N RTHERN SEPTEMBER 2019 WWW.USTA.COM/NORTHERN
Photo Credit: YourGameFace.com
Exsted Reaches Pinnacle Northern Junior Achieves #1 National Ranking
STAFF DIRECTORY
1001 West 98th Street, Suite 101 Bloomington, MN 55431 (952) 887-5001 • (800) 536-6982 Fax: (952) 887-5061 Katie Bergmann (952) 358-3280 Manager of Jr. Tournaments and National Teams katie@northern.usta.com Daniel Borgertpoepping (952) 358-3292 Manager of Marketing & Communications daniel@northern.usta.com Becky Cantellano (952) 358-3284 Executive Director becky@northern.usta.com Pat Colbert (952) 358-3283 Chief Program Officer and Assistant Executive Director colbert@northern.usta.com Taylor Heltne (952) 358-3287 Manager of TC Area Adult Play taylor@northern.usta.com Meredith Holt (952) 358-3296 Tennis Service Representative ND, SD Schools Coordinator meredith@northern.usta.com Nancy Lundberg (952) 358-3286 Director of Adult Play lundberg@northern.usta.com Zeny McCoy (952) 358-3291 Manager of Jr. Team Tennis zeny@northern.usta.com Naomi Sadighi (952) 358-3290 Director of Community Impact naomi@northern.usta.com Kathy Schneider (952) 358-3295 Adult Recreational Play Coordinator schneider@northern.usta.com Vanessa Sexton (952) 358-3281 Operations Manager vanessa@northern.usta.com Sandy Smith (952) 358-3288 Member Engagement Coordinator ssmith@northern.usta.com Mya Smith-Dennis (952) 358-3289 Training and Outreach Coordinator and Tennis Service Representative (TSR) MN & NW WI mya@northern.usta.com
N RTHERN EXP SURE Executive Director Message It’s US Open time, with the excitement of great matches and thrilling victories under the New York City lights. I hope you are able to catch some of the action, be it from a front row seat on your couch or up close and personal at the recently renovated Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. For us in Northern, we’re coming off our own championship season, with new section champs crowned in both USTA League and Jr. Team Tennis. The competition was fierce and victories hard fought. Congratulations to all of the winners for claiming their 2019 titles! Championship events are our amateur version of the US Open and I want to wish our teams the best of luck as many move on to represent our section on a national stage. In fact, this issue is loaded with stories of champions whose accomplishments amaze me. I hope you enjoy reading about their successes as much as I did. From twelve year-old Max Exsted officially becoming the best player in the nation for his age group to a group of tennis advocates who persevered through challenges to break ground on a new indoor tennis facility in Rogers, MN, these pages are filled with local inspiration. For our staff and volunteers who work hard each day to grow the game, these successes keep us motivated to innovate and improve our efforts. We are making strides in many areas but still have work to do. Some of us will attend meetings during the US Open to tackle challenges facing our sport on a national level. There is bound to be some lively discussion, usually about whether or not to stick with tradition or embrace change. Change is something that is inevitable. We can either embrace it or fight it, but the world changes around us every day and tennis isn’t immune to its effects. I wonder how this comes into play with a sport that has such respect for tradition. Is it possible that these revered traditions limit progress? After all, many traditions are good for some but alienate others. I’ve been thinking a lot about change lately. Maybe it’s due to the changing seasons and the shift from outdoor to indoor tennis. Are we changing too quickly, are we not moving fast enough? I invite you to write me about your ideas for growth, and your thoughts on what traditions might be limiting our progress. Better yet, let’s think about the ways we can be champions for change in our tennis communities and clubs. We might not succeed at first, but neither did many of the champions featured in this magazine. A willingness to embrace change may just lead to our next victory. We are Northern!
Carol Thies (952) 358-3285 Adult Matchline Coordinator thies@northern.usta.com
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Rogers Tennis Club What started two decades ago as a simple discussion is now well on its way to fruition as the ground has been broken on the Rogers Tennis Club. With an estimated completion date of Jan. 1, 2020, the area will gain a resource it dearly needs to keep building the game – indoor tennis courts, thanks in no small part to the effort of husband and wife, Del and Sandi Bauers. “This started 20 years ago with a variety of guys. It was a dream we had for a long, long time,” said Del Bauers, one of the driving forces behind the project. “Things got real serious about seven years ago. We tried to build in Elk River and that fell through. We tried to build in Otsego and that fell through.” Eventually, the project found a home in Rogers. With help in facilitating the process from the city, a new tennis club is now just around the corner. The motivation to finally get it over the line was spurred in part by tragedy. “A friend of mine had a stroke and when he was able to speak, the first thing he said was to get this done. He was on his deathbed in the ICU and he told me to retire and get it done,” Bauers said. “I took it to heart and it really motivated me. We approached Rogers and they weren’t interested originally but we made it clear we were going to finance it ourselves.” Those conversations spurred a public-private partnership leading to the groundbreaking this summer. The city found and sold the land to
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the development group and will be spending taxes collected from the facility’s operation on community education and similar programs at the club. With seven courts, the facility will also boast an upper mezzanine for viewing, space for limited concessions and retail on the main level, two courts with pickleball lines and a workout area upstairs for parents who drop their kids off and stay to workout or take a class. All these years after the earliest discussions, Sandi Bauers said it feels strange to have the end in sight. “It still feels a little unreal after all this time. It’s exciting to hear from other people who are jazzed about it and we’ve been hearing from people getting excited more and more frequently,” she said. Leveraging the public-private partnership was a critical step in completing this project and USTA Northern Executive Director Becky Cantellano emphasized its value as a blueprint for similarly passionate groups in other communities in the section. “What we’ve seen from this group in forging the partnership with the City of Rogers is an excellent model to learn from. Projects as large as these require a lot of buy-in and commitment and that’s exactly what’s been on display here,” Cantellano said. “We are grateful for the effort put forth by the many individuals involved as it is no small undertaking, yet the impact more indoor courts will have on opportunities to grow the sport is tremendous.”
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Bruce Gullikson
Slow down, you move too fast/ You have to make the moment last.”
that is relevant to most athletes: especially tennis players. According to the Oxford Index, the definition of differential relaxation is as follows: “A relaxation technique that involves producing just the right degree of tension in different muscles to perform a particular movement.” Muscles not involved in the required movement are relaxed so energy is not wasted. Differential relaxation guards the production of unwanted tension which can interfere with the performance of skilled movements. Elite athletes appear to be able to achieve a state of differential relaxation more easily than lower level athletes. Two great examples of masters of differential relaxation are Roger Federer, whose game is fluid and efficient without wasted effort, and Usain Bolt, who smiles as he runs faster than any human ever has. A huge fundamental for all tennis players is to have a relaxed
grip pressure but many players would be arrested if they gripped any living thing as tight as they hold their racquet. A relaxed grip delivers more speed, spin, and less effort but most players are not even aware of how tight they’re actually holding the racquet. For that matter, most players don’t realize how tense they are in general. Want a humbling experience? Work with a personal trainer and hear them tell you to relax…when you thought you already were. Relaxation is a skill that needs to be practiced and, just like other skills, it improves with practice. The expression “trying smarter, not harder” is right on the money when it comes to differential relaxation. So how does one learn relaxation? Don’t tense up! I’ll share some techniques in the next article. Until then, remember a quote from another song – this one from The Eagles – and “take it easy.”
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Tennis players should have a relaxed grip pressure but many would be arrested if they gripped any living thing as tightly as they clutch their racquet.
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What does the 59th Street Bridge Song lyrics have to do with improving one’s tennis game? A lot more than you may think. There are many fundamental skills that one must master in any endeavor and, almost without exception, relaxation is one that people are aware of but continuously ignore. If you go to a professional sporting event, a musical concert, a theatrical play or any other type of high level performance act, the comment that people from the audience often make is “Wow, he or she makes it look so easy.” The great Pete Sampras was once quoted as saying it is damn hard work making it look easy. So where does relaxation fit in? There is a concept called “differential relaxation”
Photo Credit: Getty Images
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SD Tennis Hall of Fame Jeannie Craney Norwine By Terry Nielsen Jeannie Craney Norwine grew up within blocks of the tennis courts at McKennan Park in Sioux Falls. And she has been a Southern California gal for the past 35 years or so. But the fond memories of her playing winning tennis while a teenager in South Dakota still ring true in her mind. A 2019 South Dakota Tennis Hall of Fame inductee, Jeannie recalls her early start in tennis, using the family garage door as a bang board. By honing her game on the courts at McKennan Park, she then led her team to a state high school title at Washington High, claiming a singles title along the way. She won several junior singles titles at Northwestern Sectional tournaments in the Twin Cites (MN). In 1971, the Sectional yearbook lists her ranked #2 in the girls 12’s singles based on the previous summer’s play. And in the 1976 Sectional yearbook, she held a #5 ranking in girls 18’s, plus a #2 ranking in girls’ 16’s singles. After graduating from WSHS, Jeannie played #1 singles and doubles in tennis while attending South Dakota State University in Brookings. “Looking back, McKennan Park represents so much to me now as a middle-aged adult. I spent every summer at the courts and every winter on the ice skating rink,” said Jeannie. “At eight years of age, I played my first tournament and I recall liking the chance to win and really thriving on the competition a lot! From there I began to play local, state and regional tournaments. My mother was my faithful driver, match watcher and mascot.” She has many memories of competing against Kari Sandvig, Nancy Hougland, Nancy Rost, Karen Bernard, Linda Kopriva, Chris Dummermuth and Theresa Bell. As a sophomore at Washington High, her team was undefeated and she beat Dolly Paluch of Rapid City Central for the state #1 singles title. Her doubles partner was Karlee Grebin and team members who placed high at the state meet won by the Washington Warriors were: Jane Nelson, Debbie Hopewell and Deanna Darr. Other team members were Nancy Musso, Jenny Hoehl and Cindy Psychos.
As a junior in the fall of 1976, at the state meet, Jeannie was a finalist for another state title before losing to Nancy Rost in what would be the first of five straight championships for Nancy. Jeannie recalls teaching tennis for the city of Sioux Falls in 1979, and taking lessons over the years from Dave Weber at Westward Ho and Randy Stolpe at Woodlake. In that group with Stolpe were other junior players Jay Lauer, Mark Wakey, Mike Hoeger, Dick Hahn, Kari Sandvig and Nancy and Pat Rost. Her coaches at Washington High were Dick Day, Dave Dummermuth and Chris Dummermuth. Since this writer had asked for a special childhood tennis memory, and knowing she had loved winning trophies, Jeannie said, “Well, I do have one memory for sure. We were returning from a Twin Cities tennis tournament, riding facing the back in one of those old station wagons. Another car of tennis players came upon us, and flashed a rather small trophy at us. It was a thrill to hold up a two footer I had just won and wave it back at them,” said Jeannie with a smile.
2019 South Dakota Hall of Fame Inductees Jeannie Craney Norwine and Kevin Grebin
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SD Tennis Hall of Fame Kevin Grebin By Terry Nielsen A 2019 SD Tennis Hall of Fame inductee, Sioux Falls native Kevin Grebin has been involved with tennis for over 50 years. First as a player and instructor, then as an outstanding coach, tennis was introduced to him by his parents, Don and Marlee Grebin. Tennis was destined to be the sport of Kevin’s choosing. When your father is remembered by many as the “Godfather of South Dakota tennis,” memories going back into Kevin’s younger years about tennis come back easily. “My earliest memories of tennis are taking off early mornings before the sun was up, traveling to weekend tournaments,” said Kevin. “My introduction to the game was dad giving private lessons at the tennis court that belonged to Dave and Tom Weber’s parents, just a block from our house. All those weekend tournaments watching my father play doubles with John Simko were really fun. I recall hot and humid days of tennis, drinking cold water out of metal tennis ball cans, playing with wooden Jack Kramer tennis racquets, hitting white tennis balls and playing matches with no tie breakers. And I will never forget the great times at the old Terrace Park courts (often with younger sisters Karlee and Karrie), playing under the lights at the McKennan courts in the late 1960’s, into the ‘70’s (using quarters to light the court), and drinking cold lemonade from the big metal milk containers during the South Dakota Open!” His father was one of his coaches when Kevin played for Washington High from 1972-1975. He recalls helping his dad later run state high school tournaments and will never forget playing with his first graphite Yonex at the CC Lee tournament in Aberdeen. A summer was spent alongside Chris Dummermuth teaching tennis on Sioux Falls public courts. It was off to Sioux Falls College from 1975-1980 where his game really stepped up a notch, playing with the likes of Craig Caselli and Rich Erickson. Much improvement was also gained hitting balls with friends Brian Balcer and Dick Hahn. While playing for SFC 1976-79 (now the University of Sioux Falls), Kevin played #1 singles and doubles for three years and was allconference and all district in 1979. Later, he won several doubles titles over the years with Hahn, and has great memories of teaming with his father to win the 35 and over doubles in 1992 at the SD Closed. Though many consider Kevin and his wife, Deb, a tennis family since both daughters Danielle and Jayme became established players, it was at a dance class of all things where Kevin first met Deb while both were students majoring in education at SFC. Deb stayed in education and is in her 20th year teaching middle school for the Tea Area School District. Kevin taught and coached football for two years right out of college at Colman High School, then in 1984 he joined the South Dakota Highway Patrol as a trooper. He was stationed out of Sioux Falls, a position he held for 20 years. During the summers of 2001-2010, Kevin ran the tennis program at Minnehaha Country Club. After volunteering to help Jeff Nelson coach at USF for 4 years, the college asked Kevin to take over following Jeff’s resignation. Kevin is now the winningest coach in school history. In the old 2017 USTA SECTION OF THE YEAR
Great Plains Athletic Conference he was coach of the year six straight years, while his teams were conference champs each of those years (2005-2010.) They went to five national tournaments as an NAIA school. Since going NCAA DII, (2011-present) his team has made seven post season tournament appearances, and three times his women’s team has been awarded ITA-All Academic Team honors. His teams have had the highest team grade point average at USF over the past ten years. He doesn’t play tennis these days as of ten as he’d like because of family and coaching responsibilities. Kevin said: “Seeing my 8-year-old grandson taking lessons at GreatLIFE Woodlake Athletic Club, on the very tennis court named after his great-grandfather Don Grebin, makes all our family tennis experiences worth it.”
South Dakota Tennis Achievement Award – Bill and Teresa Townsend Family By Terry Nielsen The Volins, the Sandvigs, the Webers, the Paluchs, and the Bells. These are a few of the legendary families in South Dakota tennis history. Now we will add the Townsends to this list. Bill and Teresa Townsend of Sioux Falls and their four children: Matt, Meg, Izzy and Rachel have been chosen as the Tennis Achievement Award winners for this year. Bill was born and raised in Sioux Falls and attended St. Mary School. He said he took to the game at an early age thanks in part to living close to a familiar tennis haunt. “I grew up on 4th Avenue just down the street from McKennan Park,” Bill said. “One of the things in the summertime though is we’d meet some friends up at McKennan Park. That’s really how I got started in the game of tennis. Michelle Volin at the time lived right across from the park and she encouraged me and one of my best buddies, Stu Becker, to get involved and play up in the South Dakota Closed up in Brookings.” Teresa, who is the former Teresa Trysla, was born and raised in South Sioux City, Neb., where she also began the game as a youth. “My family played (tennis),” she said. “It was kind of a family thing that we would do together.” Bill moved onto O’Gorman High School in the fall of 1976. He quickly became immersed in the Knights’ sports scene as he played football, basketball, baseball and tennis. He played football for legendary coach Bob Burns while also playing basketball and tennis for current O’Gorman boys and girls tennis coach Don Barnes. In the spring of 1980, the Knights earned their first-ever state championship in boys tennis under the leadership of Ron Selkirk. Bill contributed to the title as he won the Flight 4 singles title and later teamed with Steve Rost to claim the Flight 2 doubles crown. “It was awesome,” Bill said. “You know back then, it was just four singles and two doubles but we swept the whole thing. It felt really good. That was my first state championship and a lot of fun.” He graduated from O’Gorman and Teresa graduated from South Sioux City High School with the Class of 1980. They met later that SEPTEMBER 2019 7
SD Tennis Hall of Fame fall at The University of South Dakota in Vermillion in freshman Speech class. While in Vermillion, Bill played defensive back for the Coyotes’ football team for four years under Coach Dave Triplett. After graduating with degrees in finance and education respectively, Bill and Teresa got married and headed south to Lincoln, NE, where he went to work for Federated Insurance. While in Lincoln, their son Matt was born. The family moved to Sioux Falls when Matt was two and Bill began working for Howalt-McDowell Insurance. Matt was later joined by sisters Meg, Izzy and Rachel, all of whom would come to play the game their parents enjoyed so much. Matt played four years of varsity tennis for the Knights’ boys team. His career saw him win three singles titles at three different flights (Flight 6 in 2002, Flight 4 in 2003 and Flight 3 in 2005) and bring home two doubles crowns at a pair of different flights (Flight 3 in 2004 with Nolan Wiese and Flight 2 in 2005 also with Wiese). Thanks to the efforts of Matt and his teammates, O’Gorman claimed two state championships in 2003 and 2005. Meg played six years of varsity tennis for the Knights’ girls team. She ended her career as a part of four straight state championship teams from 2007-2010. Meg herself brought home four individual
state championships (Flight 4 in 2006, Flight 2 in 2007, Flight 3 in 2009 and Flight 2 again in 2010) and three doubles championships for O’Gorman. She teamed with Theresa Petrasko to earn the Flight 1 doubles crowns from 2008 and 2009 before claiming her third straight Flight 1 doubles title in 2010 with Hannah Vandemark. Izzy played three years of varsity tennis for the Knights before being forced to give up the sport due to developing an illness called POTS. Rachel played four years of varsity tennis for O’Gorman and was a part of the Knights’ 2014 state championship team and won the Flight 3 doubles championship that year with Mira Yousef. After Rachel graduated from O’Gorman, Teresa said she did not want to be an empty nester so they invited Danielle Sebata, the current Flight 1 player for the Knights’ girls team, to live with them. Sebata has done so for the past two years. She claimed three Flight 1 singles championships and three Flight 1 doubles titles before graduating from O’Gorman this spring. Teresa talked about the significance with Bill and later all of their kids for the opportunity to play tennis for Coach Barnes. “It was fun that Bill had him and then to have all our kids be able to play for him,” she said. “That’s something special. You really don’t get that very often.” The family resides near McKennan Park, home courts for the O’Gorman tennis programs. All six members have enjoyed professional and educational success. A cause near and dear to Bill’s heart is the Huether Family Match Pointe in the Sanford Sports Complex. The indoor tennis facility boasts six tennis courts, one of which even bears the family’s name. Bill was involved in the fundraising effort in order to obtain the remaining monies to make the place a reality for the Sioux Falls tennis community.“That was a just labor of being in certain positions at certain parts of my life,” he said. “The Sanford Sports Complex was happening and so they were gracious enough to offer us the land then we started with the fundraising. We raised a little over a million (dollars) with just the tennis community. Then we got a Chamber drive, raised another 1.2 (million dollars) and we were well on our way.” Bill added the reason that his family has supported the venue is so that next generation of tennis players can begin an association with the sport that has given his family so much. “Our family’s support financially out there is for the little kids,” Bill said. “It was truly a family deal and we couldn’t be prouder to have our name out there and be associated with it.” On behalf of the South Dakota Tennis Hall of Fame selection committee, we proudly celebrate The Townsend Family as our Tennis Achievement Award winners for 2019! Congratulations to Bill, Teresa, Matt, Meg, Izzy and Rachel! Stay Tuned: 2019 North Dakota Hall of Fame inductees will be featured in the December issue of Northern Exposure.
South Dakota Tennis Achievement Award recipients Bill and Teresa Townsend on behalf of the Townsend family.
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Junior Tennis
Handshake Challenge
Players at junior tournaments around USTA Northern and around the country took part in the #HandshakeChallenge, where competitors shake hands before the match as well as after. Shaking hands before the match helps further set a tone of respect and sportsmanship. Thanks to the tournament staff and players for setting such great examples!
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Junior Tennis
USTA Northern National Teams Congratulations to the players who represented USTA Northern all across the country – from San Diego to Chattanooga – in July! 12 Zonals, Omaha, NE Huskies – 9th Place Tej Bhagra William Fleming Zoya Hasan Aoife Loftus Claire Loftus Andy Norman Annika Olson Brandon Pham Soren Swenson David Teng Sravika Vadrevu Sam Williams
Gophers – 10th Place Kaleb Ngwendson Tarun Gopalakrishnan Bode Campbell Quinn Martini Noah Wisniewski Aaron Beduhn Aarti Prochnow Alekhya Gottemukkula Sofia Reuter Jahnvi Chopra Molly Miller Alisa Ivanov
16 Zonals, Southlake, TX Northern Silver Yeti - 11th Place Zoe Adkins Ojas Bhagra Annika Elvestrom Allen Gong Nore Ann Heinitz Tharun Inturi Andrew Liu Matias Maule Annika Munson Nicole Ridenour Luke Westholder Sarah Shahbaz
Northern Gold – 7th Place Sujit Chepuri Zachary Leslie Riley Eddins Luke Fridinger Justin Prochnow Matthew Fullerton Karin Young Aili Hietala Selah Stibbins Sonia Baig Lauren Splett Isabella Suk
14 Zonals, Kalamazoo, MI Northern A – 6th Place, Flight B Emmanuel Alex Konner Gunwall Collin Beduhn Philip Wisniewski Kai Chen Anirudh Vadrevu Ashwika Thotakura Niyathi Bhupatiraju Karina Elvestrom Kelsey Phillips Brooke Kallas Ryann Witter
Northern B – 6th Place, Flight A Nolan Ranger Hank Trondson Will Lieberman Kaushik Bukkuri Ashish Thotakura Rocky McKenzie Paige Sargent Ancele Dolensek Emmeline Wang Lauren Kallas Allyson Jay Tasha Piyabongkam
World Team Tennis From WTT.com: The World Team Tennis tournament is a premier national junior invitational event featuring 16 co-ed teams from throughout the U.S. Teams use the WTT format during their three days of non-elimination draw competition. In addition to the competition, players also participate in seminars and a clinic hosted by event host and WTT co-founder Billie Jean King.”
Courtney Kallas, Tiannah Gu, Miriam Shteyman, Finnian O’Donnell, Geoffrey Youngs, Gavin Schmit
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Junior Tennis JUNIOR TEAM TENNIS RESULTS The 2019 Junior Team Tennis Section Championships took place July 22-28 in Lakeville, MN. Split between Lakeville North and South high schools, more than 900 players participated in the weeklong event from all across the USTA Northern section. Five teams booked their tickets to the National Championships this fall in the 18U Advanced, 18U Intermediate, 14U Advanced and 14U Intermediate divisions.
Results 18U Advanced St. Louis Park Djokers (SLP) def. SPUTniks (Saint Paul Urban Tennis) by games won: 39-20 Male Singles – Ashton Adesoro (SPUT) def. Ryan Schenck (SLP) 8-7 Female Singles – Nicole Snezhko (SLP) def. Vunnisa Vu (SPUT) 8-4 Male Doubles – Clayton Haberman/Jayho Hong (SLP) def. Dylan Pham/Jerusalem Thao (SPUT) 8-3 Female Doubles – Jessica Ip/Victoria Epshteyn (SLP) def. Julie Nguyen/Surena Vu (SPUT) 8-3 Mixed Doubles – Kevin Thomas/Racquel Fhima (SLP) def. Amanye Reynolds/ Kai Sih (SPUT) 8-2
18U Intermediate Fargo 18s Team #1 (Fargo) def. South Suburban AllStars (SSAS) by games won: 26-22
14 Intersectionals, Auburn, AL
16 Intersectionals, Shreveport, LA
Northern – 12th Place Oskar Jansson Matt Fullerton Emmanuel Alex Nolan Ranger Sarah Shahbaz Ashwika Thotakura Annika Munson Emmeline Wang
Northern – 15th Place Sujit Chepuri Bjorn Swenson Allen Gong Josh Christensen Karin Young Nore Ann Heinitz Zoe Adkins Selah Stibbins
Boys 18s, Chattanooga, TN
Girls 18s:
Northern – 2 wins, 2 losses Gavin Young Maxim Zagrebelny Bjorn Swenson Joe Mairs John Kasner Sourabh Terakanambi 2017 USTA SECTION OF THE YEAR
Male Singles – Wyatt Crowell (SSAS) def. Logan Sandberg (Fargo) 6-5 Female Singles – Monterey Knewtson (Fargo) def. Elizabeth Pirtle (SSAS) 6-4 Male Doubles – Kareem Kamel/John Wuitschick (Fargo) def. Brendon Sebring/Maneesha Dharmadasa (SSAS) 6-5 Female Doubles – Shaelyn Johnson/Raquel Egge (Fargo) def. Allison Agerland/NIcolette Keller (SSAS) 6-1 Mixed Doubles – Wyatt Crowell/Nicolette Keller (SSAS) def. Monterey Knewtson/Kareem Kamel (Fargo) 6-3
14U Advanced (Round Robin) 1. St. Louis Park Yetis 2. St. Louis Park Fed 3. Fridley Grindhouse
14U Intermediate South Suburban All-Stars (SSAS) def. InnerCity Tennis Black (ICT) by games won: 39-11 Male Singles – Bode Campbell (SSAS) def. Abhinav Maneesh (ICT) 8-0 Female Singles – Alexandra Repplier (ICT) def. Greta Campbell (SSAS) 8-1 Male Doubles – Noah Hong/Maddox Lundell (SSAS) def. Conor Sweeney/Nam Tran (ICT) 8-1 Female Doubles – Greta Johnson/Reese Burton (SSAS) def. Elliana Loesch/Lucy Porter (ICT) 8-2 Mixed Doubles – Anirudh Vadrevu/Greta Johnson (SSAS) def. N/A (default 8-0
Northern – 4 losses Madeline Suk Nicole Copeland Delaney Schurhamer Lauren Ferg Ellen Puzak Charlotte Bowles
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Adult Updates Adult 55 & Over Section Championship Results
Adult 18 & Over Section Championship Results
7.0 Women Champions – Captain: Shirley Draz, Co-Captain: Catherine Carney, Karen Clark, Suzanne Hecht, Theresa Johnson, Susan Stombaugh, Michelle Brennan, Marlys Day, Laura Abraham, Julie Damico
2.5 Women Champions – Captain: Valerie Larsen, Co-Captain: Alyssa Benson, Bridget Kaminski, Lori Youmans, Kara Grangaard, Suzanne Benson, Janelle Karlsrud, Kathryn Dehn
8.0 Women Champions – Captain: Karen Ostenso, Co-Captain: Janine Wildenberg, Joan Bachmeier, Vicki Tessendorf, Kristin Wogahn, Ruth Church, Terry Winter, Suzanne Dow, Ruth Ostenso
3.0 Women Champions – Captain: Laurie Walsh, Angela Hilo, Angela Johnson, Erika James, Wendy Olek, Gabrielle Meyertholen, Tobi Bell, Jen Bertsch, Stacey Wickman, Cate Scobee, Patty Janssen, Stephanie Dean, Paula Thornton, Mary McRaith, Anne Burt, Jill Riley, Pauline Bangma, Michelle Couture, Michele Kolar
7.0 Men Champions – Captain: Eric Narvaez, Co-Captain: Michael Schneider, Ron Saver, Thomas Petersen, William Boyes, Richard Iverson, Robert Jensen, Rick Hancks, Thanh Pham, John Genz, Mark Alschlager, Randall Paulson, Lawrence Wong
3.0 Men Champions – Captain: Bradley Sundick, Co-Captain: Brian Schumer, Ryan Rosoff, Jared Greenbaum, Jeffrey Lifson, Jeremy Frank , Luke Derheim, Alan Cosentino, Barry Kern, David Benowitz, Evan Miller, Roy Krengel, Edgar Rapoport
8.0 Men Champions – Captain: Paul Dalton, Bill Sommers, Mark Peschel, David Noren, Steven Siegel, Jerome Hartmann, Ron Ingalls, Reg Dunlap, Edward Savelkoul, James Robertson, Raj Pillai, Larry Valtinson, David Marks, Jim Wagner, John Reichling, Randall Paulson, Andrew Murphy, Ash Keswani
3.5 Women Champions – Captain: Valerie Ronning, Cheryl Otto, Carissa Dice, Myriam Sierra, Ann Flynn-Crowe, Danielle Greene, Laura Wong, Becky Fiala, Antje Peters, Tara McCallum
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Adult Updates Adult 18 & Over Section Championship Results
3.5 Men Champions – Captain: Daniel Edwardson, Co-Captain: Koushik Dutta, Ian Snyder, Nik Larsen, Ryan Pagel, Phillip Lee, Nicholas Mihalyi, Paul Tharp, Joseph Millard, Daniel Leslie, Bert Chien, Brian Koskey, Andy Pulkrabek, Joshua Chung, Camilo Ferreira, Varo Zembryki, Henry Smith, Jeff Hom, Aaron Walker, Drew Rosenblum
4.5 Women Champions – Captain: Mary McDonald, Pamela Moeller, Patricia Goodrich, Hollis McPeek, Elizabeth Strand, Brianna Havelka, Catherine Resch, Sara Campbell, Marla Zitelman, Tory Borovsky, Calle Conda, Shirlene Luk, Taylor Heltne, Jennifer Miller, Megan Biehn, Jennifer Heitzman, Christine Conner, Alison Khan
4.0 Women Champions – Captain: Martha Shannon, Co-Captain: Kerry Reiling, Frances Berry, Shae Rohling, Leslie Nicholson, Traci Spano, Mary Kuna, Andrea Boado, Mary O’Brien, Genevieve Swanson, Lisa LaCombe, Doreen Remington, Lydia Crouser, Hillary Kiefer, Emily Blodgett, Patty Barr, Kimberly Mueller, Sarah Twedt, Lea Favor, Jennifer Magnuson, Jennie Andersen
4.5 Men Champions – Captain: Ken Cychosz, Co-Captain: Samuel Cychosz, Anders Jensen, Eli Best, Steve Errington, Ted Lauer, Andrew Michels, Daniel Boulay, Juan Rossi, Philip Manger, Will Prest, Spencer Jones, Greg Nations, Eric Gleason, Jonathan Tishler, Mark Alevisos, Scott Danielson, Anthony Schmidt, Peter Heunisch, Robert Cardenas, Adam Gustad, Geoffrey Basham
USTA Northern’s Tennis In Your Park
4.0 Men Champions – Captain: Chandha Duwearatchi, Co-Captain: Craig Ballentine, Mark Gness, Darin Allen, Joshua Hobday, Ian Gideon, Douglas Marmar, Dave Combs, Scott Andersen, Bradley Springer, James Robertson, William Henneman, Matt Allen, Timothy Edmund, Daniel Brown, Albert Llaurado, Paul Jilek, Jay Knutson, Jason Bernloehr, Jiten Gori
2017 USTA SECTION OF THE YEAR
USTA Northern’s “Tennis In Your Park” program is aimed at growing the game through grassroots tennis and inviting adults to jump in on court at their local community park. The program is in its fifth year and partners with communities to provide high-quality lessons to over 450 adults in 30 different parks across the Twin Cities. Lessons are offered from June through September and site locations can be found at USTA.com/NorthernAdultLessons. In addition to Beginner, Advanced Beginner, and Intermediate adult lessons, offerings this summer expanded to include a Drill & Play format and a Social/Recreational League in August and September in Minneapolis (no USTA membership required). Share the news with a friend and come join the FUN outside at your community park! SEPTEMBER 2019 13
Making An Impact
Senior Tennis Players Club Grant
Summer tennis programs come in all shapes and sizes but the truly inventive ones catch the eye. The Senior Tennis Players Club — recipients of a $5,000 USTA Northern Community Tennis Grant — rolled out a new program to resounding success this summer. Pairing grandparents and grandchildren, the six — week program was held at InnerCity Tennis and had more than 20 grandparents with 30 grandchildren signed up. Using tennis to bridge generational divides and provide environments for grandparents and grandchildren to stay active and learn the game earned a positive reaction, according to Ruby Nguen and Marilyn Kelley, two of the organizers of the program. Grandchildren receive an age — appropriate racquet and red low — compression tennis balls to ease their introduction to the game.
Community Tennis Grants are for starting or expanding community — based tennis programs and activities. Four grant types are available in 2019: Project/Program Support, Organizational Capacity Building, Court Amenities, and Equipment. Funding amounts range from $250 — $5,000, depending on the size of the organization and scope of the project. Grant review typically takes about one month and awards will be given until funds are depleted. Additional funding cycles may be added. Applications are reviewed multiple times per year, according to the following schedule:
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DEADLINE
NOTIFICATION OF COMMITTEE DECISION
March 1, 2019
April 12, 2019
April 30, 2019
June 14, 2019
July 8, 2019
August 16, 2019
September 23, 2019
November 4, 2019
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TRIA Fitness Tips
Tips For Handling The Heat In the heat of the summer, it’s important to remember our bodies need more nutrients and hydration to continue operating at our best. The heat can be difficult to handle, but with a few helpful tips from the experts at TRIA, our official orthopedic and sports medicine partner, you can still compete, play or just enjoy your time outside this summer. Shuhei Suzuki, DPT, is a physical therapist at TRIA. He also works with professional tennis players and tours with them as they compete. He often works with athletes in hot, humid weather. And as an avid tennis player himself, Shuhei has learned some helpful practices to stay cool in the heat.
Keep your body temperature as cool as possible Shuhei recommends bringing along some helpful items to keep your body cool, especially during hot and humid days at the tennis court. “Take breaks in the shade as often as possible. It’s also a good idea to use ice bags or ice towels,” says Shuhei. “If possible, I tell athletes to bring along a cooler with ice, water and a towel.” This ice towel, or an ice pack, can be used to cool down the neck, under the arms or the groin area. This helps keep your core temperature lower.
Practice in the heat If you aren’t used to playing in the heat, Shuhei says it can also be helpful to do a little bit of practice in warmer temperatures. To start, pick a time that is a little bit warmer and practice for 30 minutes at a time. While you definitely don’t want to overdo it, it can be helpful to get familiar with playing in the heat.
Hydration, hydration, hydration! Probably the most important thing – and one of the easiest for you to control – is your level of hydration. It is crucial to make sure you are well hydrated before, during and after exercising in the heat. These tips are helpful to remember: • Hydrate early and often. Start drinking a glass of water when you wake up, and keep a water bottle with you throughout the day • Hydrate consistently, especially the day before and day of a match or exercise in the heat • Hydrate with more than just water. Include electrolyte-rich sports drinks as well
Nutrition Jillian Tholen, RDN, a sports-trained registered dietitian at TRIA, adds that nutrition also plays a huge role in how well we can handle the heat. When it comes to warm and humid conditions, you definitely don’t want to start off a match or workout on an empty tank. First, Jillian says to make sure you get enough sodium from beverages and foods to replenish what you lost from sweat. “Don’t be afraid of salt – your body needs it!” Jillian says, “Many people will notice when they exercise in the heat, they crave salty things like potato chips, pretzels, salty nuts, etc. That’s your body telling you that you might need to replenish your sodium, so pay attention to that craving and know it’s ok to eat those foods.” 16 SEPTEMBER 2019
Carbohydrates are also extremely important, and our bodies need more carbs than usual when dealing with heat. Make sure to eat a carbohydrate-rich snack before your match or workout, and then replenish with carbohydrates in your food afterward as well. Jillian says it’s also crucial to get enough electrolytes into your system. Water on its own isn’t enough to replenish your body when you are sweating and exercising in intense heat. “Water on its own is important, but it doesn’t have a solute to help get it into your cells,” says Jillian. “It is helpful to use electrolyte supplements, salt tablets or even put a little bit of salt into your water. This can help with hydration.” During a match You can continue fueling and hydrating during exercise. This will depend on each athlete’s preference, but some popular options for mid-workout fuel include: • Sports drinks • Energy chews or gummies • Part of a banana • Other energy snacks such as sport beans
Recovery “Sometimes recovery gets neglected,” Shuhei points out. “It is important to re-fuel your body, especially if you are going to keep competing or keep moving that day.” Jillian recommends restocking carbohydrates, water and electrolytes right after your workout. Protein can also help with muscle recovery. Make sure to pay attention to how your body feels following an intense workout in the heat.
Signs to watch for If you do start to notice the following symptoms, make sure you take a step back and take care of your body before pushing yourself too far in hot conditions. Possible effects of the heat: • Headaches or dizziness • Slower reaction time • Upset stomach • General fatigue • Cramping • Irritability • More likely to get injured “Some people are more sensitive to the effects of dehydration,” says Jillian. “But it’s important to pay attention. The sooner you identify the symptoms, the sooner you can take care of yourself and bounce back quickly.” Now that you have some tips, you can keep playing at your best while avoiding the negative effects of heat this summer. If you have more questions about nutrition, hydration or playing tennis in the heat, schedule an appointment with the experts at TRIA today! N RTHERN EXP SURE
Max Exsted – New #1
The Road to #1 By Max Exsted I started trying to hit tennis balls when I was one; I could barely walk. When I was two, I started playing and hit balls against our porch glass door, which I still do today. I made my first YouTube video when I was three years old titled “Max Practices Tennis.” That video got over 60,000 views. At four, I won my first tournament - the Mini Mo in Chicago and I started to go to InnerCity Tennis to volunteer and play on Super Saturdays which I still do today. We made the another “Max Practices Tennis” video when I was four and, as of now, has over 500,000 views. Another year went by just playing and having fun (playing some basketball too) and we made another YouTube video with the Gophers. That was the year I was asked to sign my first autograph on a tennis bag and the year I started playing team tennis in Shakopee. When I was six, we went to the US Open because my brother,
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Alex, won the Arthur Ashe essay contest and we made a video with Sloane Stephens and Dmitry Tursunov. At seven years old, I also won a 14s Doubles Level 6 with Brooks Allen and my Shakopee Wildcats Team tennis won the Titanium Bracket at Sections. My sister Isabelle moved to Florida to train full time with Bill Adams when I was nine; that year, I won the Section Level 3 for 12 and under and I became #1 in the section. This allowed me to qualify for national tournaments across the US and get good experience. At 10, my brother Alex went to play Division 1 at the University of Northern Colorado and that was the year we developed my “Max” logo. I also started traveling to camps in California and Oklahoma and won a Section Level 4 14s singles title. The next year, I won the Arthur Ashe Essay for the Northern Section. I won the Level 2 12s in Alabama and then the 14s Section Level 3. I won my first ball, a gold ball in Clay Court doubles in Orlando and a silver ball at Hardcourts in Alabama. I
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Max Exsted - New #1 also picked up my first singles ball in Winter Nationals in Arizona (silver) and won another a silver in doubles. I also made a video for Wilson’s new racquet, the Clash, and trained in Alabama, California, Florida, New York and Ohio. Since turning 12 in March, I won a bronze ball in doubles at the Easter Bowl in California, I repeated my Level 2 singles win in Mobile, AL, and won doubles in June. I repeated as National Doubles Champion at the Clay Court Championships with a gold ball in Orlando in July and I won my first National Championship in singles with a gold ball at Hardcourts in Alabama and I repeated as doubles runner up with a silver ball in August. With that singles gold, I became #1 in the nation! I also opened m it: Yo ur Ga Phot o Cr ed
up an online store selling merchandise branded with my “Max” logo. It’s taken a bunch of hard work and determination but I still love the game. Now I’m doing online school and have stopped playing traveling basketball – I’m going to focus on tennis more. I’m on the road a lot – usually twice a month - but when I’m in Minnesota you can catch me at InnerCity Tennis or the Shakopee High School courts working on my game. I want to thank my family, my brother, Alex, and sister, Isabelle, John and Ben Wheaton and the entire Wheaton family, the Goldammers and the Bill Adams International Tennis Academy. All of these people have been very important to help me be the best I can be in tennis and in life.
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Photo Credit: YourGameFace.com
Phot o Cr ed it: Yo ur Ga m eF
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National Essay Contest Winner
Essay Contest Winner In late August, the USTA Foundation announced the 10 winners of the 21st annual NJTL Essay Contest. Winners ranged in age from 10 to 18 and were selected from more than 2,600 entries. This year’s essay question asked: “This year marks the 50th anniversary of NJTL. What specific impact do you hope your chapter can make in your community today that you would want remembered 50 years from now? Meria Pha of St. Paul Urban Tennis was selected as the national winner for the Girls 12 and Under category with the following essay:
In 50 years, I will be 62 years old. I may still be playing tennis as a hobby. I also may have become a professional tennis player. Despite all the paths I could take, my love for tennis will be perpetual. I will present 3 reasons why Saint Paul Urban Tennis has made me love tennis forever. First, the coaches are filled with personality. They radiate off positive energy. From the get-go, my coaches have always encouraged me to become the best tennis player that I can be. Through comfort and motivation, my coaches have inspired me to believe that tennis can become a part of my everyday life. Secondly, SPUT has made an effort to include a diverse set of coaches and kids. When you have coaches who look like and represent you, it makes you more comfortable and makes you believe you can succeed in
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tennis. I can really relate to the kids of color in my tennis program too. My sense of identity is strengthened when I know there are students who have things in common with me. Lastly, SPUT has given me access to a sport that kids of color from a lower social class was historically not a part of. I only recently started seeing professional tennis players of color winning tennis tournaments on television. I believe SPUT gives Hmong kids a reason to believe that they too can become someone that generations in the future can model after. For that reason, SPUT is awesome for allowing kids of color and of lower class to play tennis. Everybody of all class and color can play tennis. SPUT has made this possible for me. To create an even better community, SPUT can have more detailed introductions from students and coaches so they can have a better first impression of each other. SPUT helped me with other things too, like using SERVICE to help me make good life choices such as school. Therefore, SPUT can be remembered for great things and sets up a positive example for future generations. For winning her category, Meria will have VIP status in the USTA President’s Box in Arthur Ashe Stadium as part of the 2019 Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day powered by Net Generation.
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In Memoriam
Dick Riley (1942-2019) Richard Riley was born January 3, 1942, to Russel Ralston Riley and Gertrude Alethea Bird Riley in Keokuk, IA. He died July 19, 2019. He spent his childhood in Keokuk, graduating from Keokuk High School in 1960. His undergraduate and graduate degrees were conferred by the University of Iowa, Iowa City. Majoring in history, he earned his B. A. in 1964, his M.A. in 1966. From 1964-66, Dick taught high school history and coached boys’ basketball and boys’ tennis teams in Bettendorf, IA. He married Carolyn Smith July 9, 1966, in Sioux Falls, SD. He earned his J.D. from the U of Iowa law school in 1969. Upon receiving his law degree, Dick accepted a position with the office of the Minnesota Attorney General in St. Paul, and he and his wife moved to the Twin Cities where he specialized in real estate law. Subsequent legal positions included the Department of Housing and Urban Development (H.U.D.) and in-house counsel for Northland Mortgage. A career shift to commercial mortgage banking led him to employment with Dougherty, Dawkins, Strand & Yost, Inc.; Eberhardt Company; Northco; Collateral Real Estate Capital; and Grandbridge Real Estate Capital. He retired December 2017. Dick was a lifelong tennis player. He won the Iowa State H. S. Doubles Championship in 1960 and played 4 years of varsity tennis at the University of Iowa. He retained ties with his U of Iowa tennis teammates, his Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity brothers, and his law school classmates, returning each year to Iowa City for football and basketball games and reunions. Through much of his adult life, he competed in club and sanctioned tennis events, and in 1980 he spearheaded the formation of the first United States Tennis Association (USTA) League teams in the USTA Northern Section. In 1979 he won the Junior Veterans (35) Mixed Doubles title in the National Public Parks Championships. He was a life member of the USTA and volunteered for more 22 SEPTEMBER 2019
than 40 years—both in the Northern Section as board member and president and at the national level, serving on multiple national committees. He was also a board member of St. Paul Urban Tennis (SPUT) and a member of the University of MN Baseline Club which supports the U of M men’s tennis team. As an avid sports fan, he loved encouraging and cheering on both his daughter Kate (basketball) and son Scott (tennis) as they won state championships in the Minnesota State H. S. League in 1988 and 1992. In 1995 he and his family were named the national USTA Family of the Year for their volunteer service to tennis. In 2009, he was inducted into the USTA Northern Tennis Hall of Fame. He is survived by his daughter Kate (Tom) Smith, Winnetka, IL; son Scott (Elizabeth) Riley, Minnetonka, MN; grandchildren Alison and Patrick Smith, Brennan and Rhys Riley; former wife Carolyn Riley, Minnetonka, MN; sistersin-law and brothers-in-law Becky & Ben Field, Long Lake, MN; Cindy & Bob McNeill, Deadwood, SD; Leesa & Lonnie Haugland, Spearfish, SD; and many dear nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his mother in 2000 and his father in 1987. Dick’s family invites friends to join them to celebrate his life on Saturday, August 10, between the hours of 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at The Marsh, 15000 Minnetonka Blvd, Minnetonka, MN 55345. Memorials may be directed to: St. Paul Urban Tennis (SPUT), 1675 5th St. E., St. Paul, MN 55106 or to the donor’s choice. Dick Riley and former USTA National Board of Directors President Lucy Garvin, 2 Oct 2009.
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