Junior Nationals participation at all-time high

What activity can you do with kids in the middle of winter when its 15 degrees out?

Put them on the paddle courts of course! That is exactly what happened January 11, as 184 players took to the courts for the 2003 Junior National Championships hosted by the Beacon Hill Club in Summit, New Jersey.

Seven area clubs, 28 courts in all, saw non-stop action as a record number of players battled it out in hopes of winning a National Title. At day’s end, four teams left with championships medals and “Champion’s Chairs” while the other 88 teams left with the satisfaction of knowing they competed their best.

The winners in the 10-and-Under championship were Will Burchenal and Thomas Killian (Summit, NJ). They topped Ryan Hissey and Scotty “THRASH” Safford (West Chester,PA) 6-2, 6-3 in the finals.

Terry Keegan (Fairfield, CT) and Liam Bohannon (Westport, CT) won the 12- and-Under championship by beating Alex Christ (Rochester, NY) and Sean Welch (Pittsford, NY) in a roller coaster match by the scores of 4-6, 6-0, 7-5.

Eric D’Elia (Fairfield, CT) and Marc Powers (Stamford, CT) displayed plenty of skill and maturity in winning the 14- and-Under National title. They beat the team of Peter Hissey (West Chester, PA) and Tom McAvoy (Phoenixville, PA) 7- 6, 6-1 to take home the honors.

The 18-and-Under National Title went to Tyler Gaffney (Madison, NJ) and Diego Rodriguez (Kenneth Square, PA) for the second year in a row. They topped the team of Brandon Kuchta (Lloyd Harbor, NY) and Lauren Cash (Upper Saddle River, NJ) by the scores of 6-4, 6-1.

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 4, Issue 4, March 2003