Of all the National events, none seems to be more friendly and social than the Husband/Wife…at least in the early rounds. Players were in agreement that the goal of the tournament was not necessarily to win, but to remain married. Camaraderie and sportsmanship were on display in Pittsburgh.

Unlike the Mixed, the Husband/Wife Nationals started out with a bang. In the first round, local Pittsburgh favorites Guy and Jane Herrmann defeated #1 seeded Robin and Bob Fulton. The remaining three out-of-town favorites proceeded on to the semi-finals as planned.

George and paddle newcomer Lauren Zink defeated Guy and Jane in a tight two-setter. Lauren, fresh back from the maternity ward, showed why she had not yet lost a match in her first six tournaments. Although still new to the wires, Lauren demonstrated that with solid ground-strokes, screen-play is just a technicality. Superman must have married Wonder Woman.

Tim and Tonia Mangan defeated John “Lee” and Leslie Hough in a tight three-set semi-final match.

The stage was set for Lauren to get her proper introduction into the paddle community. Six weeks after giving birth to their first child, Zachary Tyler, Lauren and George earned their first Husband-Wife title with their win over Tim and Tonia.

We can guarantee that these names will be repeated all over the Husband/Wife marquis for years to come.

The 2001 Men’s President’s Cup competition was hosted by the Montclair Golf Club on March 23rd. The Chairs for the event were Ginna Ohlmuller and Carol York.

Men’s Region IV, lead by Andy Todd, won the event with Regions I and II finishing in a tie for second.

Region IV Team Members
1. Tony Jagodzinski and Todd Ward
2. Tim Foster and Eric Toth
3. Martin Sturgess and Paul Stulac
4. Mike Stulac and Dan Mott
5. Greg McFaden and Scott McFaden

The Region 1 Winners [L-r} top row: Jeanie Shaw, Kimberly Newsome, Louise Cash, Bobo Mangan Delaney, Susan Lovejoy: bottom row: Tonia Mangan, Carrie Short, Susan Penney, Andrea Noyes. The bandannas were the team favor/ color and the teams were told they had to wear them creatively; Region ! won that award too!

The 2001 Women’s President’s Cup competition was hosted by the Short Hills Club on March 22nd. The Chairs for the event were Ginna Ohlmuller and Carol York.

Women’s Region I, lead by Brenda Borho, won the Women’s President’s Cup, with Region II posting the next highest score.

Region I Team Members:
1. Bobo DeLaney and Tonia Mangan
2. Hilary Debbs and Carrie Short
3. Louise Cash and Kimberly Newsome
4. Susan Lovejoy and Jeanie Shaw
5. Andrea Noyes and Susan Penney

Chris Gambino and David Ohlmuller were ranked #1 in the Men’s and Sue Aery and Gerri Viant #1 in the Women’s.

Cherry Valley Country Club in Garden City, New York hosted the 50+ Women’s National Doubles tournament on February 28th, with matches also being played at the Garden City Country Club and Plandome Club.

Karen Cashman & Courtia Worth, the 2000 champions, were back again! The newly formed team of Helen Garrett / Ann Mitchell had sharpened their paddles for the event along with the seasoned teams of Alice Duff/Penny Johnston, Winnie Hatch/Sharon Hummers, Gloria Grafer/Elaine Hoolahan and Rita Goldberg/Ruth Weil. Viking supplied all players with balls and coolers.

Cashman & Worth, the twin towers, were defeated by Garrett and Mitchell in the semi-finals 6-3, 7-6, with Courtia diving for the ball the last point of the tiebreaker!
Hatch & Hummers defeated Duff & Johnston on the other side of the draw, 6-4, 6-2. Hatch & Hummers then faced off against Garret & Mitchell, two players who have each won the 50’s in the past with different partners. The points were long and the gallery was pounding on the windows while sipping wine!

They split the first two sets. In the third, Hummers, a bit worn down from her backcourt play (those in the hut counted one point where she hit 48 balls in a row while Hatch smoked a cigarette) began to drive and blitz. Hatch followed her lead with the same strategy, and they won the third set, 6-2.

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 2, Issue 5, May, 2001

Marjorie Hodson reported on the event for PTM:

If you have been worried about the future of platform tennis, you can relax. The future was on display at the Beacon Hill Club, Canoe Brook Country Club, Short Hills Club and Echo Lake Country Club on Saturday, January 27, and it is bright. The APTA Junior Nationals, an exciting lead-up to Super Bowl Sunday, featured competitive matches and unparalleled sportsmanship. Parents and pros pitched in to prop up a pneumonia plagued Patty Hogan, and play proceeded as planned. Check-in and lunch at the Beacon Hill Club preceded a great photo opportunity with the giant inflatable Viking hat. Players then dispersed to nearby clubs to begin the competition. Following Round Robin play in all age groups, semi-finalists returned to Beacon Hill to finish.

In 10 & Under play Pete Donnally, a finalist last year, teamed with Karen Cash (whose sister Lauren was a 12 & Under Champ last year) to edge the sister-brother duo Anna and James Burke in three tight sets.

The 12 & Under Champions, Chris Cummins and Andrew Nebel, survived two match points against them in the semi-finals to advance and win a 3-set final over Phil Bernasek and Eric D’Elia.

14 & Under winners An Borinsky and Ben Williams used the tournament experience they gained playing the Viking Cup this year to deny Peter Hissey and Chris Lewis in yet another three setter.

Defending 18 and Under champions Anthony and Will Nunziata made it through a morning of SAT exams to outplay Tyler Gaffney and David Hissey and retain their crown.

Viking Athletics, New Jersey Men’s Platform Tennis Association, New Jersey Women’s Platform Tennis League, R. J. Reilly, and Louise Gengler helped to make the day special for the 100 juniors who participated.

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 2, Issue 4, March, 2001

APTA President John Horine provided an update in the March and September From the APTA columns in PTM:

I am very excited about the progress the APTA Board has made so far. In the past, APTA Board discussion of a Hall of Fame has never gotten off the ground. I am determined to make this a reality. This is where you, the APTA member, come in.

A significant development occurred this spring/summer for The Platform Tennis Museum and Hall of Fame Foundation. The Hall of Fame became incorporated as a 501(c)(3) tax-deductible organization. Thanks to the work of Cincinnati player/attorney, Andy Giannella, the Hall of Fame now stands alone from the APTA with its own Board and fund raising capabilities.

You can bet one of the first goals will be to begin fund-raising for a permanent location (Note: This had to wait for an application to be made to the IRS for approval of the 501 (C) (3) status and then working through the approval process; the IRS granted exempt status effective February 19,2004).

To say the least, I am very excited about the future of The Platform Tennis Museum and Hall of Fame Foundation. There are many people who have been inducted into the Platform Tennis Hall of Fame who have given selflessly to the game.

To this day, there has not been a physical location where someone can go to learn more about these people or about the history and evolution of our sport. Now, with the creation of the Foundation, money can be raised to find and build such a place.

Hopefully, with your financial support and ideas, this can take shape. Right now, we do not know where the museum will be located or how much it will cost. These questions will soon be answered.

If you would like to make a monetary contribution to the foundation, it would be most welcome. If you have some memorabilia you think the Foundation might like to display, please contact the APTA office.

Setting up the Museum/Hall of Fame from scratch is a large endeavor – one which I am not taking lightly and one which will need your help. If you are called to contribute, please do so in whatever manner you are capable. Show your love for the game.

Historical Factoid: The idea for a “physical space” to house APTA memorabilia went back as far as 1972 when a proposal was made to Fox Meadow Tennis Club in Scarsdale, NY by the then APTA Secretary, Robert A. Brown.

Source: Platform Tennis Magazine, Vol. 2, Issue 4, March, 2001 and Vol 3. Issue 1, September 2001