Greater Columbus Tennis Association
2001 Awards
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Each year at the end of the summer season, the GCTA has
an awards ceremony to honor the winning teams and individual Champ of
Champs from those teams. These winners are listed on the respective Men's
and Women's League pages.
(click on the following to go to those pages)
Men's League Winners
Women's League
Winners
The Awards Ceremony was held this year at the Upper Arlington
Municipal Building.
Janet Craycraft was the organizer of the ceremony.
She was assisted by Geri Schlegel.
Janet Craycraft and Geri Schlegel
At the September 23, 2001 Awards Ceremony, the following
individuals were selected as deserving a
GCTA Special Recognition Award
.
Gary Alexander
Gary Alexander has been a GCTA Board Member since 1988. He served
as Vice President from 1990 to 1994. He was President of the GCTA in 1995
and 1996. He has been involved with numerous programs for the GCTA. In
1988 and 1989, he was the Captain of the Junior Davis Cup Team. Both
years, the Jr. Davis Cup Team was the USTA/Ohio Valley District Champion.
He led the GCTA Boys' Team to the USTA National City Team Tournament in
1989. This team was the eventual runner-up in the tournament. In 1991, Gary
founded the GCTA Adult Instruction Program. The following year, along with
Doug Snapp, Gary developed a program for non-ranked juniors. This program
became part of the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department's program. The
program existed until being taken over by the USTA USA Jr. Team Program.
The money for CRPD division of this USTA program still comes from the GCTA.
Gary and Mark Vanatta started the GCTA Mixed Doubles Leagues in 1994. Gary
has served the Men's League Chair for two terms: 1990-1994 and 2000 to the
present. During those terms, a number of things have been changed or been
added. In 1991 an Open Division was added. In 1992, with the assistance of
Brooks Naffziger, a Platinum Division (65 and over) was added. Brooks assisted
Gary in the establishment of a Diamond Division in 2001. A 3.0 Division
was also added in 2001. Gary assisted in the organization and implementation
of the GCTA USTA USA Adult Summer Leagues in 2000. Gary's efforts to promote
tennis have not been limited to just the local area. He has worked with
the USTA Ohio Valley Tennis Association. He was the Vice President from
1996 to 1998, President from 1998 to 2000, and is presently the Immediate
Past President. During his time with the OVTA , he has served on several
committees including being Chairman of the Nominating Committee in 2001.
At the USTA Midwest Section level, Gary has been involved with the following
committees: Junior Recreation Committee member from 1997 to 1999, Nominating
Committee member from 1999 to 2001, and Chairman of the Adult/Senior Competition
Committee from 1999 to present.
.
Sharon Rusk
Sharon Rusk began playing tennis in 1975. She felt she was "old"
to start but her enjoyment of the game of tennis made this late start all
that more fun. Sharon started attending GCTA meetings in 1977. She came
up with the idea of establishing a "BYE" team for Worthington Hills Country
Club. Her idea was to create a team that would play against the teams that
had byes each week so she could find out how her team measured up. She actually
played her first team tennis in 1979. In 1982, she served on the Women's
GCTA Board in as the 3.5 Chair. The following year, she because Women's Chair.
There were 92 teams in the Women's Division that year. Since that time,
she has served on the Women's Board in some capacity. With that, she has
seen the Women's League grow. This year there are 135 teams. She also served
as Women's Chair in 1993, 1994, and 1995. In 1986, Sharon became involved
in the conception of the Babe Zaharias Tennis Classic for the American Cancer
Society. She has served on the GCTA Board for 16 years. As Sharon says,
"Love" is the perfect word for her when it comes to tennis: she loves to
play, loves to watch, and loves to be involved; most of all, she loves to
have fun.
Danna Monsul
Danna Monsul became involved in the GCTA Junior Area Qualifier
about 18 years ago when her daughter, Nicole, and her son, Jason, began
to play tournaments. She helped run the tournaments and later became Tournament
Director for several years. She has also assisted Carol Alexander in working
the OVTA Girls' Districts. She has shown the true spirit of volunteerism
as part of the group overseeing the tournament. For about 7 years, she was
the assistant coach for the Westerville North High School girls' tennis
team. Danna is currently a teacher for special needs children.
Connie Splawnyk
Connie Splawnyk has been involved in the tennis community since
1987. Her daughter Chrissy played the junior tournament circuit and then
became assistant women's tennis coach through the year 2000 at the Ohio
State University after having played varsity tennis there. Connie was Chairperson
of the Area Junior Qualifier, a member of the Greater Columbus Tennis Association
Board and a member of the Girls' District Team for most of the years since
its beginnings in Columbus in 1978. She was a very efficient and a dedicated
volunteer.
Press Award
An award was given to the newsperson who has
devoted attention to the area of tennis.
This year's award went to
Paul Batterson.
As a sports writer, Paul Batterson has covered tennis for ThisWeek
Newspapers and for the Suburban News for the past nine years. He was named
Ohio Prep Sports Writer of the Year in 1997 and Kevin L. Ware's Journalist
of the Year for the U.S. Army Europe in 1991. He was a 1983 Upper Arlington
High School graduate and received a bachelor's degree in journalism from
the University of Missouri-Columbia. Before returning to Columbus, he worked
at two daily papers, the Maryville Daily Forum in Missouri and the Jonesboro
Sun in Arkansas as well as the military newspaper the Frankfurt Chronicle
in Frankfurt, Germany. His writing has appeared in the Associated Press,
Stars and Stripes, the Kansas City Star, Sport Magazine, Off Duty Magazine,
and the Columbus Citizen Journal. Paul lives in Westerville with his wife
Nancy and two children, Alicia and Grant.
Outstanding Promotion of Tennis Award
Larry Hunter
Larry Hunter is a life-long resident of Ohio, having been born
in Washington Court House. He has been a resident of Columbus since 1981.
Larry's involvement with tennis began in 1995 when he was introduced to
the idea of wheelchair tennis by Margaret Farris. Since 1995, Larry has played
in nearly 40 tournaments around the country, including such locations as
Boca Raton, New York City, St. Louis, Washington, DC, Nashville, and, of course,
Columbus. In those tournaments, Larry has won four singles titles, seven
doubles titles, and several consolation singles titles. His crowning achievement
happened in 2000 when he and his doubles partner won the USTA National Clay
Court Championship in a thrilling three-set match that lasted four hours,
coming from 2-6, 2-4 down to win 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (2). In 2000, Larry decided,
along with several friends, to bring wheelchair tennis back to Columbus.
Margaret Farris had started and had successfully run wheelchair tennis tournaments
in Columbus from 1993 through 1996. In 1997, Columbus hosted the Midwest
Regional Championships; then, in 1998 and 1999, due to extenuating circumstances,
there were no tournaments. Larry and his friend Todd Carter, with the help
of Margaret, took it upon themselves to bring wheelchair tennis back to the
Central Ohio tennis scene. Starting with no money, Larry was able not only
to bring a quality event to town but to make it a profitable venture as well.
In 2001, with the help of his friend Mark Hurtt, Larry was able to make the
tournament even more successful. There is even talk of Columbus again hosting
a regional event within the next few years. When Larry is not playing tennis
or directing a tournament, he can be found at work at Columbus State Community
College as an Institutional Research Specialist or he can be found in school
at Franklin University where he is finishing work on his Master's in Business
Administration (MBA). In his free time, he enjoys being with friends, going
out to dinner with friends, listening to music, and of course, playing tennis.
Roland Sharer
Roland Sharer was born in 1910 in Nashville, Tennessee. He moved
to Columbus when he was seven years old. Susie Dunlap, his next door neighbor,
introduced him to tennis in the fifth grade. At 18, Roland was a pitcher
and first baseman for a semi-pro baseball team in Cleveland, Ohio. At 55
he left baseball and started playing tennis again. Roland was instrumental
in getting Tracy Austin (then 11 years old) to play in the Columbus Indoor
Tennis Tournament. He ran that tournament for ten years. His efforts with
that tournament were part of what made Columbus Indoor take off as a premier
indoor in Columbus, Ohio. He also ran a qualifier for local junior players
that would allow those players to participate in the tournament. For over
30 years, Roland has awarded a trophy to our area's most outstanding junior
girl player. He still actively plays and should finish Number One in the
United States in the 90 and Over Age Group. Roland gives credit to the Golden
Buckeyes tennis group for keeping him in shape. He singled out Phil Landauer
as the person who helped improve his forehand volley. The Wall Street Journal
quoted him in a tennis article in 1997 while he was playing tennis in Palm
Springs. In addition to his tennis activities, Roland chaired the Cub Scout
Baseball Program in Upper Arlington for 25 years. A flag pole and commemorative
plaque were awarded him and are located near the Upper Arlington tennis courts.
Umpire Award
Otto Laster
Otto Laster is a retired aerospace engineer who started playing
occasional tennis 35 years ago. After his retirement as an engineer, tennis
became an important part of his life. He now plays three or four times
a week in three different leagues. Currently, he is captain of the Westerville
Platinum and Diamond teams of the GCTA. Two years ago, he started officiating,
primarily in the junior tournaments. He especially enjoys the teaching aspects
of officiating.
Margo Mansfield Award
GCTA Female Player of the Year
The Margo Mansfield Award Fund was established by Margo's friends
and family at her passing. Margo was a tennis enthusiast and dedicated
much time to the Junior Wightman Cup. It is said that she was more interested
in how you played the game than if you won or lost. Sportsmanship and character
are very important criteria for this award.
Ashley Jakupcin
Ashley Jakupcin started playing tennis when she was five years
old. Her parents, Dr. Gary and Karen Jakupcin, started tennis lessons for
her with Dave Hoheisel. She then continued her tennis with her current coach,
Bill Warrens. By 1997, Ashley was ranked number three in the Ohio Valley
in the 12 and under rankings and Ashley was number eleven in the Midwest
rankings. She finished in third place in the OVTA District Qualifier. In
1998, she ranked number three in the Ohio Valley's fourteen and under and
she finished as runner-up in the GCTA Area Qualifier in the fourteen and
under age group. She qualified for the National Clay Court Championships
and the National Hard Court Championships in the fourteen and under age group.
Ashley was the Agonis Club Athlete of the Week as a freshman at Bishop Watterson
High School in 1999. She played first singles on the team. She was a qualifier
to the Ohio High School Athletic Association's District Tournament. In 2000,
Ashley was ranked third in the Ohio Valley 16 and under age group. She
was ranked number 25 in the Midwest. Ashley was the sixteen and under GCTA
champion in the GCTA Area Qualifier. She again played number one for Bishop
Watterson and was the Central District Champion. At the Ohio High School
Athletic Association State Tournament, Ashley was a quarterfinalist. WTVN
610 Radio honored her by selecting her as the High School Tennis Athlete
of the Week. She was one of the Ohio High School Athletic Association's All-State
Selections. In 2001, she won the 18 and under GCTA Area Qualifier. She
placed third in the OVTA District Qualifier in singles and won the doubles.
Ashley represented the OVTA on the Junior Wightman Cup team. She again qualified
for the National Clay Court Championships and the National Hard Court Championships.
She is captain and playing number one singles for Bishop Watterson High
School. She is ranked 213 nationally in the 18 and under group. Ashley trains
at several clubs and hopes to receive an athletic scholarship and play college
tennis. She loves competition, playing big tournaments, and seeing the results
of her hard work.
GCTA Male Player of the Year
Zack Sikora
Zack Sikora participated in his first international camp in
1996. His first tournament was in the Midwest Regional here in Columbus,
Ohio in 1997. He continued to train with Margaret Farris and the National
Adapted Tennis Academy. In 1999, he started playing in a wheelchair designed
for tennis. He made the Hastings Middle School tennis team in Upper Arlington.
At the Florida International Open Classic, Zack got to the quarter finals
in Men's C. This was in against a draw of 56 men. In the same tournament,
in the Junior's Division, he advanced to the semi-finals. Later that year,
he took part in the St. Louis Indoor Nationals. He got to the semi-finals
in both the Men's C and the Junior's Division. That same year, he played
in the Pittsburgh Sectional. Zack made it to the finals in the Men's C and
he won the Junior's Division. After participating in the Midwest National
Tennis Camp in St. Louis, he played in the Midwest Indoor Regional in Grand
Rapids. He again made it to the finals of the Men's C. In the Junior's Division,
he lost to Dana Meyer in the semi-finals. He finished the year by winning
the B Division of the Junior National Wheelchair Tennis Championship in
San Diego. His tournament record for the year 2000 started in Atlanta at
the National Outdoor Hardcourt. He played in the Men's B but had no placement.
On the other hand, he won the Junior's Division defeating Dana Meyer. Here
in Columbus, he was part of the Buckeye Classic field. Again, there was no
placement in the Men's B and he got to the semi-finals of the Junior's Division
before losing to the number one seed. At the Midwest Junior Camp, Zack took
part in the camp's competitive tournament and placed first. His 2000 tournament
tour took him to the PVA National Adult Tournament where he finished second
in both singles and doubles. The 2000 year closed with Zack being ranked
number two in the nation. In 2001, Zack went abroad being selected by the
USTA to represent the United States at Les Petit As, France. He made it
to the Junior Singles semi-finals. In the Junior Doubles, with Dana Meyer
as his partner, he finished second. Zack returned to Atlanta for the National
Outdoor Hardcourt Tournament. He had no placement in the Men's B but won
the Junior's. He played the Men's B singles and the Men's A doubles at the
Buckeye Classic here in Columbus. He was the runner-up in both events. He
again went abroad winning a match at the Swiss Open. In Switzerland, he also
represented the United States in the Junior Division in the World Team Cup.
He won all his matches allowing him to claim third place in the world. He
has a third in the nation ranking. He plans to participate in the US Open
in San Diego in October of 2001. Zack's immediate goals are to continue
to represent the US at the World Team Cup, to play tennis for his college
team, and to represent the United States in the paralympics.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Dick Klitch
Dick Klitch was a 1951 graduate of Portsmouth High School. While
in high school, he won the Ohio High School State Tennis Championship.
He is Portsmouth High School's only State High School Tennis Champion and
has been inducted into his high school's Hall of Fame. Dick has served
as an Ambassador for the City of Portsmouth. He attended Miami University
in Oxford, Ohio. He was the Number One Singles player and part of the Number
One Doubles team all four years at Miami. During that time, he was both
the singles and doubles champion of the Mid-American Conference. Dick actually
attended Miami on a basketball scholarship and was part of three years of
basketball championships in the conference. He graduated from Miami in
1955 and then served in the United States Navy where he was the All Navy
Doubles Champion. Dick was inducted into the Miami University Hall of Fame.
He continued his basketball with the AAU team at Akron Goodyear. In 1961,
he became the head pro at Northam Park. He was Swim and Racquet's first
tennis pro. He has been the pro at Winding Hollow and Rocky Fork country
clubs. Dick was the head pro and manager of Columbus Indoor Tennis Club and
Windsong Tennis Club. While at the Columbus Indoor, he introduced innovative
programming to over 350 kids in his program. He was the high school tennis
coach at Upper Arlington and Columbus Academy. He helped organize the Greater
Columbus Tennis Association; it grew out of the Upper Arlington Tennis Association.
He helped start the first Gold Circle Tennis Tournament; the first draw
was made at his dining room table. This Columbus Recreation and Parks tournament,
though no longer known as the Gold Circle, is still held annually. He returned
to Northam Park as the head pro and manager for a period of fourteen years.
Certainly a high-light was coaching his daughter, Jenny. She was on the
Women's Tennis Association pro tennis tour for several years. He has coached
over 20 Ohio High School state tennis champions and helped many young people
attend college on a tennis scholarship. As well as training numerous tennis
pros, Dick has lectured at the National Indoor Owners Association on how
to train them. He has talked on junior programming and brought national
junior tournaments to Columbus. In the central Ohio area Dick has coached
men's and women's teams, led clinics, worked with leagues, and has given
lessons to probably over 10,000 individual players. It can truly be said
of Dick Klitch, if a player has not had a lesson from him, the player on
the other side of the net probably has.
Click here to
see more pictures from the 2001 Awards Ceremony
Click here to see
the 2000 Award Winners
Click here to see the 1999
Award Winners
Click here to see
the 1998 Award Winners
Click here to see
the 1997 Award Winners
Click here to see
the 1996 Award Winners
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