Memorial Day Tournament Raises $28K for FARA
More than 220 players competed in last month’s 26th Annual Memorial Day Charity Tennis Tournament at East Lake Woodlands.
Men’s, women’s and mixed doubles competitions resulted in 14 champions, including double wins by Lisa Balsera (women’s open with Andrea Lord and mixed open with Chris Henderson) and Christina Theofilos (women’s 3.5 with Laura Salzer and mixed 3.5 with John Theofilos).
More than $28,000 was raised for FARA, Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance. Friedrich’s ataxia is a debilitating, life-shortening and degenerative neuro-muscular disorder that affects one in 50,000 people in the U.S.
To learn more, visit www.curefa.org.
Walker Awarded Champion of Tennis by USTA Florida, USPTA Pro of the Year
Wendall Walker of Seminole recently received two awards for his dedication to promoting tennis.
At the USPTA Florida convention last month, Walker was named District 7B (Pinellas) Pro of the Year. Also last month, at the USTA Florida Community Tennis Workshop in Tampa, Walker was among those recognized by USTA Florida’s Community Outreach Committee as a “Champion of Tennis.”
Kudos to Pinellas High School Players
Adam Ambrozy
Tampa Bay Times newspaper recognized Peter Litsky and Adam Ambrozy as Pinellas County’s Co-Players of the Year, and Rehaana Butt the girls Pinellas Player of the Year.
Both Litsky and Ambrozy won their state titles, Class A and Class 4A, respectively, and Butt reached the Class 4A final before a knee injury sidelined her.
Shorecrest graduate Litsky is heading to Brown University and St. Petersburg grad Ambrozy will attend Columbia University. Butt begins her senior year at Countryside High next month.
Named to the Girls’ First Team were Annalise Klopfer, sophomore at Clearwater Central Catholic and Geetha Velusamy, junior at East Lake. Boys’ First Team members included Aaron Carey, senior at Countryside, and Aaron Swartz, senior at East Lake.
Wang Finishes 2nd at ‘Bobby Curtis’ State Girls’ 12s
In Sophia Wang’s second year of competition in the USTA Florida ‘Bobby Curtis’ State Singles Championships, she played her best.
Wang, who turned 12 in May, finished second in the girls’ 12-and-under draw.
The seventh-seed won five matches to the final, including wins over the No. 12, 4, and 5 seeds.
Wang trains at the Bardmoor Golf and Tennis Club in Largo.
Vinoy Dominates Weekly Leagues
The Renaissance Vinoy women in St. Petersburg take their doubles play seriously.
In last season’s weekly league play, Vinoy squads won all three leagues they played, including defending some titles!
The Vinoy won its seventh Satellite Ladies Doubles title since 2006, defended their title in the Suncoast Ladies Doubles League among 13 teams, and won their third consecutive title among 26 teams in the PADL league.
