President’s Cup history and a report on the sweep by Region I

History of President's Cup: The President's Cup was established in 1978 in order to create a national competition for amateur paddlers. Initially four Regions competed. They participated in a "round robin" tournament with the #1 team from each Region playing its counterparts from the other Regions. The #2, #3, and #4 teams had comparable "round robins" and the Region which scored the most victories received the sterling silver President's Cup. In 1982, the format of the President's Cup changed, when it became a one-day tournament immediately preceding the National Championships. A fifth team was later added to the competition. The Women's President's Cup was established in 1983, with three regional teams competing. Today, all six regions have five men's teams competing for the Cup and the women have five regions competing.

This year’s President’s Cup should have just been mailed in advance to Region I. Winning both the Men’s and Women’s President’s Cup, Region I dominated this year’s event with a deep pool of teams that came to compete.

For the 2003-04 season’s President’s Cup, the women had a perfect day for their event, which took place the Thursday before the main draw. Blue skies lurked overhead, as each of the five regions brought out their best teams to compete against each other. In the end, the top three teams were separated by one point and Region I won. Congratulations
to the winning team: Judy Arden and Susan Lovejoy, Michelle Griffith and Susan Tarzian, Alia Main and Kerri Flynn, Maria Manley and Kim Curcuru, Michelle Jellinek and Lissa Barry and alternate Kerith Flynn.

The men’s day was not as perfect. Punctuated by high temperatures and wind gusts of up to 40 mph, the men battled the elements as well as themselves on the Friday before the main draw. Like their women counterparts, though, Region I’s team proved too strong for the rest of the competition. Congratulations to the winning team: Bill Browne and Ray Crosta, Tim Mangan and Tim Heath, Greg Schild and Russ Jellinek, Frank Lorenzetti and Scott Slobin and Chris Fitzgerald and Mike Gillespie.

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 5, Issue 5, April, 2004