The Bucks County Tennis Association hosted two competitions at the tennis courts of Council Rock North High School and one at Central Bucks West High School, which enabled players to test their prowess against their peers.
During its annual mid-season Team Challenge on July 19, public park players who participated in Seasons 1 and/or 2 of the nonprofit’s outdoor programs enjoyed friendly competition. On July 20 and 21, the BCTA hosted its 22nd annual BCTA Jr. Classic, a USTA-sanctioned tournament for county and tri-state boys and girls in the 14-, 16- and 18-and-under age divisions. On July 21, BCTA Double Fortnite Grand Slam teen/adult league celebrated its completion.
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 highlights teamwork, sportsmanship and skill development in a fun social environment.
For each division in the event, two teams were formed and teammates created their name, after which each team 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 in the Green and Red Ball, respectively, with loud cheers for “the last player standing” and first team to finish. BCTA coaches and volunteers were on hand to guide players and matches, and a number of parents and high school volunteers helped with scorekeeping in the Red and Green Ball divisions.
Yellow Ball Division results: Gold medal, Southern/Central Bucks (64 games); Silver medal, Northern/Central Bucks (50 games).
Yellow Ball Division teams: Northern/Central Bucks — Adrianna Shantzer, Aidan Elhyani, Anastasia Korshun, Grace Byrne, Keira Calista, Leah Jiorle and Swaroopa Paratkar; Southern/Central Bucks — Braeden Toadvine, Claire Titus, Daria Zhukova, Emily Ferris, Julian Corbin, Luke Moore, Tyler Brown and Vincent Malizia.
Red Ball Division results: Gold medal, Southern/Central Bucks Smashing Phillies (215 points); Silver medal, Southern Bucks Black Magic (186 points).
Red Ball Division teams: Northern/Central Bucks Black Magic — Gia Patel, Kevin Feng, Lucy Welsh and Vera Duntzee; Southern/Central Bucks Smashing Phillies — Connell Souders, Marlo Mielke, Noble Jolly and Yasmeen Chaudhary.
Green Ball Division results: Gold medal, Northern/Central Bucks Red Hawks (199); Silver medal, Southern Bucks Silver Black Tigers (158).
Green Ball Division teams: Northern/Central Bucks Red Hawks– Addison Strawser, Evaleigh Homa, Lincoln Kusters, Lucas Munn, Rosalyn Homa and Shane Riso; Southern Bucks Silver Black Tigers — Gaven Philp, Hunter Gallagher, Noah Lutz, Ruda Patel, Thomas Cronin and Vivian Bender.
22nd annual Bucks County Tennis Jr. Classic
The 22nd annual BCTA Jr. Classic drew experienced tournament players from throughout the tri-state area. This year’s tournament included 57 boys and girls competing in 14-, 16- and 18-and-under age divisions.
Boys’ 14s L6: Champion — Sebastian Balistri, Princeton, New Jersey; Finalist — Shane Beidelman, Hatfield.
Boys’ 16s L6: Champion — Keane Dougherty, Cheltenham; Finalist — Kanata Saski, Morganville, New Jersey.
Boys’ 18s L6: Champion — Lucas Karapelou, Princeton, New Jersey; Finalist — Alan Zhang, Furlong.
Girls’ 14s L6: Champion — Advika Anand, Cranbury, New Jersey; Finalist — Bernadette Gasser, Schnecksville.
Girls’ 16s L6: Champion — Maahi Patmidi, Princeton, New Jersey; Finalist — Shinjini Chandra, Edison, New Jersey.
BCTA Double Fortnite Grand Slam League
Over four weekends of play, 35 athletes endured intense heat and humidity to create a true showcase of outdoor, public tennis, all while celebrating the 2024 Wimbledon Championships with various tournament themes. The July 21 final was the largest individual group of the four weeks with 22 participants competing in 13 matches over two hours. Champions were crowned and giveaways were distributed to participants.
The BCTA “Wimbledon” Champions were: Women’s Singles — Emily Ferris; Women’s Doubles — Joanne Kucsma and Robin Stamate; Girls’ Singles — Anastasia Korshun; Girls’ Doubles — Dasha Zhukova and Kiera Check; Men’s Singles — Nunzio DeMarcus; Boys’ Singles — Jin Yoon; Men’s Doubles — Aiden Paternoster and Vinny Malizia.
Visit buckscounty.usta.com for more information.
