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DECEMBER 2023

Central Ohio Junior Wrap-up for 2023

The 2023 calendar year was certainly one of the best years that Ohio junior tennis players have had recently. Central Ohio earned three championships and had two finalists in the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) tournament, which were held in the spring for the boys and in the fall for the girls.

Bexley's Amiya Bowles - Click to enlarge

Gahanna's Brandon Carpico- Click to enlarge

CA's Yasemin Bilgin-Arya Chabria- Click to enlarge

The outstanding efforts included the following achievements. Bexley's Amiya Bowles repeated as the Division II State Singles Champion. Gahanna's Brandon Carpico also repeated as champion after being a finalist last year and champion two years ago. Columbus Academy's Arya Chabria - Yasemin Bilgin were the Division II Girls State Doubles champions. Pavan Uppu of Pickerington North was the finalist in Division I Boys State Singles. New Albany's Richardlyne Francois - Paige Cornelius were finalists in Division I Doubles. All of the above players were seniors except Bowles, who is a sophomore.

To view all of the results in the OHSAA State Tournament, click for the Boys Draws and for the girls, click Girls Draws.

In the Boys State Team Tournament, Olentangy Orange represented the Central District in D1 boys and Columbus Academy was the D2 representative. Click for the Boys State Team Tournament Draws.

In the Girls State Team Tournament, Upper Arlington and Columbus Academy represented Central in D1 and D2, respectively. Click for the Girls State Team Tournament Draws.

Central Ohio did not fare as well in their respective State Team Tournaments. For the boys, Olentangy Orange finished fourth in the state in the OhioTennisZone.com Division I rankings and Columbus Academy finished fifth in the state in D2. Upper Arlington finished third in the state for the girls in Division I and Columbus Academy was third in Division II.

The Southwest District won all of the team championships. Those schools were: D1 Boys - Sycamore, D2 Boys - Seven Hills, D1 Girls - Mason, and D2 Girls - Indian Hill.

Note that all of the photos listed below can be enlarged for easier viewing.

The State Qualifiers for the boys (listed in seed order) were:


Olentangy Orange - Click to enlarge	Columbus Academy

Upper Arlington	Columbus Academy

Division I

Singles: Gahanna's Brandon Carpico, Pickerington North's Pavan Uppu, New Albany's Jackson Clements, and Upper Arlington's Ethan Samora.

Doubles: Olentangy Liberty's Jay Ramakkagari - Hummza Ali, New Albany's Ben Bilenko - Tyler Thomas, Olentangy Orange's Kallan Arledge - Nikhil Bhimireddy, Olentangy's Sujan Sriram - Mitch MacDowell.

Division II

Singles: Wellington's Sanjan Shanker and Columbus Academy's Lucas Xue.

Doubles: Bexley's Sam Lessard - Stefan Schiff and Columbus Academy's Nason Lo - Rowen Lo.

The Girls State Qualifiers were:


Boys Division I State Qual.	Division II State Qual.

Girls Division I State Qual.	Division II State Qual.

Division I

Singles: Dublin Coffman's Lauren Burkett, Dublin Coffman's Pritika Ghosh-Choudhuri, Olentangy Berlin's Soleil Cordell, and Olentangy Orange's Avery Reed.

Doubles: New Albany's Richardlyne Francois - Paige Cornelius; Dublin Jerome's Lydia Foster - Adayla Coakley, Upper Arlington's Isabella Roth - Alexa Roth; and Worthington Kilbourne's Libby Alderman - Tyra Butler.

Division II

Singles: Bexley's Amiya Bowles and Columbus Academy's Tamanna Arya.

Doubles: Columbus Academy's Arya Chabria - Yasemin Bilgin and Columbus Academy's Grace Philip - Sophie Wu.

OhioTennisZone.com gave permission to the GCTA to use these copyrighted images on the GCTA web site. The links above take users to the OhioTennisZone.com web site.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2023

GCTA Awards Banquet

The Greater Columbus Tennis Association (GCTA) Awards Banquet continues to grow in popularity and in attendance. This year's banquet was brought to order by new GCTA President, Aaron Ockerman. He replaces Geoff Bibo, who led the GCTA during the tumultuous COVID summer season. Approximately 100 people were in attendance to accept their awards and to support others who received awards. As in previous years, it was held at the Westerville Everal Barn and Homestead.

2023 Award Recipients - Click to enlarge

Those honored and the awards that they received are listed below:

Sharon Rusk Lifetime Achievement Award - Recognizing an individual who represents the best of tennis in the greater Columbus area and deserves special recognition.

Bill Warrens (in memoriam)

Special Recognition Awards - Recognizing an individual who contributes to tennis in the community, giving freely of his or her time to promote involvement in tennis for players of all levels and ages, and assists in developing tennis program and participation in these programs.

Steve Hofman and
Jane McMeekin

Columbus Recreation and Parks Award - Recognizing an individual who represents the best of tennis in the greater Columbus area.

Eby Day

Family of the Year - Recognizing a family who has been involved in, and contributed to, Columbus area tennis programs throughout the years.

Eberlyn Family - Preston, Jerry, and Alex


Bowles Family- Click to enlarge

Gibson Family- Click to enlarge

Female Player of the Year Award - Recognizing a female player for high standards of tennis, character, conduct, and sportsmanship while in high school.

Amiya Bowles - Bexley High School

Male Player of the Year Award - Recognizing a male player(s) for high standards of tennis, character, conduct, and sportsmanship while in high school.

Will Gibson - New Albany High School

The League Champions that were honored in both the Women’s and Men’s Leagues can be found by visiting their respective home pages (links provided below).

Click to view photos of all of the award winners on the GCTA Awards Page.

JULY 18, 2023

Mary Diaz & William Copeland Jr. Memorial Tournament

No summer would be complete without the Mary Diaz & William Copeland Jr. Memorial Tournament. The purpose of this tournament is to raise funds to advance research, support patients and create hope for those affected by pancreatic cancer. This was the 17th annual tournament and it took place on Friday, July 14, and Saturday, July 15. Since the tournament was founded, it has raised over one million dollars. This year's donations exceeded $65,000.


PanCan Clinic Participants - Click to enlarge

- Click to enlarge

- Click to enlarge

This year's Honoree was Dave Gil-Martin Herold. Last year's Honoree was the GCTA's own Terri Jones.

The outdoor venue was at Ohio State Lincoln Tower Park, with indoor back-up provided by Racquet Club, Players Club and Elysium.

One hundred central Ohio tennis players participated in Friday's clinic and 140 competed in the round-robin tournament on Saturday.

The Phil and Donna Diaz family and their many relatives throughout the Midwest and East Coast hold this great memorial each year.

Click on the images to the right to enlarge them. The group photo was taken on Friday evening at Northam Park. The player photos were taken on Saturday at OSU during competition.

For more information about the memorial and to donate to this great cause, click on Diaz Tennis.

MARCH 2023

Sad Tennis News - The Passing of Bill Warrens and Peter Homorady

Two highly respected names in Central Ohio tennis recently passed away.

Bill Warrens died on March 7, 2023. His obituary can be found here.

Peter Homorody passed away on March 30, 2023. Peter and his son, Jason, regularly played in Father/Son tournaments. Click for Peter's obituary.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2023

Brenda Toney - New GCTA Secretary

We are pleased to announce that Brenda Toney has been appointed to the position of board secretary. She will be a wonderful addition to the board in this leadership role. She is excited to learn more aspects of the GCTA and to continue to promote tennis in the greater Columbus area.

GCTA Secretary, Brenda Toney

Brenda has been involved with tennis in a number of different ways. She has been a member of GCTA since 2008 when she started playing at Gahanna High School. In 2016 she became the captain of the 3.5 tennis team at Champions. Additionally she participates as a volunteer coach with the summer camps for middle and high school students. In 2016, she joined the GCTA board, where she has served on the rules committee and has been a part of the Clay Court Championship tournament. Currently she also serves on the Champions leadership team as a trustee.

She replaces Jane McMeekin who had served as the secretary since 2008.

Please welcome Brenda to this new position.

NOVEMBER 2022

Central Ohio Junior Wrap-up for 2022

Central Ohio juniors competing in high school tennis had a solid year. The big successes were: Bexley's Amiya Bowles' Division II State Singles Championship, Gahanna's Brandon Carpico's runner-up finish in Division I State Singles, and New Albany's Richardlyne Francois - Paige Cornelius' runner-up finish in D1 State Doubles. Bowles is just a freshman while Carpico, Francois, and Cornelius are juniors. Carpico won the State Singles Championship in 2021.

Bexley's Amiya Bowles - Click to enlarge

To view all of the results in the OHSAA State Tournament, click for the Boys Draws and for the girls, click Girls Draws.

Central Ohio did not fare as well in their respective State Team Tournaments. All of the teams finished third.

In the Boys State Team Tournament, New Albany represented Central in D1 boys and Bexley beat Columbus Academy to represent Central in Division II. Click for the Boys State Team Tournament Draws.

In the Girls State Team Tournament, New Albany and Columbus Academy represented Central in D1 and D2, respectively. Click for the Girls State Team Tournament Draws.

The Southwest District continued to dominate the state by winning both the D1 and D2 Boys and Girls State team championships. The Southwest District also claimed six of the eight OHSAA State Championships.

Note that all of the photos listed below can be enlarged for easier viewing.

The State Qualifiers for the boys (listed in seed order) were:


New Albany - Click to enlarge	Bexley

Upper Arlington	Columbus Academy

Division I

Singles: Gahanna's Brandon Carpico, Upper Arlington's Ethan Samora, Worthington Kilbourne's Owen Alderman, and Pickerington North's Cole Alcala.

Doubles: Olentangy Orange's Parth Patel - Kallan Arledge, Dublin Jerome's Max Fickas - Tanish Pairu, Olentangy Liberty's Jay Ramakkagari - Hummza Ali, and New Albany's Declan Freedhoff - Ben Bilenko,

Division II

Singles: Columbus Academy's Lucas Xue and Bexley's Sam Lessard.

Doubles: Bexley's Austin Flamm - Stefan Schiff and Columbus Academy's Ryan Panley - Rowen Lo.

The Girls State Qualifiers were:


Boys Division I State Qual.	Division II State Qual.

Girls Division I State Qual.	Division II State Qual.

Division I

Singles: Dublin Coffman's Pritika Ghosh-Choudhuri, Dublin Coffman's Dasha Chistyakova, Olentangy's Sheryl Gerald, and Dublin Jerome's Lydia Foster.

Doubles: Upper Arlington's Ava Richard - Isabella Roth, New Albany's Richardlyne Francois - Paige Cornelius; Dublin Coffman’s Lauren Burkett - Emily Yoshino, and Upper Arlington’s Ellis Mizer - Alice Hawley.

Division II

Singles: Bexley's Amiya Bowles and Worthington Christian's Meghan Mayotte.

Doubles: Columbus Academy's Arya Chabria - Yasemin Bilgin and Wellington's Katie Zerbi - Kate Thompson.

Finally, Central Ohio now receives two spots for States for the Division II girls tournament. Central had been limited to just one spot for years.

OhioTennisZone.com gave permission to the GCTA to use these copyrighted images on the GCTA web site. The links above take users to the OhioTennisZone.com web site.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2022

GCTA Awards Banquet

This year's Greater Columbus Tennis Association Awards Banquet was back in fine form as COVID-19 continued to drift further away in the rear view mirror. The event highlighted the central Ohio award winners and the GCTA team champions. The awards honor those individuals in the central Ohio tennis community who have contributed to the success of the GCTA throughout the years. As in previous years, it was held at the Westerville Everal Barn and Homestead. Approximately 65 people were in attendance

Sharon Rusk & Jane McMeekin - Click to enlarge

Those honored and the awards that they received are listed below:

GCTA Award of Appreciation - In recognition of her dedicated service to the Greater Columbus Tennis Association as Interim Executive Director.

Cindy Ferrara

Terri C. Jones Promotion of Tennis - Recognizing efforts that have greatly promoted tennis and the growth of tennis programs in the greater Columbus area.

Nancy Lucas

Sharon Rusk Lifetime Achievement Awards - Recognizing an individual who represents the best of tennis in the greater Columbus area and deserves special recognition.

Jane McMeekin

Columbus Recreation and Parks Award - Recognizing an individual who represents the best of tennis in the greater Columbus area.

Jake Diefenthaler

Family of the Year - Recognizing a family who has been involved in, and contributed to, Columbus area tennis programs throughout the years.

Gary and Dianna Hibinger

Gary and Dianna Hibinger - Click to enlarge

Female Player of the Year Award - Recognizing a female player for high standards of tennis, character, conduct, and sportsmanship while in high school.

Ella Franz - Olentangy Berlin

Male Players of the Year Award - Recognizing a male player(s) for high standards of tennis, character, conduct, and sportsmanship while in high school.

Parth Patel - Olentangy Orange
Kallan Arledge - Olentangy Orange

The League Champions that were honored in both the Women’s and Men’s Leagues can be found by visiting their respective home pages (links provided below).

Click to view photos of all of the award winners on the GCTA Awards Page.

THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2022

GCTA Awards Nominations

It is that time of year for nominations for the 2022 Greater Columbus Tennis Association Annual Awards which will be given out at our GCTA Annual Awards Ceremony on Thursday, September 29, 2022.

2021 Awards - Click to enlarge

The GCTA is looking for nominees who deserve recognition for their roles in the promotion of tennis in our community. Do you know someone in your tennis circle who is making a difference? The person could be a coach who goes the extra mile; a community leader who starts or runs a new tennis program; a family who is focused on tennis for their family and community; a team captain who goes the extra mile to make your league awesome; a staff member who makes your tennis facility a special place; a media outlet that is focused on covering tennis in a positive way; or a long time leader in our tennis community. If so, then please use the link below to nominate someone for these special awards.

The award categories are:

Sharon Rusk Lifetime Achievement - Recognizing a lifetime of contributions to the greater Columbus tennis community.
Special Recognition - Recognizing an individual who contributes to tennis in the community giving freely of his or her time to promote involvement in tennis for players of all levels and ages, and assists in developing tennis programs and participation in these programs.
Terri C. Jones Promotion of Tennis - Recognizing efforts that have greatly promoted tennis and the growth of tennis programs in the greater Columbus area.
Columbus Recreation & Parks - Recognizing an extraordinary individual or family participant in the CR&P program.
Family of the Year - Recognizing a family who has been involved in Columbus area tennis programs through the years.
Junior Female Player of the Year - Recognizing the outstanding 16 or 18 and under age division junior female player for the highest standards of tennis accomplishments, character, conduct, sportsmanship, and amateurism.
Junior Male Player of the Year - Recognizing the outstanding 16 or 18 and under age division junior male player for the highest standards of tennis accomplishments, character, conduct, sportsmanship, and amateurism.
Media - Recognizing the journalist, sportscaster, newspaper, radio, television station, or website which has contributed the most toward promoting tennis in the greater Columbus area.

Nominations are due no later than Monday, August 22, 2022.

Click for the GCTA Awards Nomination form. For any questions about the form, please enter a GCTA Feedback or email GCTAED@gmail.com.

Previous GCTA award winners from 2002 to 2021 are listed on the Awards page. Please scroll down to see all of the recipients and their photos.

APRIL 5, 2022

Continuing Our Mission..

One of the toughest jobs that the Greater Columbus Tennis Association now has to do is to fill the position once held by Terri Jones, our Executive Director, who passed away on March 16, 2022.

Promoting Tennis to Young and Old - Click to enlarge

If you are (or know of) a great, high quality person who is passionate about tennis and who may have an interest in this position, please contact Aaron Ockerman. Ockerman is the GCTA Vice President and he is leading the search committee. He can be reached at aaron@ ockermanconsulting.com.

Click for the Executive Director job description.

These are going to be really big tennis shoes to fill but the GCTA needs to continue with its mission to promote and to grow tennis in Central Ohio.

Thank you in advance for your help.

MARCH 23, 2022

Tribute to Terri Jones

On March 16th, the Columbus tennis community lost one of our own. Terri Jones lost her nearly year long battle with pancreatic cancer. Terri served as a member of the GCTA Board of Trustees since 2006, as well as our Executive Director since 2009. In addition to promoting tennis here in Columbus, Terri was an active participant in numerous committees at the national (USTA) and regional (USTA/Midwest Section) levels.

GCTA's Terri Jones - Click to enlarge

According to Jim Amick, the Midwest Section Tennis Service Representative "Terri’s willingness to always better tennis was unmatched and will live on forever. Though serving for only one term as a member of the Midwest Section schools committee, she was chosen as the committee chair because of her valuable insight and leadership skills. Terri played an integral role as the local lead for the USTA 10 & Under pilot initiative. This initiative brought tennis to many of the Columbus Public Schools. As a result, Columbus was recognized as one of the leaders across the country with this initiative. Terri was also instrumental in aligning with the Midwest Section on implementing new initiatives in the area if it could lead to the growth of tennis participation."

Geoffrey Bibo, President of the Greater Columbus Tennis Association, commented to the membership that “Terri’s impact on tennis in Columbus cannot be overstated, but the impact she had on many of us in the tennis community is even more profound. Terri will be remembered by many, and her legacy of giving back to the community will carry on through the work of the GCTA board and numerous others around Columbus whom she touched.”

Click for Terri’s obituary.

NOVEMBER 2021

Central Ohio 2021 Junior Wrap-up

The Central Ohio juniors had some great successes this past year. Thankfully, the 2021 school year proceeded much more smoothly than 2020 when there was no boys high school tennis season because of COVID-19. In Ohio, the boys season takes place in the spring, while the girls play in the fall.

For the boys, Brandon Carpico of Gahanna won the Boys 2020 Division I Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) State Singles Championship while New Albany's Ryan Mudre and Devin Boyer were the D1 State Doubles Champions. Columbus Academy's Arie Tuckerman and Jack Madison were finalists in D2 doubles. Click for the Boys OHSAA Draws.

Olentangy Berlin's Ella Franz had a great state tournament and she finished third at States. Click for the Girls Draws.


New Albany (from 2019)	Columbus Academy

Upper Arlington	Columbus Academy

In the Boys State Team Tournament, the New Albany team finished second and Columbus Academy finished third. Click for the State Team Tournament Draws.

In the Girls State Team Tournament, both Upper Arlington and Columbus Academy finished third in their respective divisions. Click for the State Team Tournament Draws.

The State Qualifiers for the boys were:

Division I

Singles: Gahanna's Brandon Carpico, Olentangy Liberty's Vishnu Bodavula, St. Charles' Reece Yakubov, and Pickerington North's Pavan Uppu.

Doubles: New Albany's Ryan Mudre - Devin Boyer, New Albany's Ben Bilenko - Declan Freedhoff, Dublin Jerome's Max Fickas - Tanish Pairu, and Dublin Jerome's Kevin Liu - Eli Wiblin.


Boys Division I State Qual.	Division II State Qual.

Girls Division I State Qual.	Division II State Qual.

Division II

Singles: Wellington's Griffin Biernat and Sanjan Shanker.

Doubles: Columbus Academy's Arie Tuckerman - Jack Madison and Wellington's Evan Manley - Brayden Chawla.

The Girls State Qualifiers were:

Division I

Singles: Olentangy Berlin's Ella Franz, Upper Arlington's Megan Basil, Dublin Coffman's Dasha Chistyakova, and Dublin Coffman's Pritika Ghosh-Choudhuri.

Doubles: Olentangy Orange's Tyler Reed - Karol Korotkin, New Albany's Richie Francois - Paige Cornelius, Upper Arlington's Ava Richard - Anna Leach, and Dublin Jerome's Lydia Foster - Adayla Coakley.

Division II

Singles: Columbus Academy's Arya Chabria

Doubles: Wellington's Alexis Burkhalter - Katie Zerbi

Note that Central Ohio now receives just one spot for States for the Division II girls tournament.

OhioTennisZone.com gave permission to the GCTA to use these copyrighted images on the GCTA web site. The links above take users to the OhioTennisZone.com web site.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

GCTA Awards Banquet

This year's Greater Columbus Tennis Association Awards Banquet was scaled down a bit, but it was still great fun. The event highlighted the organization’s award winners and the team champions. The awards honor those individuals (or groups) in the central Ohio tennis community who have contributed to the success of the GCTA throughout the years. As in previous years, it was held at the Westerville Everal Barn and Homestead.

Wolfe Park Coaching Staff - Click to enlarge

To provide those who were unable to attend the event an opportunity to watch, the event was also recorded. Click to view the recording on YouTube.

Those honored and the awards that they received are listed below:

Sharon Rusk Lifetime Achievement Awards - Recognizing an individual who represents the best of tennis in the greater Columbus area and deserves special recognition.

Ralph Walton – Coach, Volunteer, Teaching Pro
Neal Newman – USTA, GCTA

Awards of Appreciation - Recognizing an individual who has shown extraordinary devotion to the Columbus tennis community for decades through selfless devotion and dedication.

Wolfe Park Tennis Coaching Staff
Shirley Neibauer – Past GCTA Treasurer

Special Recognition Awards - Recognizing an individual who contributes to tennis in the community giving freely of his or her time to promote involvement in tennis for players of all levels and ages, and assists in developing tennis programs and participation in these programs.

Susan Caruso – Northam Park
Adam Beckett – Columbus Metropolitan Tennis

Carpico, Basil, Yakubov - Click to enlarge

Promotion of Tennis - Recognizing efforts that have greatly promoted tennis and the growth of tennis programs in the greater Columbus area.

Barb Hathaway – Scarborough Tennis Club
Patrick McColgan - USTA, GCTA, ITA

Special President’s Award

Larry Samuels – Jefferson Country Club

Male Players of the Year Award - Recognizing a male player for high standards of tennis, character, conduct, and sportsmanship while in high school.

Reece Yakubov – St. Charles Preparatory High School (2021)
Brandon Carpico – Gahanna High School (2022)

Female Players of the Year Award - Recognizing a female players for high standards of tennis, character, conduct, and sportsmanship while in high school.

Ella Hazelbaker – Upper Arlington High School (2021)
Megan Basil - – Upper Arlington High School (2022)

The League Champions that were honored in both the Men’s and Women’s Leagues can be found by visiting their respective home pages (links provided below).

Click to view photos of all of the award winners on the GCTA Awards Page.

There was no awards banquet for 2020 because of COVID-19. The larger number of awards distributed this year reflected that.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

Celebration of Life for Dick Klitch

The Klitch Family, The City of Upper Arlington and the Northam Park Tennis Advisory Committee invite you to attend a Celebration of Life in honor of Richard D. Klitch.

Dick Klitch - - (taken by unknown photographer

The celebration will be held at the Northam Park Tennis Courts located at 2850 Tremont Road, Upper Arlington, Ohio 43221. Please join us at any time between 5:30 and 8 p.m. on Friday, September 17, 2021 to honor and celebrate Dick's life and career.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the event will be held outside at the courts, social distancing is recommended, and no food will be provided.

We hope that you will take this opportunity to renew old friendships and share memories of Dick's contributions, accomplishments, and legacy. All are welcome and the Klitches would love to reminisce with all of Dick’s old friends and students.

If you have weather related concerns, you can call the Upper Arlington events hotline at (614) 583-5345 for information.

FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2021

Want to Play More Tennis? Try a Flex League

If you have never played Flex Singles before, Think of Flex as a citywide singles tennis ladder where you choose the time and place you want to play. It is the perfect option for busy professionals to find players for the weekend, tennis fanatics looking to tune-up their singles game, newcomers to Columbus who do not know any players yet, student players getting back into match play, or beginning players (3.0) wanting to play matches for the first time.

Click for More Information

Click on Flex League for more information. If you have a USTA account, use your USTA number/email address to login. IF you do not have a USTA membership, choose CREATE ACCOUNT and follow the prompts. When finished, TennisLink should redirect you to the Flex Leagues home page.

For any questions, please contact:
Susan Storrer
USTA Summer Adult League Coordinator
susanstorrer"at"gmail.com.
614-309-2968

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021

GCTA Mission and 2021 Tennis Season Update

Dear Central Ohio Tennis Community,

The Greater Columbus Tennis Association (GCTA) is first and foremost a not-for-profit 501(c)(4) organization that has been in existence for over 50 years. Our primary funding source is the $15 GCTA player/season fee that all of you support. Every summer season, the GCTA provides a portion of those funds to the City of Columbus Rec and Parks division, and other Columbus tennis communities in Franklin and surrounding counties. Many of those receiving the benefits of our funding experience tennis for the FIRST time thanks to your support. Our hope is they JOIN the tennis ecosystem, that they enjoy the introduction to tennis enough to continue to learn the game, pay to participate in future clinics, take private lessons from our area professionals, and join local tennis clubs. GCTA is the first step to growing the local tennis community. You can learn more about the GCTA history on the GCTA website, www.gcta.net.

Summer Tennis - Click to enlarge

GCTA 2021 SUMMER LEAGUE PLAY

GCTA also provides support to the tennis league that thousands of you participate in each summer. Each year we have ~55 GCTA volunteers that help make things run smoothly behind the scenes scheduling and managing scores from ~1,100 different matches (Club A vs. Club B) that result in ~4,000 individual doubles matches being played each summer. The volunteers do this across ~50 different tennis facilities all in a short summer season! This dedicated group of volunteers work tirelessly to ensure you have an enjoyable season. All of our work is supplemented and fully supported by your tennis club pros, your club general managers and community leaders, and others at your tennis facilities, some of whom are also members of the GCTA volunteer board of trustees and participate on various committees. As league participants you likely only see our efforts during the summer, but the year-round coordination is necessary to efficiently manage the summer season.

SUMMER 2021 TENNIS SEASON

More details about the list below will be forthcoming in March/April but based on member feedback, here is a brief preview of some of what is coming your way. In essence, we are reverting back to our 2019 season as has been requested by many of you:

Women's Daytime Levels 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and Gold will again play five courts
Women’s Daytime Level 4.5 will play four courts (as they always have)
Women's Career Levels will play three courts (as they always have)
Women's Platinum Level will play three courts (as they always have)
Men and Women’s Teams
- One can of tennis balls per court
- Competing in 2021 with year-end championships
- Full third sets instead of the 10-point match tiebreak (except where the league’s rules allow otherwise)

Club logistics - Food and beverage, mask use, parking, and other similar matters will be managed by each host facility based on their own safety protocols. Home team Captains will communicate details to visiting team Captains.

As stated earlier please look for additional email updates in March/April from Lori Brown and Bill Curry, our Women's and Men’s Chairpersons for the 2021 season.

As GCTA President, the goal of this letter is to welcome you to the 2021 GCTA Summer Season and THANK YOU for your continued support. In the last dozen years our organization has provided over $250,000 DIRECTLY to the Columbus tennis community - none of which would have been possible without continuing support from you, your clubs, the tennis pros, and the club general managers. Thank you for your continued support of the local Columbus tennis community and look for additional information in the near future. See you on the courts soon!

Best regards,

Geoffrey Bibo
President, Greater Columbus Tennis Association

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 2021

Richard "Dick" Klitch - December 15, 1933 - January 31, 2021

Central Ohio lost one of its tennis legends on January 31st. Richard “Dick” Klitch passed away in Austin, Texas surrounded by his family. As a life-long athlete and tennis pro, Dick was more than a coach, he was a gifted teacher who taught life lessons through sports. He brought tennis, the sport that positively changed his life, to as many people as possible.

Dick Klitch - Click to enlarge

While living and working in Columbus, Dick coached more than 20 state champions (including daughter, Jenny, 1980), and developed numerous college and professional athletes. One of his proudest contributions was supporting grass-roots tennis programming that reached all communities throughout the greater Columbus area through coaching numerous GCTA teams, as well as improving the game of hundreds of tennis players through individual coaching.

Dick and his future wife of 65 years, Joan, attended Miami University where Dick was later inducted into the MU Hall of Fame in both tennis and basketball after a storied career in both sports, winning the MAC championship in basketball three out of four years and the MAC tennis championship his senior year in 1955. Other honors included Dick's induction into the Portsmouth High School Athletic Hall of Fame where he was the 1951 state tennis champion, the Flood Wall of Stars as a Portsmouth Ambassador, and also the Northam Park Tennis Wall of Honor in Upper Arlington.

A celebration of life will be held in Columbus, Ohio, at a later date when all can gather in person. The family asks that you please consider paying it forward by encouraging, mentoring, or supporting a young person.

Click for his full obituary.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2020

Get a GCTA Grant

The Greater Columbus Tennis Association is committed to promoting tennis at the local level. To that end, the GCTA is offering grants to help organizations and/or individuals to initiate or expand their tennis activities. Grants may be used to start instructional programs or leagues for players of all ages, abilities, and populations. In addition, grants may be used for tennis equipment, tennis advertising, and other tennis projects. The grant money may be a supplement to funds from other sources.

GCTA's New Grant Application - Click to app

Now to make it even easier to apply for a grant, the application has been placed online. Click to access the new application.

Organizations that have benefited from grants include: Buddy Up Tennis, Columbus Parks & Recreation, and Tennis Ace with Love.

OCTOBER 2020

Upper Arlington's Ella Hazelbaker and Megan Basil Win the Division I Doubles Crown | CA's Sydni Ratliff and Wellington's Burkhalter and Zerbi Finalists

The Central Ohio girls brought home one State championship from the Ohio High School Athletic Association State Tournament and two finalists. Upper Arlington's Ella Hazelbaker and Megan Basil did not drop a set during their run. They defeated Centerville's Caroline Hinshaw and Clara Owen in the finals. Last year's D2 singles champion, Columbus Academy's Sydni Ratliff came up one match short in her attempt to repeat in Division II Singles. In Division II Doubles, Wellington's Alexis Burkhalter and Katie Zerbi also had a great run before being beat in the finals. The tournament was held at the Lindner Family Tennis Center (the Western & Southern Open site) on October 23 and 24. Attendance was limited due to COVID-19 concerns.


Basil \| Hazelbaker - Click to view	Sydni Ratliff

Division I State Qualifiers	Division II State Qualifiers

The players representing central Ohio as state qualifiers are listed below. Click on the player names for more information.

Division I:

Singles: Olentangy Berlin's Ella Franz, Olentangy Liberty's Dani Schoenly, Dublin Coffman's Dasha Chistyakova, and Worthington Kilbourne's Libby Alderman.

Doubles: Upper Arlington's Ella Hazelbaker - Megan Basil and Noah Mizer - Ava Richard, Olentangy Orange's Caroline Sproule - Tyler Reed, and Olentangy's Sydney Nickel - Archita Sriram.

Division II:

Singles: Columbus Academy's Sydni Ratliff.

Doubles: Wellington's Alexis Burkhalter - Katie Zerbi.

Note that Central Ohio now receives just one spot for states for the Division II girls tournament.

Click to view all of the state draws on OhioTennisZone.com.

In the state team tournament, both Upper Arlington and Columbus Academy finished second in their respective divisions. This tournament was held at Reynoldsburg on October 25. Click for the draws that determined which teams would represent Central Ohio.

OhioTennisZone.com gave permission to the GCTA to use these copyrighted images on the GCTA web site. The links above take users to the OhioTennisZone web site.

COVID-19 Information

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2020

GCTA Ready to Roll

It has taken a great deal of behind-the-scene efforts to get this far, but the waiting will come to an end this weekend as the Greater Columbus Tennis Association launches its season on Saturday, June 20, with men's play and on Monday, June 22, for the women.

WHCC's Scott West - Click to enlarge

There are special rules and a waiver that players must agree to and sign in order to participate. Click to view the most recent documents.

Special COVID-19 Rules & Assumption of Risk and Release Agreement

Team Assumption of Risk and Release of Liability Form

Please also review the email sent by GCTA President Geoff Bibo.

GCTA Email to Members

There are 160 women's teams and 68 men's teams competing this year on teams from public courts and private clubs. Approximately 3,000 players will be competing, which makes the GCTA one of the largest tennis leagues in the nation.

Special thanks go to the GCTA executive committee. Geoff Bibo (President), Aaron Ockerman (Vice President), Lori Brown (Women's Chair), Bill Curry (Men's Chair), and Terri Jones (Executive Director) worked long hours to work through the issues that allowed this year's season to be held.

Again, thank you for supporting tennis in the Columbus area. Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns using the GCTA Contact page.

MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2020

Current COVID-19 Plans

While we all are dealing with the reality of the COVID-19 situation, here at the GCTA, we want to start planning with the hope that we will be able to have a season this summer. First off, we want to make sure everyone knows that we will put the health and safety of the players and club members as the number one priority. We have created a plan that we believe will allow us to get key elements in place while also allowing us to adjust as we learn more about where we are in the curve. The intent of this posting is to share those plans with all of you so that you have the information you need to prepare for an upcoming season.

Whetstone Park of Roses - Click to enlarge

We have compressed the pre-season activities to provide as much time as possible for each of you to gather information on courts and players. We are approaching these pre-season activities with the mindset that we will play this summer. There will be many items that we may not be able to fully confirm. As an example, it may be impossible to get public officials to confirm match times on public courts. We ask that you provide your best information based upon what you know at that time. Using the public courts as an example, if you cannot get confirmation on court times for your matches, please use the times you have had in the past. Once you can confirm those items, please provide us with an update.

To help avoid hesitation by players not wanting to commit due to GCTA League fees, we have pushed back all payments this season until July 1. Currently, our thoughts are that if we are not playing by July 1, 2020, we will not have a league season this summer. If that occurs, we are planning on having a series of events to get players on the courts in a fun environment (clearly dependent on the COVID-19 situation).

Here are the new dates for key activities:

4/26: Club Reps - Team Forms Due

5/3: Captains - Preliminary Rosters Due

5/26: Schedules published

6/1: Matches start

Should we remain under a stay-at-home order when the season is scheduled to begin, we will not start the season. Instead, we have contingency plans that will be put into place. We strongly believe that most players will want the opportunity to play this summer if we are able. Additionally, as the league fees provide for GCTA grants (many of which are for youth programs), we want to do what we can to ensure we can fund those activities this summer. The youth in the Greater Columbus area need an opportunity to get out and participate in activities that many will not be able to without the GCTA grants.

Again, thank you for your help in supporting tennis in the Columbus area. Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns using the GCTA Contact page.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 2020

Ladies Winter and Mixed Doubles Parties

The dates of the always popular, indoor winter parties have been set. These parties are for GCTA Members and there is no cost to play. The GCTA will take care of everything - balls, snacks, and courts divided by levels. You can enter drawings for gift certificates and you will get to see your friends from the summer leagues!

All events take place at Racquet Club on 1100 Bethel Road from 6:00PM - 10:00pm. Please only register if you can make it to the party no later than 6:00pm.

There will be round-robin play, and players will switch courts every half hour.

The Ladies parties will take place on January 18 and February 15. Both are Saturday's. To insure that more women have the ability to play, participants can only play on one of the two dates.

The Mixed party will take place on February 1 and February 29. They are also both on Saturday.

Both parties limit the number of participants so please sign-up quickly. Because the parties are first-come, first-serve, please only register yourself.

Sign-up for the Ladies Winter Party - Click to enlarge

For the Ladies Party, please choose ONE of the dates below.

Saturday, January 18th

or

Saturday, February 15th

On the subject line of your RSVP, please state:

First and Last Name
Date of Party you want to attend
GCTA Level of Play that you want to play at the Party
Contact Email and Cell Phone Number

For example: Mary Smith - January 18 - 3.5 - MarySmith@example.com - 614-555-5555

For the Mixed Party, please choose ONE of the dates below.

Saturday, February 1st

or

Saturday, February 29th

On the subject line of your RSVP, please state:

First and Last Name
Date of Party you want to attend
Gender
GCTA Level of Play that you want to play at the Party
Contact Email and Cell Phone Number

Providing all this information at once is very, very helpful!

Please register now before all of the spots are filled.

Please RSVP to GCTASpecialEvents@gmail.com.

OCTOBER 2019

CA's Sydni Ratliff Wins the Division II Singles Crown | Dublin Jerome's Nagireddy / Dudipala Win the Division I State Doubles Championship

The Central Ohio girls brought home two State championships from the Ohio High School Athletic Association State Tournament. Columbus Academy's Sydni Ratliff did not drop a set during her Division II Singles Championship run. In Division I Doubles, Dublin Jerome's team of Arya Dudipala - Lalasa Nagireddy beat teammates, Reagan Resor and Katherine Wang for the championship. The tournament was held at the Lindner Family Tennis Center (the Western & Southern Open site) on October 21 and 22.


Sydni Ratliff - Click to view	Dudipala-Nagireddy

Division I State Qualifiers	Division II State Qualifiers

The players representing central Ohio as state qualifiers are listed below. Click on the player names for more information.

Division I:

Singles: Pickerington North's Cassie Alcala (who finished 3rd), Olentangy Liberty's Maddie Atway, Olentangy Liberty's Dani Schoenly, and Olentangy's Nour Khayat.

Doubles: - Dublin Jerome's Lalasa Nagireddy - Arya Dudipala, Dublin Jerome's Reagan Resor - Katherine Wang, Olentangy Orange's Kortney Reed - Erin Storrer, and Upper Arlington's Ella Hazelbaker - Wendy Shi.

Division II:

Singles: Columbus Academy's Sydni Ratliff.

Doubles: Wellington's Alexis Burkhalter - Katie Zerbi (who finished 4th)..

Note that Central Ohio now receives just one spot for states for the Division II girls tournament.

Click to view all of the state draws on OhioTennisZone.com.

In the state team tournament, both Upper Arlington and Columbus Academy finished third. This tournament was held at Reynoldsburg on October 21. Click for the draws that determined which teams would represent Central Ohio.

OhioTennisZone.com gave permission to the GCTA to use these copyrighted images on the GCTA web site. The links above take users to the OhioTennisZone web site.

SEPTEMBER 2019

GCTA Award Winners for 2019

The GCTA Awards Banquet was held at the Everal Barn on September 26. The individual award winners are listed below. For photos of the team and individual award winners, click on Photos and Awards.


2019 Awards Ceremony- Click to enlarge

The Award winners for 2019 were:

Sydni Ratliff (Female Junior Player)
Trevor Ball (Male Junior Player of the Year)
Jim Scowden (Sharon Rusk Lifetime Achievement Award)
Erin Ortman (Award of Appreciation)
Terry Finneran (Award of Appreciation)
Cempre Family (Family of the Year)

Congratulations to this year's winners!

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18, 2019

GCTA Clay Court Championship Results

The Greater Columbus Tennis Association's (GCTA) Columbus Clay Court Championships were held August 9 to August 11 at The Country Club at Muirfield Village. There were 13 divisions competing.

WHCC's Bob Birzer - Click to enlarge

In the big Men's Open division Pablo Russo and Kyle Collette defeated Skyler Engel and Riyad Bennoui.

The results of the other Men's Divisions were:

Men 3.0: Final unplayed - Mike Thompson / Steve Russell versus Joe Flynn/Neal Becker

Men 3.5: Nieset / Ballmann defeated Baugn / Petroff

Men 4.0: Semi-final unplayed

Men Platinum: Lenny Comeras / Ben Durfee defeated Nick Conkle / Dave Boyd

Men Silver: Sid Couling / RJ Lemaster defeated Jim Organ / Ed Rode

Men Diamond: Hiram McCoy / Don Epps defeated Jack Hartman / Paul Burke

The winners of the Women's Divisions were:

Women 2.5: Charlie Theodoris / Fian Kunesh defeated Michelle Redman / Janice Joos

Women 3.0: Vineeta Khardia / Grace Ukairo defeated Heather Brown-Borden / Dawn Baltputnis

Women 3.5: Jennifer Murphy / Jennifer Narramore defeated Mary Sampsel / Liberty Gregory

Women 4.0: Nicole Kemp / Carole Myser defeated Lori Russell / Shelley Finley

The Mixed Champions were:

Mixed 6.5 & below Combo: Heather Brown-Borden / Chris Brown defeated Dawn Balputnis / Chris Baltputnis

Mixed 7.0 & above Combo: John Lindaman / Heather Lindaman defeated Greg Gillman / Kristen Gillman

To view all of the tournament results, click on the Tenniscore links above.

SUNDAY, JULY 7, 2019

Sign-up for GCTA Clay Court Championship

The registration is now open for the Greater Columbus Tennis Association's (GCTA) annual Columbus Clay Court Championships. The tournament will take place from Friday, August 9, to Sunday, August 11. It will be held at a new location this year - The Country Club at Muirfield Village. To sign-up, click on the GCTA TennisScores website and then click on the Tournament tab. Up to 16 teams can compete in each division.

WHCC's Reuben Lo - Click to enlarge

Divisions will include: Men 3.0, Men 3.5, Men 4.0, Men Diamond, Men Gold, Men Platinum, Men Silver, Mixed 6-5 and Below Combo, Men's Open and Mixed 7.0 & Above Combo.

The Women's Divisions are: 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, Open, Gold, and Platinum.

The cost is $40 per team for all divisions except for the Men's Open. The cost for the Men's Open is $60 per team and prize money will go to the champion and runners-up teams.

The registration deadline is Monday, August 5 at 11:59pm.

Draws will be posted on Wednesday, August 7.

Come play or come watch as the Columbus-area's top teams compete

TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2019

Columbus Wins the Ohio Valley Cup for 9th Straight Win

Columbus-area players competed in the Ohio Valley Cup Tournament in Huntington, WV, and for the ninth straight year, they won the championship. The tournament was held on June 15 and 16. The various teams are made up of players who reside in the major cities in the USTA's Ohio Valley District. The other teams in Columbus' division were Cincinnati (Columbus won 9-1), Dayton (CBUS won 8-2), and Charleston, WV (Columbus won 10-0).

Ohio Valley Cup Champions - Click to enlarge

The coaches / players and their respective high schools are as shown in photo order: Otterbein Coach Tyler Stephen; Olentangy's Nour Khayat; Olentangy Orange's Erin Storrer; Olentangy Liberty's Dani Schoenly; Upper Arlington's Ella Hazelbaker; Dublin Jerome's Lalasa Nagireddy; New Albany's Devin Boyer; Olentangy's Omar Khayat; Olentangy Liberty's Vishnu Bodavula; New Albany's Ryan Mudre; and Worthington Kilbourne Coach Steve Metzmaier.

The links go to the players' OhioTennisZone Player Profiles.

This was an OTVA / GCTA event.

JUNE 2018

Wellington Wins Division II State Team Title | Columbus Academy Doubles Are Champs and Finalists in D2 Doubles

The Central Ohio boys had a great weekend at the Ohio High School State Tournament (OHSAA) and at the Ohio Tennis Coaches State Team Tournament. The OHSAA tournament was held at the Lindner Family Tennis Center (the W&S Open site) and the State Team Tournament was moved from Reynoldsburg to Elysium because of inclement weather.

It was an all Columbus Academy doubles final as two of their teams competed for the OHSAA Division II championships. After a three set battle, Suriya Sundaram and Rhian Seneviratne beat their teammates, Arie Tuckerman and Jack Madison. Sundaram is the only senior in this group.

In what has been an ongoing problem at OHSAA States, Wellington's Trevor Ball and his opponent, Ursuline's Greg Morgione, were unable to continue playing after their semi-final match because of the heat. They competed in Division II singles. The often high temperatures and the lack of rest time between matches has led to numerous defaults and uncompetitive matches over the years for the semi's and finals.

Wellington repeated as Division II State Team champions. Wellington won both of their matches, 3-0, against Cincinnati Country Day and Youngstown's Ursuline. Wellington had strong depth throughout their team, but their top three players, Trevor Ball, Milan Gonela, and Griffin Biernat carried most of the load during the season. All three will return for next year.

New Albany represented the Central District in the State Team Tournament and they technically finished third, but the biggest match of the day was their first round match against Mason, the eventual champion. It was "oh so close" but Mason won 3-1 with one court unfinished. New Albany's seniors, Robert Cash and Nathan Jose, will be playing for Ohio State and Army, respectfully.


Seneviratne\|Sundaram - Click to view	Wellington

Division I State Qualifiers	Division II State Qualifiers

The players representing central Ohio as state qualifiers are listed below. Click on the player names for more information.

Division I:

Singles: St. Charles' Reece Yakubov, New Albany's Ryan Mudre, Dublin Jerome's Anish Patel, Thomas Worthington's Kai Britz.

Doubles: New Albany's Nathan Jose - Devin Boyer, Olentangy Orange's Soham Pradhan - Alex Heiden, Olentangy's Omar Khayat - Sam Routzahn, and Olentangy Liberty's Vishnu Bodavula - Marcelo Aguilar

Division II:

Singles: Wellington's Trevor Ball and Columbus Academy's Drew Haffer

Doubles: Columbus Academy's Suriya Sundaram - Rhian Seneviratne and Columbus Academy's Arie Tuckerman - Jack Madison.

Click to view all of the state draws on OhioTennisZone.com.

OhioTennisZone.com gave permission to the GCTA to use these copyrighted images on the GCTA web site. The links above take users to the OhioTennisZone web site.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2019

Wolfe Park Tennis Association Awards

The Wolfe Park Tennis Association (WPTA) has been providing tennis clinics for youth in Columbus for close to 25 years. Each year the Greater Columbus Tennis Association (GCTA) Grant Committee has been proud to support these efforts. Recently, the WPTA held an “end of the season” event honoring twenty-eight young achievers in the program who have also excelled in their academic endeavors. The WPTA honored its scholar athletes who over multiple reporting periods achieved honor roll level report cards.

WPTA

The GCTA is proud to sponsor this organization that is giving so much to the Columbus tennis community.

For more information about how to obtain a GCTA grant, please click on More Information about GCTA Grants.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019

Ladies Winter Parties | Mixed Doubles Party

Even though there is several weeks of winter to go and we cannot play outside, there are indoor tennis parties coming up for GCTA Members. We will take care of everything - balls, snacks, and courts divided by levels. You can enter drawings for gift certificates and you will get to see your friends from the summer leagues!

All events take place at Racquet Club on 1100 Bethel Road from 6:00PM - 10:00pm. Please only register if you can make it to the party no later than 6:30pm.

There will be round-robin play, and players will switch courts every half hour.

The Ladies parties will take place on January 19 and February 9. Both are Saturday's. To insure that more women have the ability to play, participants can only play on one of the two dates.

The Mixed party will take place on February 23. It is also on a Saturday.

Both parties limit the number of participants so please sign-up quickly. Because the parties are first-come, first-serve, please only register yourself.

Ladies Winter Party - Click to enlarge

For the Ladies Party, please choose ONE of the dates below.

Saturday, January 19th

or

Saturday, February 9th

On the subject line of your RSVP, please state:

First and Last Name
Date of Party you want to attend
GCTA Level of Play that you want to play at the Party
Contact Email and Cell Phone Number

For example: Mary Smith - January 19 - 3.5 - MarySmith@example.com - 614-555-5555

For the Mixed Party, please state:

First and Last Name
Gender
GCTA Level of Play that you want to play at the Party
Contact Email and Cell Phone Number

Providing all this information at once is very, very helpful!

Please register now before all of the spots are filled.

Please RSVP to GCTASpecialEvents@gmail.com.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2018

Central District Players at Girls States

Central Ohio girls competed well at the state high school tournament. Olentangy Liberty's Dani Schoenly and Maddie Atway were the Division I State Doubles Champions. They were also the champions last year. Columbus Academy's Sydni Ratliff repeated as the Division II State Singles Finalist.


Schoenly\|Atway- Click to enlarge	Sydni Ratliff

Division I State Qualifiers	Division II State Qualifiers

The players representing central Ohio as state qualifiers are listed below. Click on the photos for the player names and for the schools that they represented.

Olentangy Orange represented the Central District in the State Team Tournament and they finished fourth.

Columbus Academy finished second in the state in the Division II State Team Tournament.

OhioTennisZone.com gave permission to the GCTA to use these copyrighted images on the GCTA web site. The links above take users to the OhioTennisZone web site.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2018

GCTA Award Winners for 2018

The GCTA Awards Banquet was held at the Everal Barn on September 13. The individual award winners are listed below. For photos of the team and individual award winners, click on Photos and Awards above.


2018 Awards Ceremony- Click to enlarge

The Award winners for 2018 are:

Madeline Atway and Dani Schoenly (Female Junior Players of the Year
Robert Cash (Male Junior Player of the Year)
Dan Witteman (Sharon Rusk Lifetime Achievement Award)
Brad Baker (Promotion of Tennis)
Diane and Marlena Smith (Special Recognition)
Heil Family (Family of the Year)

TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2018

Columbus Wins the Ohio Valley Cup (Again)

Columbus-area players competed in the Ohio Valley Cup Tournament, and once again, were victorious. This is the eighth year in a row that Columbus has won the title. It was held in Huntington, West Virginia on June 16 and 17.

Ohio Valley Cup Competitors - Click to enlarge

The team was led by Coaches Steve Metzmaier and Tyler Stephen.

The players were: Rhyan Cook (Pickerington North), Erin Storrer (Olentangy Orange), Lala Nagireddy (Dublin Coffman), Ella Hazelbaker (Upper Arlington), Colten Clark (Lancaster), Stu Brdicka (Olentangy), Jordan Phelps (Olentangy Orange), and Alex Heiden (Olentangy Orange).

This was a GCTA / USTA event. For a frame of reference, however, their high schools are included in the parentheses above.

Click to read the "Tennis: Team Columbus captures Ohio Valley Cup" article written by ThisWeekSport's Frank DiRenna about the event.

SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 2018

Save the Date! Columbus Clay Court - August 10, 11, 12

It is time to go to the refrigerator, grab a snack, and write down on the fridge calendar that the third annual Columbus Clay Court Championship is going to be here soon. Mark your calendar for August 10, 11, and 12th to join the fun. The Brookside Country Club will once again be the host site for the tournament.

Columbus Clay Court

Last year, the divisions included:

Women: 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, Gold, Platinum, and Open.

Mixed: 6.5 and below and 7.0 and above

Men: 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and Open

Other divisions may be included based on the number of entries.

SUNDAY, MAY 26, 2018

Central District Players at Boys States

The Central Ohio Boys performed great at the state high school tournament.


Robert Cash - Click to enlarge	Jose \| Boyer

Connor / Griffin Biernat	Wellington D2 State Champs

Division I State Qualifiers	Division II State Qualifiers

In Division I, New Albany's Robert Cash was the State Singles Champion and New Albany's Nathan Jose and Devin Boyer were the State Doubles Champion. St. Charles' Jack Dabek and Reese Yakubov were finalists.

In Division II, Wellington's Biernat brothers, Connor and Griffin, were the State Doubles Champions. Wellington's Trevor Ball was the finalist in the state singles tournament.

In the State Team Tournament, Wellington earned the Division II Championship.

New Albany placed second in the state in the Division I State Team Tournament.

The players representing central Ohio as state qualifiers are listed to the right. Click on the photos for the player names and for the schools that they represented.

OhioTennisZone.com gave permission to the GCTA to use these copyrighted images on the GCTA web site.

THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2018

Columbus City League - GCTA Grant Recipient

Columbus City League players and coaches once again benefited from a generous grant from the Greater Columbus Tennis Association (GCTA) this year. This grant enabled players from the Columbus City Schools to receive six indoor sessions to work on a variety of tennis drills. The program ran from January 24th to early February 28th and it was held at Olympic Indoor.

Columbus City League Clinic- Click to enlarge

All levels of boys and girls were welcome and an anonymous donor provided many of the kids with racquets that they could use. The number of players ranged from 18 (on the 5 inch snow day) to 26 during the program's six week duration. Schools who had players attending included: Beechcrot, Centennial, Whetstone, West, Linden-McKinley, and and Columbus Academy High School (CAHS), and Metro. Click on the picture to view the players in more detail.

The program was run again this year by Karen Eldredge. Eldredge (shown on the far right in the picture above) is a tennis and pickleball enthusiast and mother to a Whetstone / Columbus Metro graduate.

City League coaches who regularly volunteered included: Bruce Duffner (West), Daphne Hess (Beechcroft), and Patrick Harsch (Whetstone JV). Other coaches offering assistance included Steve Cudney (Linden-McKinley) and Barb Stevenson (Centennial). Coaches Hess, Duffner, and Cudney also provided players with transportation to and from the practice.

Olympic Indoor pro, Bob Gordon, was the paid pro who assisted.

The GCTA provides grants to many deserving programs. This grant totaled $1,577. For more information about grants, click on GCTA.net.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2018

Mixed Doubles Winter Party

Participants of the GCTA Summer League are invited to a free mixed doubles indoor pre-season party! The GCTA will take care of everything, including balls, snacks, and courts.

Mixed Winter Party - Click to enlarge

There is room for *only* 40 women and 40 men so please register soon. All will be divided by level of play among the courts. Each rotation will be a half hour of play using the no-add scoring system. When not playing, participants can relax with friends and enjoy the snacks.

On the subject line of your RSVP, please state:

First and Last Name
Date of Party you want to attend
GCTA Level of Play that you want to play at the Party
Contact Email and Cell Phone Number

For example: Jim Smith - January 27 - 3.5 - JimSmith@example.com - 614-555-5555

Please register now before all of the spots are filled.

Please RSVP to GCTASpecialEvents@gmail.com.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2018

Ladies Winter Parties

Even though there is several weeks of winter to go and we cannot play outside, all Women participants of the GCTA Summer League are invited to a free round robin indoor preseason party. We will take care of everything - balls, snacks, and courts divided by levels. You can enter drawings for gift certificates and you will get to see your friends from the summer leagues!

Ladies Winter Party - Click to enlarge

Please choose ONE of the dates below and register ONLY YOURSELF. (It is the only way to be fair when it is a "first come" basis.)

Saturday, January 27th

or

Saturday, February 24th

Both events take place at Racquet Club on 1100 Bethel Road from 6:00PM - 10:00pm.

On the subject line of your RSVP, please state:

First and Last Name
Date of Party you want to attend
GCTA Level of Play that you want to play at the Party
Contact Email and Cell Phone Number

For example: Mary Smith - January 27 - 3.5 - MarySmith@example.com - 614-555-5555

Providing all this information at once is very, very helpful!

Please register now before all of the spots are filled.

Please RSVP to GCTASpecialEvents@gmail.com.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2017

Greater Columbus Tennis Association Awards Banquet

The Central Ohio tennis community gathered on the evening of September 28, 2017 at Westerville's Everal Barn to recognize this year's Greater Columbus Tennis Association's (GCTA) individual and team award winners.


2017 Event Program - Click to view

This year's individual and family award winners included:

Zoey Weil (Female Junior Player of the Year
Mitchell Thai (Male Junior Player of the Year)
Ed Amos (Sharon Rusk Lifetime Achievement Award)
Walt Thieman (Promotion of Tennis)
Kate Goudy (Columbus Recreation & Parks)
Carr-Hilborn Family (Family of the Year)
Thai Family (Family of the Year)

Click on 2017 Event Program to view all of the team award winners.

Sharon Rusk was also recognized by the GCTA by renaming the group's Lifetime Achievement Award to the Sharon Rusk Lifetime Achievement Award.

The 115 people in attendance enjoyed the chicken buffet dinner that was provided by Catering by Scott.

Sponsors of the event included: Signature Dermatology; Fitness Matters, Inc.; and Woodland's Backyard. The printing of the program was courtesy of Rena Richied at Harper Engraving & Printing.

To view photos from the event, click on GCTA Photos for 2017.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 13, 2017

GCTA Columbus Clay Court Championship Winners

The Greater Columbus Tennis Association Clay Court Championship was held from August 11 - 13 at the Worthington Hills Country Club and the Brookside County Club. This third annual event featured great play and dryer weather than in previous years. The Saturday evening GCTA membership party at Brookside was also a success. It featured music from the Blue Cats, a three piece blues-jazz band.


Joey Frank / Philip Diaz - Click to enlarge

GCTA Clay Courts / Party - Click to enlarge

The winners in each group were:

Women's Draws

2.5 - Nellen Lo / Sondra Barklay

3.0 - Sharron Evanko / Elena Sanders

3.5 - Jennifer Rittenberry / Carol Davis

4.0 - Jodi Rhodes / Missy Grether

Mixed Draws

7.0 and above - John & Heather Lindaman

Men's Draws

3.0 - Jonathan Taylor / Dan Taylor

3.5 - Jerry Williams / Sriram Srinivasan

4.0 - Steve Craver / Steve Scherer

Open - Riyad Bennoui / Skylar Engel

Silver - Sid Couling / RJ LeMaster

Platinum - Mike Hardesty / Frank Heil

Thanks to everyone who came and participated.

SUNDAY, JULY 9, 2017

The Columbus Clay Court Doubles Championship and Greater Columbus Tennis Association (GCTA) Membership Party is right around the corner. The tournament takes place from August 11 to 13. The GCTA Membership Party is on Saturday, August 12 at 5:00pm. The deadline to register for the tournament and/or the party is Monday, August 7th.



GCTA Clay Courts / Awards - Click to enlarge

The event will take place at Brookside Country Club, 2770 West Dublin Granville Rd. Columbus 43235.

There will be seven women's and eight men's divisions to accommodate a wide range of skill levels. We have added a mixed doubles division this year! The cost to participate is $20 for GCTA members and $35 for non-GCTA members. Click to register for the tournament. Note that your team needs to register by August 7th.

The GCTA Membership Party will follow tournament play on Saturday, August 12. Click on RSVP to register for the party. Please include the names of the attendees under Comments. The Blue Cats, a three piece blues-jazz band, will perform at the Membership party between 6 and 9pm. The band includes the GCTA's own Terry Finneran. There will be a cash bar and grill available. There will also be complimentary bar snacks (such as nuts, pretzels, salsa and chips). The party is free for GCTA members. Again, please RSVP for the party by August 7th.

FRIDAY, JUNE 30, 2017

GCTA Summer Action

Summer time sees GCTA in full swing. Our Men’s and Women’s leagues play 7 days a week. You can find the schedules for all of our teams’ matches at Tenniscores.com. Click for more information about the Men’s League. For the Women’s League, click Women.


Westerville Lazelle & Lakes CC - Click to enlarge

The picture to the right is of the Westerville Lazelle and Lakes Country Club 3.5 Career Teams as they prepare for a match. They are (l-r): (back row) Lisa Hartig, Pam Smith, Alica Brombacher, Chelsea Sharp, Becky Savage, and Gabrielle Ariser. (front row) Carrie Kramer, Alisa Disalvo, Holly Besold, Maria Crotty, Beth Jerauld, and Stephanie Mauger.

GCTA is also in the midst of the Youth Team Tennis (YTT) season. This weekly activity introduces kids 10 and under to tennis with age appropriate equipment and fun, fast paced games. Currently we have 125 participants in Westerville, 50 in Dublin, 30 in Hilliard, and 95 in Southwest programs that run six weeks. Erin Ortman, Hilliard program director, says that Hilliard HS tennis players volunteer with the YTT participants, and encourage the youngsters to continue on with the sport into Middle School. What a great way to introduce and get kids excited about tennis!

MONDAY, JUNE 19, 2017

Columbus Wins Ohio Valley Cup - 7 Years Straight!

As the Columbus juniors competing for the Ohio Valley Cup can attest, winning never gets old. This group extends Columbus' winning streak to seven years.


Click to enlarge

As shown on the picture, team members this year included: Erin Storrer, Lalasa Nagireddy, Paige Kompa, Jordan Phelps, Stu Brdicka, Bryan Yoshino, and Alex Heiden. The team was coached by Tyler Stephen and Steve Metzmaier. (The links above go to the players' OTZ high school profiles.)

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2017

Winter Parties Planned

Summer tennis is still a few months away but that does not deter the GCTA from having several fun tennis activities.

February 25 Winter Party - Click to enlarge

The Greater Columbus Tennis Association will have three tennis parties again this winter. There will be two Ladies parties - on January 28 and February 25. There will be a Mixed party on February 11. All of the parties will take place at the Racquet Club of Columbus on Bethel Road.

Watch for emails with more details coming soon. If you are new to the area or if you are unsure if your name is on the GCTA mailing list, please submit a Feedback message.

Please respond quickly after receiving the email. These parties are very popular and spots are limited.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2016

GCTA Clay Court / Results / Draws / Information

The GCTA Columbus Clay Court Championships are underway and matches are on-slate for this weekend. There are 55 men's and 40 women's doubles teams competing. To view the most recent results, draws, and start times, please click on the links in the table.

Clay Court Championship Draws
Women's	Men's
All Levels	Open and Platinum
	3.0, 3.5, 4.0, Silver
	Gold

Please note the following guidelines / rules for the tournament.

Arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled match time
10 minute warm up
Each level draw will be limited to the first 16 doubles teams that register
Matches will be played best out of three sets. A two minute break will be given between the 2nd and 3rd sets, in the case of split sets
The third set will be determined by a 10 point match tie-breaker
There will be a two match per day limit, with a single elimination format
Matches will begin on Friday evening and conclude on Sunday evening
All GCTA Rules apply (with tournament director’s discretion)
Refer to the www.tenniscores.com site for inclement weather updates

Special thanks to Racquet Club for allowing play to resume on Sunday at their indoor facility. The rain would just not stop!

Also a big "thank you" to our grand slam sponsor, Massucci Law Group.

The GCTA Membership Appreciation Party and Awards Ceremony followed tournament play on Saturday.

THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 2016

The Columbus Clay Court Doubles Championship and GCTA Membership Party is right around the corner. The tournament takes place from August 12 to 14. The GCTA Membership Party is on August 13 at 5:00pm. The deadline to enter is August 5th.

The event will take place at Brookside Country Club, 2770 West Dublin Granville Rd. Columbus 43235.

There will be six women's and seven men's divisions to accommodate a wide range of skill levels. Click to register now. Note that both doubles players need to register by August 5th.

The GCTA Membership Appreciation Party and Awards Ceremony will follow tournament play on Saturday, August 13. Click on Contact to RSVP for the party. Again, please register by August 5th.

FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2016

John Campbell - January 11, 1939 - April 10, 2016

The GCTA lost one of our stalwart members on April 10. John Campbell succumbed to cancer after a long and valiant fight. Through the years John had contributed much to the Columbus tennis community, and was recognized with the 2006 Promotion of Tennis Award. John was an integral part of the creation and maintenance of the Champions Tennis program. This facility was renamed in 2015, The John Campbell Tennis Center in his honor. John’s energy and enthusiasm will be missed.

John's obituary follows:

- Click to enlarge

John W Campbell, of Westerville, Ohio died peacefully after a courageous fight with cancer on April 10, 2016 at the age of 77. Survived by wife, Betty, son Kyle (Cindy); daughter Lisa; stepchildren, Terri (Scott), Kim (Tom), Pat (Cheryl), Mike (Jenny), 14 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren; siblings, Brenda and Wayne; and numerous friends. Preceded in death by his parents John & Orpha Campbell.

John was born in Logan, Ohio on January 11, 1939 and graduated from Otterbein University in 1962 with a degree in Education, where he was a member of the Country Club Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity.

John was a Teacher in Central Ohio for 30 years until he retired to be able to spend his time doing the things he loved. He was an avid tennis player, active and dedicated member of the Westerville Lions Club, a 40 year OHSAA Referee, and was also a 45 year member of the American Baptist Church of Westerville.

He enjoyed volunteering his time for numerous organizations including Otterbein O Club, The Central District Basketball Tournament and Champions/Olympic Tennis Club. He shared a love for all sports, playing, coaching, and refereeing, watching, and ruthlessly rooting for the Yankees and Bengals. From his outgoing personality and love of people, John had never met a stranger.

The family would like to thank the staff from the Ohio Health Hospice Center and everyone involved at the Kobacker House in Columbus. Friends may call at the MORELAND FUNERAL HOME, 55 E. Schrock Road, Westerville, Thursday 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Service will be held at American Baptist Church, 401 E. Schrock Road, Westerville, Friday at 11 a.m.. Interment Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens. Contributions may be made to Otterbein O Club or Westerville Lions Club.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

GCTA 2015 Award Winners

The Inaugural Columbus Clay Court Championship tournament and Awards Ceremony was blessed with beautiful weather and great tennis competition. One hundred and three teams participated in the three day event held at Brookside Country Club in Worthington, OH. Complete tournament results are listed below. Click on Photos to view pictures from the event. On Saturday evening the GCTA All Member Party/Awards Ceremony highlighted the weekend events.

2015 Award Winners - Click to enlarge

The Greater Columbus Tennis Association (GCTA) award recipients for this year are: Jacob Wareti (top junior boys player), Kyra Jung and Audrey Berger (top junior girls players), and Dave Purpura (Media Award Winner). Columbus Academy's Wareti was the D2 finalist at States. Upper Arlington's Jung and Berger won D1 States Doubles. Purpura is a sports reporter for ThisWeekSports. Congratulation to this year's award winners.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

GCTA Clay Court Championship Results

The weather was hot, but sunny as 50 women's and 53 men's doubles teams competed in the first annual GCTA Clay Court Championships.

Clay Court Championship Results
Women's	Men's
Level - 2.5	Level - 3.0
Level - 3.0	Level - 3.5
Level - 3.5	Level - 4.0
Level - 4.0	Level - Gold
Level - 4.5	Level - Silver
Level - Gold	Level - Platinum
	Level - Diamond
	Level - Open

In the marquis events, Philip Diaz Jr. and Joey Frank won the Men's Open Championship by defeating Luke Buchanan and C.J. Martin in the finals. In Women's 4.5, L.Brown and L. Reisz won the three team, round-robin tournament.

Click on the links to the right to view the results for all of the tournaments.

SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2015

Ed Amos' Ace with Love Program

Just about every Saturday morning in the summer for the past 20 years, Ed Amos can be found on the Wolfe Park tennis courts. Hundreds of young tennis players have passed through the “doors” of his Ace with Love program. Ace with Love focuses on tennis fundamentals and player development by stressing proper nutrition, exercise, self-respect, respect for others, good sportsmanship, anger management and academic excellence.

Ed Amos (podium w/sunglasses) - Click to enlarge

Saturday’s celebration of Coach Ed’s 20 years of service to this community brought many of his former tennis players and parents to Wolfe Park to say thank you to the man who was their coach, their friend, their mentor. In return, Coach Ed thanked the many coaches and volunteers who make this program possible. The GCTA is a proud supporter of the Ace with Love program and Coach Ed Amos. Here’s to 20 more years!

SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 2015

The Inaugural GCTA Columbus Clay Court Championships and GCTA Member Party

As many of you know, The Greater Columbus Tennis Association was named the United States Tennis Association’s Community Tennis Association of the Year.

Come help us celebrate this great honor at “The Inaugural GCTA Columbus Clay Court Championships” to be held August 14th-16th at Brookside Country Club, and the all-member party on Saturday, August 15th.

This tournament will give every GCTA member, at every team level, the opportunity to compete for the title of “Columbus City Champion!” The tournament will be run over one weekend, with each player receiving a participation gift, and each level having a team to be crowned as “City Champion.”

The tournament will also include a year-end party for all GCTA members to showcase Columbus tennis at its best. This event party is to thank all GCTA members and to show our members all the great things the GCTA does all year long and how your contribution impacts so many people. The party will be held at Brookside Country Club, 2770 West Dublin Granville Rd. Columbus 43235, on Saturday August 15th at 5pm, and will include complimentary hors d’ oeuvres and a cash bar.

Click to read all of the details and to register.

THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2015

Champions Tennis Club Article

The Columbus Dispatch recently published an article about the Champions Tennis Club. Click to read the article titled, "Tennis club members maintain claycourt tennis center".

Champions 3.5 2014 Team - Click to enlarge

Every morning of the week you will find avid tennis players hitting the ball at the club's location on 3900 Westerville Road. For more details about the club, click on Champions Tennis Club.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2015

Buddy Up Tennis to Host Gala Celebration

Buddy Up Tennis, Inc. will host its inaugural Gala Celebration, A Sure Bet, on Saturday, February 28, 2015, 6:30pm at The Vue, 95 Liberty Street, Columbus, Ohio. Proceeds from the Vegas-themed event will directly benefit Buddy Up Tennis, Inc., a non-profit organization which provides individuals with Down syndrome with a weekly adaptive program focused on tennis, fitness and fun in 11 cities across seven states.

Buddy Up Tennis - Click to enlarge

The evening will begin with a cash bar reception where guests will have the opportunity to enjoy exciting casino games, bid on unique silent auction items, and mingle. The reception will be followed by dinner and an informative program which will share the highlights, accomplishments and future plans for Buddy Up Tennis, Inc. The special guest emcee for the event will be Sunny 95’s morning Disc Jockey Dino Tripodis.

The event is sold out, but donations may be made online via the Buddy Up Tennis website – www.buddyuptennis.com.

Buddy Up Tennis was founded by GCTA Board Member, Beth Gibson.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2014

USTA Video about the GCTA

On September 20th, the GCTA hosted a videographer sent by the United State Tennis Association (USTA). His task was to create a 2+ minute video to show at the November 8th awards presentation to inform the crowd why we were selected as the 2014 Community Tennis Association of the Year.

USTA Video about the GCTA - Click to view

To get the full picture of our organization, the crew visited Wickertree Tennis Club to video the Buddy Up Program which has been supported by GCTA grant funds since its beginning.

Next stop was Scarborough Tennis Club to talk with Ed Amos about his Ace with Love Program, also a GCTA grant recipient.

Northam Park was the scene of Men’s and Women’s tennis matches which were used as a backdrop to illustrate our robust summer leagues. Racquet Club and the Whetstone Park courts were also featured in the short film. The finished product left no doubt as to the depth and breath of the GCTA and the Columbus tennis community!

Click to view the video.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014

Community Association of the Year Awarded

The Greater Columbus Tennis Association (GCTA) was honored as the 2014 Community Tennis Association of the Year at the USTA’s annual Tennis Development Workshop in Atlanta, GA, on Saturday, November 8th.

l-r: Jim Snowden, Terri Jones, Shelby Rhyne, Phil Diaz - Click to enlarge

Receiving the award on behalf of the GCTA were (from the left) Vice-President Jim Scowden, Executive Director Terri Jones, Shelby Rhyne, and President Phil Diaz.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2014

Buddy Up Tennis Receives More Recognition

Buddy Up Tennis continues to grow thanks to the efforts of Columbus' Beth Gibson and a great group of volunteers. The program, which provides tennis instruction and play for those with Down Syndrome, has expanded to eight U.S. locations.

Buddy Up Tennis' Will Gibson & Aidan Elliott - Click to enlarge

Click to read this article from the USTA Foundation.

Beth is also a GCTA Board Member.

THURSDAY, SEPTMBER 25, 2014

GCTA Awards Ceremony

On Thursday, September 25, 2014, the Greater Columbus Tennis Association (GCTA) held its annual awards ceremony. This event honors individuals in our area for their outstanding contributions to the Columbus tennis community, as well as the Men’s & Women’s Summer League champions.

GCTA Award Recipients for 2014 - Click to enlarge

This year’s award recipients were Pam Brady (Special Recognition), Buddy Up Tennis Coaches (Special Recognition), Pat & Mark Anderson (Special Recognition), Shelby Rhyne (Promotion of Tennis), Fred Levy (Promotion of Tennis), Ben Gelber (Media), India Carter (Columbus Recreation & Parks), Jeffrey Melvin (Male Junior Player of the Year), Anna & Alexandra Sanford (Female Junior Players of the Year). Congratulations to these award winners.

Concluding the ceremony, Joy Albi, from the USTA Midwest Section office, presented the GCTA with the USTA’s Community Tennis Association of the Year Award.

MONDAY, SEPTMBER 1, 2014

GCTA Honored at the US Open

The GCTA was represented at the US Open on Friday, August 29, by Executive Director, Terri Jones, Board Members, Jane McMeekin, Shirley Neibauer, and Erin Ortman. The GCTA representatives were invited to spend the Day Session in the exclusive President's Suite watching the Jankovic, Venus Williams, and Berdych matches from second row seats. Between the second and third matches of the day, the USTA announced the GCTA as the Community Tennis Association of the Year and showed the ladies on the jumbo scoreboard. It was a very exciting and rewarding day. We were treated as valued guests throughout the day and saw outstanding tennis.



Top Right: Erin Ortman, Shirley Neibauer, Jane McMeekin, Terri Jones. - Click to enlarge

Jim and Kim Hendrix shared the excitement with us after we left the President's Suite and treated us to a glass of champagne to celebrate our honor.

Thanks to all the hundreds of GCTA volunteers who made the award possible and to the Executive Committee for selecting the four of us to attend the Open.

THURSDAY, JULY 31, 2014

GCTA Honored as the USTA Community Tennis Association of the Year

The USTA announced that the GCTA was selected as the 2014 Community Tennis Association of the Year. According to the press release, the GCTA has promoted the game of tennis as a healthful recreation and physical fitness in Columbus.

“As defined by the USTA, Community Tennis Association is one ‘which supports or provides programs that promote the growth and development of the game of tennis’,” cited Phil Diaz, M.D., President of the GCTA. “I believe we do an outstanding job of meeting this definition. To be recognized by the USTA for this national award is a tremendous honor, especially considering the many excellent community tennis associations across the country. We are proud of what we do and the organizations we are able to help.”

“The Greater Columbus Tennis Association defines what it means to be a great CTA,” said Kurt Kamperman, USTA Chief Executive of Community Tennis. “The GCTA doesn’t just provide major financial support for local tennis programs; their members invest their time to make an impact on the residents of the community. We are proud to honor the organization’s leaders and many volunteers with the 2014 Community Tennis Association of the Year Award.”

Click to read the full press release from the USTA.

SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 2014

Otterbein Tennis' Mark and Pat Anderson

This spring Otterbein University saw both its men’s and women’s tennis teams winning their respective OAC Tournament Championships. By winning the tournament, both teams qualified for the Division III NCAA tournament. This is the first time in school history that the tennis programs have made NCAA appearances. The Otterbein men’s team is coached by GCTA board member Mark Anderson. The women’s team is coached by his wife (also a GCTA board member), Pat.

Otterbein's Mark and Pat Anderson - Click to
enlarge

The Otterbein University men's tennis team dropped out of the NCAA championships, losing in the second round, 5-0, to fifth-ranked Carnegie Mellon University Saturday in Monroeville, Pa.

The women's tennis team ended its season with a 5-2 loss to Trinity University in the first round of the NCAA championships hosted by the University of Mary Washington.

Following this record setting season, four members of both the men's and women’s teams received All-Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) honors for their performances throughout the season.

In addition to the honors earned by the athletes, head coach Pat Anderson was named OAC Coach of the Year for the fourth time in her career. Anderson earned the honor last season and also in 2003 and 2001, and head coach Mark Anderson was named OAC Men's Tennis Coach of the Year, a first for him in his six-year career.

Click to read Mark Znidar's Columbus Dispatch article, "Otterbein tennis: Coaches' competitive spirit a perfect marriage".

TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 2014

Nominations for GCTA Annual Awards Now Open

Do you know someone in your tennis world who is making a difference? A coach who goes the extra mile; a student who creates a unique tennis opportunity; a community leader who starts a new tennis program; a family who is "all-in" on the court; an individual who "makes "your club a special place; a media outlet who is covering our sport; or a longtime leader in our tennis world? Please consider nominating this person for an upcoming GCTA Annual Award.

2013 Award Winners: (Top) Canyon Teague, Bill Rabinowitz, Mitzi Niceswanger, May Summers, Sam Arisan. (2nd) Jacqueline Boggs, Francesca DiLorenzo, Quentine Pruneau, the Sanford Family - Click to enlarge

Please click on the link below to find the nomination form on the GCTA Awards page. You will also find the names of former award winners and copies of programs from previous Award Ceremonies.

Please fill out a nomination by Monday, July 7. Return the attached form to: Terri Jones, GCTA Executive Director via email: tj3535s@yahoo.com.

SATURDAY, JUNE 14, 2014

Ohio Valley Cup Champions

Again this year, the GCTA Ohio Valley Cup team won the Ohio Valley Cub Championship.

Back row (l-r): Coach Steve Metzmaier, Eric Hunter, Bryan Yoshino, C.J.
Cash, Coach Tyler Stephen
Front row: Alexia Meyer, Anna Marie Reynolds, Rhiannon James, Mitchell Thai, Audrey Berger - Click to enlarge

This makes the fourth year in a row that the team has brought the honor back to Columbus. The team won the Ohio Valley Cup by going 3-0 in team matches. Columbus defeated Charleston 9-1, MOVTA (Mid Ohio Valley Tennis Association) 10-0, and Cincinnati 10-0. Overall the team was 29-1 on the weekend.

Congratulations to the team and their coaches for another outstanding performance.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 2014

GCTA Grant Monies Put to Good Use

GCTA Grant money was put to good use last week at the Eagle Summer Tennis Camp at Big Walnut High School in Sunbury, OH. Kids in grades 4-8 were engaged in drills, games, singles and doubles play.

Eagle Tennis Camp participants - Click to enlarge

Coach Ryan Balaz called the program a “huge success” and hopes to see tennis in Sunbury area grow through camps like the annual Eagle Summer Tennis Camp.

Click to read more about Acquiring a Grant for Your Tennis Program.

THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2014

Jim Amick Appears on WTTE Television Segment

Tennis in Columbus was highlighted on Thursday, May 22, when Jim Amick, our USTA Midwest Tennis Service Representative, appeared on WTTE’s Good Day Columbus’ 9:00am segment.

Jim Amick, Our USTA Midwest Tennis Service Rep, Demonstrates 10&Under Tennis to WTTE's Shawn Ireland and Marshall McPeek - Click to enlarge

In the few short minutes that tennis was featured, Jim managed to mention many of the USTA tennis opportunities available in the Columbus area, including our Youth Team Tennis, Junior Team Tennis, and Start/Restart programs.

Way to go, Jim!!

Click to view the television segment where Jim is interviewed by WTTE's Shawn Ireland and Marshall McPeek.

SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2014

GCTA Named the Midwest Community Tennis Association of the Year

The USTA/Midwest Section Community Tennis Association of the Year (CTA) Award is presented annually to recognize outstanding service rendered in the community served, and in the growth and development of the sport of tennis.

GCTA's Jim Hendrix, Shelby Rhyne, Terri Jones, and Les Varnado at the May 3rd Award Presentation - Click to enlarge

Columbus GCTA board members, Jim Hendrix, Shelby Rhyne,Terri Jones, and Les Varnado were in Indianapolis to accept this prestigious award. The GCTA is now entered into the running for National CTA of the Year.

THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 2014

Columbus Recreation & Parks Recognizes the GCTA

At its April Quarterly meeting the Greater Columbus Tennis Association received a plaque of appreciation from the Columbus Recreation & Parks in thanks for the support GCTA have provided Columbus Parks and Recreation throughout the years.

CR&P's Denica Bruce Presents GCTA President Phil Diaz with Plaque - Click to enlarge

The GCTA yearly budget includes over $13,000 to help fund the CR&P’s tennis programs. The GCTA is proud of its commitment to growing tennis in Columbus.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2014

Ohio State University Men's Team Wins Intercollegiate Tennis Association Tournament

Congratulations to the OSU Men's Team for winning their first ITA Championship. OSU beat #12 Florida, #13 Texas, #1 Virginia, and #3 USC to win the tournament, which took place in Houston. As a result, Ohio State is now ranked #1 in the nation.

Top picture courtesy of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Bottom photo courtesy of Scott Gerber - Click to enlarge

While it is unusual for a cold-weather school to win this tournament, it is even more unusual given the make-up of the team. Three players who are on Ohio State's team grew up playing Greater Columbus Tennis Association (GCTA) tennis qualifiers. Peter Kobelt, Chris Diaz, and Kevin Metka all competed with and against each other for years in Central Ohio junior tennis.

Also note that Kobelt (New Albany), Diaz (Watterson), and Metka (Worthington Kilbourne) played Ohio high school tennis for all four years. This is rare in other states. All three are included in the picture to the right as 2009 Central District State Qualifiers.

For more information about the tournament, read Colette Lewis' ZooTennis blog, the OSU website, and the Intercollegiate Tennis Association website.

Attending an Ohio State tennis match is like a tennis reunion. To watch great tennis and see old tennis friends, click to view the Men's schedule and Women's schedule. Admission is free.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2014

USTA / Midwest Section - January Volunteer of the Month

Each month the USTA/Midwest Section features a volunteer who is making it happen at all levels. January's volunteer of the month is Jacqueline Boggs of Pickerington, Ohio.


Jacqueline Boggs - USTA/Midwest Section - January Volunteer of the Month- Click to enlarge

A few years ago the USTA envisioned a master program called 10 and Under Tennis, and decided to make it a priority all over the country. There can be no better of example of “how to do it right” than Jacqueline Boggs and her Pick10Tennis program. Starting two years ago, Jacqueline began to play the role of tennis head cheerleader in her community of Pickerington which is a suburb of Columbus.

Through Jacqueline’s efforts, hundreds of Pickerington elementary students and after-school program participants are learning how much fun tennis can be! Since most schools did not have tennis courts available, Jacqueline has lined the 10 and Under Tennis court dimensions on her school parking lot so that teachers can use them as tennis courts. Tennis didn’t stop in Pickerington when school let out. Pick10Tennis organized three Midwest Youth Team Tennis teams, summer camp clinics and offered an Adaptive Youth Tennis Camp and Youth Team Tennis Camps last fall.

In Jacqueline’s words, “Tennis gives me amazing opportunities to give back to my community, both through the schools and through other venues.” Jacqueline’s efforts in Pickerington will continue to promote tennis for years to come.

Jacqueline was the recipient of the 2013 Greater Columbus Promotion of Tennis Award. Thank you Jacqueline for all that you do to promote tennis in the Columbus area.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2013

John Campbell Tennis Center

The temperature could not have been much above 30 degrees this afternoon but that did not stop over 50 people from coming to celebrate the naming of the tennis courts at The Champions Tennis Club to The John Campbell Tennis Center. This is a fitting tribute to the man who has been responsible for the impressive resurgence of the club in recent years.


Picture 1: John Campbell - Picture 2 (l-r): Steve Ballman, Mark Anderson, John Campbell, Richard Getz, Jim Scowden, and Charlie Getz. - Click to enlarge

Only a few years ago the club was to be closed by the operating entity, Columbus Recreation and Parks. John Campbell spearheaded efforts that led to the courts being taken over by interested individuals who have continued to maintain the courts and organize tennis to this day. Well, no tennis today, but expect tennis to return to the John Campbell Tennis Center in the spring!

Congratulations, John!

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2013

2013 GCTA Annual Awards Ceremony

Each year the GCTA Board honors individuals who have significantly contributed to the greater Columbus tennis community. The 2013 awards were handed out Thursday, September 26th at the Everal Barn & Homestead in Westerville. In addition, summer league division champions and runners-up were recognized.


Picture from the 2013 Awards Ceremony- Click to enlarge

Award winners from left to right: Francesca DiLorenzo (Female Junior Player of the Year), Delois and Dimitri Teague, parents of Canyon Teague (Male Junior Player of the Year), Jacqueline Boggs (Promotion of Tennis Award), Mitsi Niceswanger (Promotion of Tennis Award), Bill Rabinowitz (Media Award), May Summers (Female Junior Player of the Year), Sam Arisan (Special Recognition Award), Quentin Pruneau (Columbus Recreation and Parks Award), The Sandford Family – Brian, Alle, Anna, Beth (Family of the Year). Not pictured, Cristina DiLorenzo (Female Junior Player of the Year) & Canyon Teague (Male Junior Player of the Year).

Click here to download the program from the the event for more details.

TUESDAY, JULY 10, 2013

GCTA Grant Monies Fund Special Olympics Tennis in Westerville

The Westerville Special Olympics tennis program, funded in part by the Greater Columbus Tennis Association was very active this season. Listed below are basic components of this program.


Pictures from Westerville Special Olympics - Click to enlarge

YAP (Young Athlete’s Program) –a six week program introduced youth ages 4-7 to the basic skills of tennis.
A skills program geared toward our traditional athletes focusing on tennis skills.
A weekly program running five months working with athletes who have already gone through our skills program.
WSO athletes participated in the Ohio Special Olympics.

Included in the above photos are the following players: picture 1: May, Kody, Mocelyn, Marlena Smith (Director), and Amber, and in picture 2: Kody, Jocelyn, and May.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 2013

Turtle Around Town meets with 10 and Under Kids at Whetstone Park of Roses

Ohio's USTA Tennis Service Representative, Jim Amick, and Good Day Columbus', Dana Turtle, met up with some of our 10 and Under tennis friends at a fun gathering at the Whetstone Park of Roses on June 5th. The kids put on a great display of new games using modified equipment designed especially for kids under the age of 10.



Pictures and video from Whetstone Park- - Click to enlarge (or play)

With 10 and Under Tennis, kids enjoy playing with balls that bounce lower and move slower through the air, making them easier to hit. Racquets are now sized for small hands, making them easier to grip and swing. Courts are smaller, so kids can cover them and have more success when they play. Kids have more fun—and want to play more often.

Tennis is a sport that gets kids moving, improves balance, agility and hand-eye coordination, and can teach self-confidence and self-assurance. Playing tennis, your child can make new friends in a safe, supportive environment. Your whole family can play together anywhere–driveways, gyms and playgrounds can all be transformed into your very own tennis court.

TUESDAY, APRIL 30, 2013

Ten and Under Tennis in Westerville

Jim Amick, our Midwest Tennis Service Representative, brought tennis excitement to Annehurst Elementary students on Wednesday, April 30th.


Pictures from Annehurst Elementary Tennis Assembly - - Click to enlarge

The assembly culminated a four week tennis unit using equipment and teacher training supplied by the Greater Columbus Tennis Association (GCTA).

THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2013

GCTA Board Members Recognized for Outstanding Service


Pictures (l-r) Ed Amos and Beth Gibson

Edwin Amos, of Columbus, Ohio, has been named PTR Member of the Year for the State. This award is presented to a PTR member in the United States who has shown dedication and diligence in promoting and supporting tennis and PTR.

Beth Gibson was recently featured in the New Albany Life Magazine for her Buddy Up Tennis and Fitness Program. Beth was also recognized at the DSACO Celebration of World Down Syndrome on March 21, 2013, for her tireless contributions to the Downs Syndrome community.

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