coverage provided and underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and its affiliates, 175 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA. A consumer report from a consumer reporting agency and/or a motor vehicle report, on all drivers listed on your policy, maybe obtained where state laws and regulations allow. Please consult a Liberty Mutual specialist for specific details.©2008 Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. All Rights Reserved.

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Rochester’s Eric Butorac Plays Exhibition As Part of Aquatennial Tournament

Six-time ATP tour doubles champion and Rochester, Minn., native Eric Butorac played an exhibition as part of the 2009 Boston Scientific Aquatennial Plaza Tennis Classic at One Financial Plaza in downtown Minneapolis. Butorac teamed with his college doubles partner at Gustavus, Kevin Whipple, in fac-ing former University of

Minnesota players Aleksey Zharinov and Nate McLain. Butorac and Whipple, who won an NCAA Division III doubles championship together, defeated Zharinov and McLain 6-4, 6-2.

Register Today For 2010 Twin Cities Fall/Winter USTA Leagues! Registration is going on now for Fall/Winter USTA League Tennis in the Twin Cities. USTA League Tennis is team based and offers a fun, social atmosphere with competitive tennis! NTRP levels offered range from 2.5-5.0, and adult (18+), senior (50+) and mixed doubles leagues are available. Deadline for team registration is September 4, but players can sign up on a team at any point during the season.

The season starts September 28, and runs through March 28. If you have any questions about USTA League Tennis, go to www.north-ern.usta.com/adultleagues, or contact Twin Cities Adult League Coordinator Tyler Krumholz at [email protected]. See you on the courts!

Four Northern Officials Selected To Work US Open

Four officials from USTA Northern have been selected to work the 2009 US Open August 31-September 13 in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. Selected were long-time officials Tim Kurtt (St. Paul, Minn.), Doug Miller (Hopkins, Minn.), Vyasacher Mohan (Maplewood, Minn.), who have all worked the event on multiple occasions. Joining them will be Jan Schreier (Minnetonka, Minn.), who will be calling lines at her first-ever US Open. To learn more about Schreier’s journey from ball kid to US Open official, see page 27.

Congratulations To US Open President’s Box Raffle WinnersCongratulations to Mike Borg of Eden Prairie, Minn., and Matthew Makis of Shakopee, Minn., who won US Open Getaway packages as part of the CTA Raffle. Borg won the raffle conducted by Fred Wells Tennis & Education Center/InnerCity Tennis and St. Paul Urban Tennis, While Makis was the winner of the Shakopee Tennis Association raffle. Both winners receive airfare, hotel and tickets to the 2009 US Open, including two tickets to the exclusive President’s Box at Arthur Ashe Stadium. A third winner was selected on July 23 as part of the Rocori Community Tennis Association raffle, but was unavailable at press time.

Tennis Tease – Hitting the Court With Attitude!Patti Berg, of St. Paul, Minn., is a competitive league tennis player, and likes to have fun in the process. Sadly, one day at the end of the 2005 season, Berg noticed her opponents never seemed to be smiling or having fun unless they had won the match. Also that season, Berg showed up to play a match in a new outfit when much to her dismay, her opponent had the same outfit. She then noticed that everyone was wearing the same clothes on the court, which started her thinking. A graphic designer by trade, Berg wanted to be different and soon Tennis Tease was born.

“I really like to be engaging when I play tennis and have fun,” Berg said. “Everyone was wearing the same thing so I thought it would be nice to get something new out there that was more individual and fun.”

The Tennis Tease line includes women’s t-shirts, jackets, tanks, girls’ t-shirts and skirts with catchy sayings such as “Tightly strung” or “Your Court or Mine?” It brings a sassy and fun attitude to sports clothing that is functional, fun and ahead of the curve. Teams also benefit by receiving a discount if they order eight or more items.

“All the phrases on the clothes put smiles on people’s faces,” Berg said. “I really believe that tennis players are not the same, so why should their clothes be?”

Keeping with the times, Tennis Tease also has an organic line of t-shirts and has been “green” since its inception using recycled shipping boxes, newspapers and foam. In late August, Berg will introduce her new Vintage line using organic bamboo fabric.

“There is nothing like bamboo when it comes to clothing,” Berg said. “It is incredibly soft, biodegradable and allows your skin to breathe. It also is antimicrobial and an UV protectant.

Additionally, Berg believes in supporting others and has sponsored breast cancer research and other events. “We’ve designed shirts for tournaments with profits going to charities. We are happy to create custom products for worthy causes.”For more information about Tennis Tease, visit www.tennistease.com.

Kevin Whipple, Eric Butorac (second from left), Aleksey Zharinov and

Nate McLain wowed the fans at the 2009 Boston Scientific Aquatennial

Plaza Tennis Classic.

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From Ball Kid To The US Open


by Janet Schreier

One day I was reading an article in Tennis Life Magazine about a 40-year-old ball boy at the US Open. It struck me as kind of funny.

In that same issue, I saw St. Paul was getting its first professional women’s tournament and USTA Northern was looking for ball kids. It sounded fun and I asked my husband, Mark, to be a ball kid with me. He refused, saying we would be the only grown-ups there. I told him I wanted to do it anyway. If the US Open could have a 40-year-old ball kid, so could St. Paul.

Well, sure enough, at the first day of training, we were the only people over the age of 15 (and yes, we were waaaay over 15). We decided to stick it out, and even convinced two other adult friends of ours to do it. We were ball kids for a professional tennis tournament!

Since St. Paul was new to professional tennis, the ball kids didn’t have much experience that first year. Most of the kids were so in awe of the surroundings, they constantly forgot where the balls went and whether or not the players actually needed them. But when Mark and I were on court, we kept the balls moving in the right direction. The officials immediately took notice and loved it when we were on court.

We had so much fun that first year that we did it again the next year and the year after that. Then we graduated to ball kid trainer. By then, we got to know the tournament officials very well, since many of the same ones returned year after year. I asked what it would take to be an official, and they connected me with John Carnahan and Tim Kurtt. The following year, instead of being a ball kid (that’s hard work on 40+ year old knees with three knee surgeries), I signed up for a one-day line judge clinic. It was advertised to be on a Saturday, with the potential of working Sunday during the first day of quali-fiers if we did well. The line clinic trainer, Martha Gregg, asked me back Sunday and I was hooked. At the end of the day Sunday, Martha asked me to come back on Monday. Well, I guess I could take a day off of work, so I said sure. She asked again Tuesday, then Wednesday, and again on Thursday. I couldn’t say no!

I was having such a good time and the other officials were so helpful. Everyone was giving me tips. I felt like they wanted me to succeed and do well, and not put me in a situation where I was going to fail miserably. On Thursday, I was casually talking to a few officials, asking them how I could do more tournaments. The next thing I knew, I was being invited to work all over the United States. Now instead of being a trainee, I would actually get PAID for watch-ing a little yellow tennis ball hit a line. I went to Jackson, Miss., Hilton Head, S.C., and Kenosha, Wis., that year and haven’t stopped.

Now, I do some local roving, including the University of Minnesota women’s matches, and I still travel around the country calling lines for about five tournaments a year. I’m so much more confident in my techniques and abilities now than I was when I started in 2006. People don’t realize just how much training and technique is needed to see the ball hit the line. At first, I was thinking too much about where to stand, when to bend down and how to move my head. Then at the end of the day, when you’re really tired, they change the configuration of umpires so you’re going to different lines or you’re suddenly calling a doubles match when you have to think about running three feet further to call the doubles lines.

I’ve been yelled at by many players over the years. In the begin-ning, it made me really nervous, but now I know I have the right techniques to see the ball really well. Perhaps the player who yells is just frustrated or didn’t see the ball clearly. I admit, I still have a lot to learn and much to perfect, but every time I go on the court, I work on something that will improve my technique. The last tour-nament I worked, I focused on not flinching when I’m watching the center serve line. It’s very hard to keep your head still and watch the ball hit the line when some guy across the net is serving 140 miles per hour and you know after that ball bounces it’s heading straight for your forehead.

I’ve only been to the US Open once in 2001. It was such an amaz-ing experience that I made it one of my goals to officiate in the US Open one day. Now I’m getting my chance. I’m excited, happy and really looking forward to it all at once. I’m sure I’ll be nervous, and in awe. It really hasn’t hit me yet. I hope this is just the first year of many more US Opens to come.

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Pro FileKarl and Kady Monson


When entering the tennis pro office at the Rochester Athletic Club, I was able to see a little snippet of what Karl Monson’s life was like. Karl, who worked in the USTA

Northern office as the Director of Adult Competition from 2004-07, had a large paper bag and three hungry, squirmy children - Faith, 5, Asher, 4, and Noah, 2. In the bag was lunch - jelly sandwiches (no peanut butter), cheddar Goldfish, Go-Gurt and bananas.

“Do you want to share your Goldfish with your sister?” “No,” the boys replied.

“Asher, are you going to eat your banana?” “No!”.“Noah, you have to eat more than just your dessert,” Karl contin-

ued. A gurgle-y “No!” was muttered.You cannot help but laugh as each of the three kids struggle to

be louder than the other. Karl is absolutely unfazed by the lunch-time manner.

The next morning, Karl comes to work and casually mentions, “I got under two hours of sleep last night.” But it is not a complaint.

You see, tennis teaching pros and longtime USTA Northern members Karl and Kady Monson welcomed two new members to their family last March, twin girls Bethany and Grace, making five children five years of age or younger. Kady describes a normal day at her house as “chaos.”

“It starts at 8:45, but we’re lucky to get her there by 9,” says Kady when talking about getting oldest daughter, Faith, to preschool. “We’re the late family. The amount of time it takes to get the kids out of the house is crazy. It probably takes two hours to get all five ready to leave. You’ll be ready, but then one needs a new diaper or this one starts crying.”

The term “down-time” really does not exist to the Monson’s these days. You might describe their situation as controlled pande-monium. The duo has tried to form a system to handle the hourly demands. When the babies wake up in the middle of the night, Karl does the diaper change and Kady sleeps. Then Kady feeds the babies while Karl sleeps. Since Karl works evenings, the Monson’s have “family dinners for lunch.” The menu commonly consists of two of the kids’ favorites - quesadillas and hot dogs.

“We’re not proud of that,” Kady clarifies with a smile. Karl and Kady admit they envisioned life slightly differently than

their current path. Karl, described by his tennis coach at Creighton University in Omaha as “the studliest and nicest guy you’ll ever know,” pictured “maybe two kids” while dreaming of a job as a strength and conditioning coach for a pro sports team. Kady thought she would still be teaching high school math.

Yet, although difficult at times, the word repeated over and

Names: Karl and Kady Monson

Location: Rochester, Minn.

Family: 5 children ages 5 and under: Faith (5), Asher (4), Noah (2), twins Bethany and Grace (4 months)

By Steve Tacl

over by the two is “blessing.” Kady suffered from a medical condi-tion which hindered her ability to have children. Prayers were the Monson’s response. So when the appropriately-named Faith was born, it was another blessing for their family. When the twins were born and second child, Asher, decided that he was miraculously potty-trained after 2+ years of trying, it was a blessing.

Another blessing has been the Rochester community, as mul-tiple people, some of whom the Monson’s did not even know, have donated diapers to help their cause. The blessings did not stop there as hot-dish style dinners, hand-me-downs, gifts and people’s willingness to watch the kids for three-hour blocks of time so Kady can run errands have flooded the Monson household and softened the blow of their extraordinary circumstances.

“We have been so blessed by so many people in the community” Kady reiterates.

Trying to balance five kids, the Monson’s are still actively involved in tennis. Karl, a USPTA pro, teaches at the Rochester Athletic Club, serves as a USTA Recreation Coach Workshop trainer, coaches USTA League Tennis teams in Rochester and helps man-age the USTA League program during the winter months. Kady is the girls tennis coach at Rochester Century High School and has run a tennis camp in Eau Claire, Wis., with long-time friend and colleague Greg Emerson the past 11 years. She also helps run a Fellowship of Christian Athletes tennis camp in Rochester, works as a USTA Northern Visiting Pro for various special events around the Section and is a PTR certified pro. On top of all that, she also works as a homebound high school teacher for the Rochester Public Schools. Both come from tennis families (Kady’s family was the USTA Northern Family of the Year in 2002), played college tennis and have worked for the Section office.

So one cannot blame Karl as his first words to oldest daughter Faith were ever so appropriate given their family background.

“I told her ‘You’re going to have a forehand like daddy, not mommy, and you’ll be left-handed,” Karl remembers as Kady rolls her eyes. When their first boy, Asher, was born, he simply told Kady, “Now we have a mixed doubles team!”

“He learned his lesson after the first one,” Kady quips. Three years later, they now have enough for a Jr. Team Tennis

Team and are counting their blessing every day.

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JTT Continues To Grow Around The Section


USTA Northern Jr. Team Tennis continues grow by leaps and bounds in communities all

over the Section this summer. Overall, 203 teams and almost 2,000 kids reg-istered to play JTT around the Section in 2009.

One of most dramatic increases happened in the Chippewa Valley area of Wisconsin, blossoming from seven teams in 2008 to 13 teams in 2009. A new league started in the Fargo Metro Area with seven teams, bringing the overall number of teams in North Dakota to 14. There were zero teams in North Dakota only 2 years ago. In Rochester, Minn., the Rochester Athletic Club brought JTT back after a long hiatus this summer and has 99 kids and 10 teams participating.

“It really shows that Jr. Team Tennis is a great format for kids of all ages,” USTA Northern Junior Teams Specialist Christine Buysse said. “It offers competitive matches in a fun and social setting, which is exactly what kids and coaches are looking for during the summer months.”

Jennifer O’Hara, who oversees the Rochester program, agrees.

The Rochester Athletic Club was looking for additional ways of get-ting match experience for the kids, especially the ones who do not play USTA tournaments during the year. JTT became a perfect solution as they have set up the program guarantee-ing every player who participates on Wednesdays gets at least one match.

“It is really fun to see the kids who might be at different levels or play at different high school come together and play as a team,” O’Hara said. “It is so fun to see such good competition,

but also good sportsmanship as this program really emphasizes that and being a team player.”

O’Hara is also a huge proponent of the every-game-counts for-mat under which JTT operates.

“The every-game-counts format teaches kids to keep working hard and fighting for every game no matter what the score is. In the end, that could be the difference in the match.”

For more information about fall/winter JTT leagues or starting a program in your area, please contact Buysse at [email protected] or at (952) 358-3290.

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He was a “Man for all Seasons” this Rochester, Minn., high achiever – and tennis player – who died in June.

During his life of 90 years, these were some of Dr. Robert Brandenburg’s accomplish-ments:

• Dr. Brandenburg played clarinet during high school in North Dakota with the Lawrence Welk Band.

• He co-authored “Cardiology: Fundamentals and Practice,” a highly-regarded college textbook.

• He served his country in the army during World War II.

• He taught cardiology courses part time at the University of Arizona Medical School.

• He traveled extensively covering all seven continents.

• He wrote a cardiovascular column for the Green Valley (Ariz.) News.

• He was a North Dakota high school doubles champion and was a member of the Rochester Tennis Club, playing until age 80.

• His son, Mark, of Eagan, Minn., played #1 for Jerry Noyce’s Gophers in 1977-78 (Mark was a superb role model – he even taught me to enjoy broccoli!).

I was fortunate to meet Dr. and Mrs. Brandenburg at Coach Noyce’s team party in 1978.

Frank Jamisen Writes: My wife and I were able to attend the French Open this year. It was amusing to hear the grunts, groans and high-C shrieks of Michelle Larcher de Brito, a 16-year-old from Portugal. She received a warning from the chair umpire during her match with France’s Aravane Rezai. We heard later Ms. Rezai didn’t mind de Brito’s cacophony. The warning was issued because de Brito was shattering all the box-seat wine glasses!

northern net neWs: Mardy Fish, former Edina native, joined James Blake and reached the Wimbledon doubles semis in early July… Mardy lost in the third round to Novak Djokovic in singles … at the Aegon, London, Championships, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, formerly of Rochester, teamed with Nadia Petrova of Russia and scored a big win over the Williams sisters 7-6 (4), 5-7, 7-6 (6)… the Support The Courts Foundation has renovated tennis courts in four Minneapolis public parks so far and now will complete work on the Lake Hiawatha courts this fall… Brody Ryan (age 10) of Minnetonka, was a U.S. representative at the July Youth Friendship Games in Vienna, Austria… Edina Hornets star Mitch Blackey will join the St. Thomas tennis squad next fall… Brian McCarthy, for-mer Benilde-St. Margaret star, is transferring from Wisconsin-Green

Bay to St. Thomas next fall… Dusty Boyer, Minnesota Class AA sin-gles champion, was chosen Athlete of the Week in both Twin Cities newspapers… former Mounds View’s star Wyatt McCoy, son of Life Time Fitness pro Brian McCoy, is improving his game by playing in USTA National Tournaments, as well as selected ITF events… Chloe and Kaitlin Cunigan, former Edina doubles stars, are now playing for the College of Charleston in Charleston, S.C.… former Gopher Harsh Mankad is playing on the ATP Futures Circuit… Ryan Edlefsen, former Minnesota State AA singles champion, now works for Northwestern Mutual in Chicago … Alex Erickson, former Hopkins star, is transferring from Colgate University to Gustavus… Will Oberrender, Breck star and Minnesota Class A singles final-ist, will join former Eden Prairie star Andrew Lee at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vt.

mixed singles: Jenny – ‘When you played tennis with Bill, was it love-love?” Penny – “Would you believe like-like?”

didJa knoW dept.: David Wheaton and his doubles partner Todd Martin won one round and lost two at the Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Doubles event (it was round robin)… David Stearns is Minnetonka’s head coach and has the pleasure of coaching Aria Lambert who may rival Whitney Taney… Simley player Jamie Golden and De LaSalle’s Justin Westad each were awarded $6,000 scholarships from the USTA for their commitment to academic success and the community (for more about this, visit page 17) … Andrea Jaeger, tennis prodigy from the 80s who is now a nun, was coached by sports psychologist Mark Brandenburg… Cathy Lee Crosby played at Wimbledon in 1964, losing in the first round, and then went on to play Wonder Woman in a 1974 TV movie and star on That’s Incredible with Vikings legend Fran Tarkenton …Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan are dedicated tennis players.

serbian sensibility: “I have two weapons,” ATP star Novak Djokovic explained. “My serve, my volley and my dropshot.”

belated sympathy to Families and Friends oF old hittingpartners and FelloW tennissuers: Harry Dunn, Excelsior; Leonard Griffith, Minneapolis; Dr. Henry Sosin, Minneapolis; Muriel Lindaas-Enzmann, Minneapolis; Chuck Dranginis, Minnetonka; John Marcus, Minneapolis; Jaye Dyer, Wayzata; Dave Merrell, St. Paul; Carleen Holvik, Edina; Blee Dorn, Minneapolis; Mark Brennan, Minnetonka; Harriet Moriarty-Burns, Minneapolis; Anne Phillips-Bremicker, St. Paul; P.K. Lee, Roseville; Laszlo Szendrey, Edina; Quentin Tenney, Wayzata; Fern Anderson-Tengdin, Edina; John Howard, Minneapolis; Don Holker, Minneapolis; Gilbert Thompson, Wayzata; Chester d’Autremont, Duluth; James Wyman, Woodland; Kent Shoemaker, Minneapolis; Art Smith, Minneapolis and Bill Bray, St. Paul.

ole and lena on tennis: Lena – “Vuddent tennis be easier vidout da net?” Ole – “Yah sure, Lena. It’s about time ve made an improvement in dat game.”

Racquet RamblingswithGreg Wicklund

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He was a “Man for all Seasons” this Rochester, Minn., high achiever – and tennis player – who died in June.

these were some of Brandenburg’sments:

USTA and Special Olympics Minnesota Pair Up to Rebuild Tennis Program


For the first time since 2001, Special Olympics Minnesota held a statewide tennis compe-

tition at its annual Summer Games on the University of Minnesota campus in June. The competition featured 22 athletes and is projected to grow rap-idly because of a unique bond formed between Special Olympics Minnesota and USTA Northern.

Betsy Anderson, Sports Program Manager for Special Olympics Minnesota, attributes the renewed excitement surrounding tennis to the USTA’s QuickStart Tennis format, mak-ing tennis even more accessible for people of all ages and all abilities. QuickStart uses a smaller court, larger foam balls, shorter racquets, shorter nets and modified scoring.

“QuickStart helps those who are

intimidated by the game realize that tennis is easier than they think,” Anderson said. “The format is a good progression program that will help build confident and strong athletes.”

USTA Northern is also helping Special Olympics Minnesota build strong coaches. Many of the coaches working with the tennis athletes have attended USTA Northern sponsored workshops which help teach the fun-damentals of tennis, including the QuickStart format. These workshops help create even more competi-tive tennis opportunities for Special Olympics Minnesota athletes.

“Any Special Olympics tennis coach who completes one of the USTA work-shops earns sport-specific certifica-tion and meets all Special Olympics Minnesota standards,” Nancy

By Mollie Halper, Special Olympics Minnesota

Bob Kupbens, WoodStone Photography

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continued on next page

Advocacy Report Cook County, Minn.


After several years of planning and fundraising, groundbreaking for the Cook County Tennis Courts began in July! The three-court project calls for digging up the existing surface of the north courts,

removing the old fence and net posts, and finally, replacing them with new materials. In addition, there will be a new tennis hitting board practice area, a storage shed and a roof over the existing seating area. There will also be lights for the three new courts, in addition to landscaping and benches between courts.

Construction was scheduled to start the week of July 13, with the light standards being delivered July 20. Resurfacing of the new courts will begin at the end of July and then, after waiting the mandatory 28 days for the courts to set, the courts will be painted US Open blue and green on September 10. Cook County will then celebrate the grand opening of its new facility on September 19.

Learn more about how the Cook County Tennis Association made its dream a reality. For more information on how Cook County accomplished its goals, please contact CCTA President Gene Glader at (218) 387-9388 or at [email protected].

Your project? Cook County Tennis Court Project

Goal?To reconstruct three tennis courts and to include lights, roof over seating area, shed, new backboard and landscaping

Project Size?Resurfacing of three courts; installing light standards, hitting board area and storage shed; building a roof over the existing seating; constructing landscaping and benches for the courts.

Lead Organization?Cook County Tennis Association

Length of Project?The CCTA identified this project in 2003 as part of its four-year strategic plan. It started raising money in 2006 and obtained its last large contribution in February 2008. It continues to search for an additional $15,000.

Budget?We originally estimated the cost to be $225,000.

Estimated Final Costs?The final cost will be approximately $258,827. We have raised $250,387. For more information or to pledge, contact Gene Glader at (218) 387-9388 or at [email protected].

Who Were The Main Funding Sources?Pledges from Cook County - $74,000Grant from the State of Minnesota - $50,000USTA National Grant - $44,800Cook County Tennis Association Fundraising - $24,557USTA Northern Grants - $16,000Lloyd Johnson Foundation Grants - $15,000Volunteer Labor and Construction - $13,800Cook County Tennis Association - $8,000City of Grand Marais - $7,500Individual Pledges - $5,000Pledge from Credit Union - $2,500Grand Marais Lions Club - $750

Lundberg, USTA Northern Community Development Specialist, said. “We expose the coaches to the improvements QuickStart pro-vides in helping teach and learn the game. With smaller courts and balls that don’t move quite as quickly, coaches can work with the athletes in developing their skills. The success was obvious, based on the large number of athletes at the 2009 Statewide Games who competed in the individual skills competition.”

Coaches have seen an immediate difference in their athletes as well.

“In the two years I’ve been using the QuickStart format, it has clearly provided a number of my athletes with the chance to gain a greater level of confidence at an early stage,” Mark Springer, Delegation Head of the Lakeville Aces, said.

Anderson, a tennis player herself, has high hopes for the Special

Olympics Minnesota tennis program and already sees growth for next year’s competition. The local and state tennis competi-tions offered by Special Olympics Minnesota give people with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to grow as individuals and strengthen their communities. Following the 2009 statewide competition, Anderson couldn’t help but feel the enthusiasm sur-rounding tennis.

USTA Northern is enthusiastic about the future as well. “It is so exciting to see these athletes learn, enjoy and benefit

from playing tennis,” Lundberg said. “They are having fun; there is great social interaction; their self esteem is soaring and they are staying fit. None of this would be happening without the dedicated Special Olympics Minnesota staff members, coaches and volun-teers who generously share their time and talent in making tennis the sport of a lifetime for these special athletes.”

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