The Bucks County Tennis Association hosted two competitions at the Council Rock High School North Courts in Newtown, enabling players to test their prowess against their peers. During its annual July event, the BCTA hosted a Friday night Team Challenge for its public park players who participated in Seasons 1 and/or 2 of its Learn, Practice & Play outdoor programs. Then, on Saturday and Sunday, the nonprofit community tennis association ran its 21st annual BCTA Jr. Classic, a USTA-sanctioned tournament for county and tri-state boys and girls in the 14- and 16-and-under age divisions.
Team Challenge
While the BCTA has implemented entry-level competition for many years, the United States Tennis Association initiated its Team Challenge pilot program as an introduction to competition that focuses on team play and character development. Team Challenge athletes were identified by their respective BCTA coaches to compete in one of three divisions: Red Ball (recommended ages 7-10 played on 36-foot courts), Green Ball (recommended ages 11-13) or Yellow Ball (recommended ages 14-plus). The friendly competition highlighted teamwork, sportsmanship and skill development in a fun, social environment.
For each division in the event, two teams were formed and players created their team name, after which each group vied for medals as well as sportsmanship awards. Team champions and runners-up were determined by total team scores that were accumulated during round-robin matches and special “bonus rounds” of “Team Singles” and “Team Tennis Sandwich,” respectively, in the Green and Red Ball divisions. BCTA coaches and volunteers were on hand to guide players and matches, and a number of parents helped with scorekeeping in the Red and Green Ball divisions.
Yellow Ball Teen/Adult Division Teams
– Northern/Central Bucks: Aayush Patel, Anastasia Korshun, Emily Ferris, Keri Lewin, Kevin Rockel, Kiran Dolan, Maria Zavyazkina, Michael Guinosso, Tyler Brown
– Southern Bucks: Amit Joshi, Daria Zhukova, Ethan Flannery, Faith Thompson, Keira Calista, Nunzio DeMarchis, Olivia Orleski, Rylee Russell, Tarun Sanuvala, Vincent Malizia
The gold medal went to Upper/Central Bucks (55 games) and silver went to Southern Bucks (56 games).
Red Ball Division Teams
– Northern/Central Bucks Tigers: Beckett Schmidt, Caroline Skaatea, Giuliana Bennett, Keshav Patel, Maura Kerr, Rosalyn Homa
– Southern Bucks Falcons: Caden Zhao, Kevin Feng, Maximus Adams, Noble Jolly, Nora Hammett, Abby Nguyen, Avnika Gowda
The gold medal went to Northern/Central Bucks Tigers (238 points) and silver went to Southern Bucks Falcons (207 points).
Green Ball Division Teams
– Northern/Central Bucks Red Team: Anya Aziz, Asher Schmidt, Brad Schmidt, Charlotte Campagna, Ella Williams, Evaleigh Homa, Jason McFadden, Lucas Munn, Lucia Ficociello, Nathan Clapp, Rosalie Williams, Sumaya Aziz, Violet Friemann, Vivian Campagna
– Southern Bucks Black Team: Bruce Marcucci, Chip Caro, Cooper Kelso, Lucas Wambold, Maggie Lin, Maura Mullin, Nancy Lin, Nico Robinson, Sabrina Talke, Saharsh Boddu, Shreyas Boddu, Teresa Nguyen, Trevor Malizia
The gold medal went to Northern/Central Bucks Red Team (178 points) and silver went to Southern Bucks Black Team (159 points).
21st annual BCTA Jr. Classic
This event drew experienced tournament players from throughout the tri-state area. This year’s tournament included 58 boys and girls competing in 14- or 16-and-under age divisions. Bob Long served as tournament referee. Among the champions were Michelle Lerner, of Southampton, and Tori Allen, of Warrington.
The results are as follows:
– Boys’ 14s L6: Jerry Cheng as champion, Ben Chervoneva as runner-up
– Boys’ 16s L6 Blue: Rishabh Ramaswamy as champion, Alan Zhang as runner-up
– Boys’ 16s L6 Red: Spandan Chandra as champion, Ezra Paphael as runner-up
– Girls’ 14s L6: Caroline Jiao as champion. Akshaya Peketi as runner-up
– Girls’ 16s L6: Jaime Poon as champion, Aspen Deems as runner-up
“This was an especially fun group. It’s great to see players not only develop, but having fun,” said Laura Canfield, BCTA program director, who organized the Team Challenge and serves as the Jr. Classic Tournament director.
Visit buckscounty.usta.com for more information.
