The 118th Ojai Tennis Tournament Magazine

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Schedule of Events Tuesday, April 24 • Ojai Valley Athletic Club: Men’s and Women’s Open Singles Qualifying Rounds

Wednesday, April 25 Libbey Park: • One (1) Pac-12 Men’s Team Dual Match Ojai Valley Athletic Club/Weil Academy: • Three (3) Pac-12 Women’s Team Dual Matches Pierpont Racquet Club: • Women’s California Community College Team Championship Ventura College: • Men’s California Community College Team Championship

Thursday, April 26 OJAI SITES: Libbey Park: • Four (4) Pac-12 Men’s Team Dual Matches Ojai Valley Athletic Club / Weil Academy: • Four (4) Pac-12 Women’s Team Dual Matches • Junior Events, including CIF • Quick Start Youth Program Ojai Valley Inn: • Open Men’s Singles The Thacher School: • CIF Boys • Junior Events Villanova Preparatory School: • Junior Events Ojai Valley School Lower Campus • Junior Events Ojai Valley School Upper Campus: • Boys’ CIF Nordhoff High School: • Junior Events Matilija Junior High School: • Junior Events Private Courts: • Junior Events VENTURA SITES: Pierpont Racquet Club: • Division III Women Ventura College: • Community College Women Camino Real Park: • Community College Women

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Buena High School: • Community College Women OXNARD SITES: Pacifica High School: • Community College Men Rio Mesa High School: • Community College Men Hueneme High School: • Community College Men Marriott Residence Inn: • Juniors

Friday, April 27 OJAI SITES: Libbey Park: • Two (2) Pac-12 Men’s Team Dual Matches • CIF Boys Ojai Valley Athletic Club/Weil Academy: • Two (2) Pac-12 Women’s Team Dual Matches • Junior Events Ojai Valley Inn: • Open Men’s Singles & Doubles • Open Women’s Singles The Thacher School: • Boys’ CIF • Junior Events Villanova Preparatory School: • Junior Events Nordhoff High School: • Junior Events VENTURA SITES: Pierpont Racquet Club: • Division III Men and Women Ventura College: • Community College Women Buena High School: • Community College Women Camino Real Park: • Independent Men OXNARD SITES: Pacifica High School: • Community College Men Rio Mesa High School: • Community College Men Hueneme High School: • Community College Men

Saturday, April 28 ALL EVENTS IN OJAI: Libbey Park: • Pac-12 Women’s Team Final Dual THE 118th OJAI TENNIS Tournament

Match • Pac-12 Men’s Team Final Dual Match • CIF Boys Semifinals and CIF Boys Finals Lower Libbey Park: • Selected Junior Event Semifinals Ojai Valley Inn: • Open Men’s Singles and Doubles Semifinals • Open Women’s Singles Semifinals • Open Women’s Doubles Quarterfinals and Semifinals Ojai Valley Athletic Club/Weil Academy: • Division III College Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles • Independent College Men’s Singles and Doubles • Community College Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles Nordhoff High School: • Juniors 16G Singles and 18G Singles and Doubles

Sunday, April 29 Libbey Park: (all matches are Finals, unless otherwise indicated; all starting times are approximate) 8:00 • Select Junior Event Finals • Community College Men’s Doubles Semifinals (2) – Lower Libbey • Community College Women Doubles Semifinals (2) – Lower Libbey 9:30 • Open Women’s Singles • Independent College Men’s Singles • Division III College Women’s Singles • Junior 18G Doubles 11:00 • Open Men’s Singles • Division III Men’s Singles • Community College Men’s Singles • Community College Women’s Singles 12:30 • Open Women Doubles • Division III Women Doubles • Independent Men’s Doubles • Junior 18G Singles 2:00 • Open Men Doubles • Division III College Men’s Doubles • Community College Men’s Doubles • Community College Women’s Doubles

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Thank you

to our sponsors!

Mike Taggart Ventura Rental Party Center • Topa Mountain Winery Rabobank • E.J. Harrison & Sons Plexipave Sport Surfacing Systems Tennis Warehouse • New Balance • Wilson • Weil Tennis Academy Ojai Valley Inn • Ojai Valley Athletic Club • City of Ojai Southern California Tennis Association (SCTA) • Solinco Rotary Club of Ojai • West Ojai Valley Lions Club Coast Transfer and Storage A to Z Musical Services Coffee Connection • Topa Topa Brewing Company Dianne Miller Band • Ojai Valley Directory Main Course California • Mission Linen Supply Ojai Pixie Tangerine Growers Association Friend’s Ranches • David Junod, CPA Ojai Donut Shoppe

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Bryan Bros.

Doubles Race

G18s:

G16s:

G14s:

G12s:

G10s: Rachel Lee

Emily Dush

Michelle Deng

Guila Hayer

Iris Berman

Stacey Samonte

Chula Vista

Temple City

San Diego

Los Angeles

Whittier

Alexandra Kuo

Rena Lin

Amanda Chan

Kaia Wolfe

Jeselle Ante

La Jolla

Northridge

Pasadena

San Clemente

Riverside

San Diego

Alyssa Ahn San Diego

B14s: Kevin Thai Poway

Eric Kats Chula Vista

B18s:

B12s:

B10s:

Ivan Smith

Avery Tallakson

Keaton Hance

Calabasas

Chula Vista

Irvine

Torrance

Jack Pulliam

Christopher Papa

Paul Dandler

Rishvanth Krishna

Cypress

Newport Beach

Irvine

Jacob Bullard Manhattan Beach

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B16s:

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Doubles Wins at The Ojai:

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From Prodigy to Proud Parent n the beginning of 1977, few outside of Southern California tennis circles had heard the name Tracy Austin That changed quickly when the 14-year-old Palos Verdes prodigy and future Ojai Tennis Tournament honoree entered the finals of the first Avon Futures Pro Tournament in Portland.

She went up against 17-year-old Stacy Margolin who would later become an Ojai resident.

Austin took home the title, beating Margolin in three sets.

Three months later, the pig-tailed Austin would dazzle Ojai crowds winning the Women’s Open singles over Maria Fernandez.

“As a little girl growing up in Southern California, there was just something so incredibly special about playing at The Ojai,” said Austin, who will be honored in a special fundraising event Friday, April 27, at Topa Mountain Winery.

“I just remember driving into town and everyone being warm and friendly. I saw all the pictures on the boards of the past winners. It’s really a who’s who of the greats who have come out of Southern California tennis.”

The youngest of five tennis-playing kids – brothers Doug, John, Jeff and sister Pam all played at The Ojai before she did – Austin started playing tennis at the age of 2, and entered her first clinic at the Jack Kramer Club when she was 3.

In 1978, a year after bursting onto the tennis scene by winning the Women’s Open, Austin came back to The Ojai but entered the junior 16-and-under girls’ event. Austin, in a recent interview, said she needed another junior tournament to be eligible for the Junior Nationals.

Austin, who was housed by the Bob Ouwendijk family in Ventura, recalls playing an Ojai 16s junior match on a Friday morning and having her mother drive her to the Forum in Inglewood where she played a World TeamTennis match for the Los Angeles Strings that night, joining teammates Chris Evert and Ilie Nastase.

“It really was like I was part of two different worlds,” said Austin, who beat Cecilia Fernandez in the 16s finals the following day.

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Photo courtesy of Tracy Austin

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Tracy Austin’s Ojai journey has now come full circle

Tracy Austin has been named the 2018 Ojai Tennis Tournament honoree.

A few months later, Austin would become the youngest player to compete at the All-England Championships at Wimbledon, where, at age 15, she won her first- and second-round match before falling to Chris Evert in the third round.

Austin also made her U.S. Open debut in 1978, reaching the quarterfinals before losing to Betty Stove of the Netherlands.

Married to Ojai’s Ian Potter, Stacy Margolin Potter calls Austin a life-long friend and junior rival.

“We started playing junior tournaments when I was 10 and Tracy was 7,” said Margolin Potter, who grew up in Beverly Hills. “We became friends and I would go over to her house in Palos Verdes. Back in those days that was a big deal to go to the Jack Kramer Club. And we’d play tennis all day.”

In 1976, Margolin Potter won the Ojai Women’s Open as a 17-year-

THE 118th OJAI TENNIS Tournament

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old — one year before Austin did.

She said Austin was always a tenacious competitor and a true prodigy. “She knew how to compete and so every time I played her I knew I had to be at my best in terms of focus and concentration,” she said. “I think it helped me that I was a few years older.

“Everyone knows Tracy was a backboard. She got everything back and she was fast and she could run all over the place,” she added. “And she had the focus and concentration. I mean, she started playing at 2 years old, so she had all the habits and behaviors of a champion in place at a very young age.”

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Fame.

Austin called the 2017 Ojai one of her most memorable. On Friday night of that tournament, Austin had the honor of interviewing a close friend, the legendary Rod Laver, during the Ojai fundraising event, the same one at which she will be honored this year.

“I got to interview Rod for 45 minutes or an hour, and it was just like a Austin hoists the trophy she casual conversation,” earned for winning the U.S. said Austin. “EveryOpen. one was so relaxed and drinking wine. It really was a special night.”

The next night proved even more memorable for the entire Austin family as Tracy and her husband, Scott Holt, his parents and their sons, Sean and Dylan, watched as her son, Brandon, clinched the Pac-12 Championship for USC over rival UCLA by beating past Ojai champion Gage Brymer at No. 1 singles, 6-4 in the third set.

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Photo courtesy of Tracy Austin

From page 10

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Pac-12 Women’s Preview

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Photo by Holly Roberts

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ast year’s inaugural Pac-12 Women’s Dual Team Championships at the Ojai Tennis Tournament was a smashing success. This year’s encore at the 118th Ojai figures to be as entertaining in showcasing many of the elite collegians ahead of May’s NCAA Division I Championships.

The Pac-12 Women’s Championship final at famed Libbey Park is set for high noon Saturday. First-round, quarterfinal and semifinal Pac-12 tournament matches take place from Wednesday through Friday at the Ojai Valley Athletic Club and Weil Academy.

While Stanford ousted Bay Area rival California in a matchup of the top two seeds in the 2017 Pac-12 Championships, UCLA appears to be this week’s Pac-12 Championships favorite.

The Bruins are anchored by sophomores Ena Shibahara and Jada Hart.

Both have experienced past Women’s Open doubles success at The Ojai. Shibahara, who won The Ojai’s Women’s Open singles crown in 2015 and 2016, is the conference’s best singles player.

Freshman Abi Altick and senior Terri Fleming give the Bruins quality singles depth, and juniors Gabby Andrews and Ayan Broomfield are doubles specialists.

Defending Pac-12 champ Stanford nearly repeated its 2016 NCAA title feat before losing to Florida in the 2017 NCAA Division I final. The Cardinal has a deep squad which includes sophomore Emily Arbuthnott and freshman Michaela Gordon, the top-ranked NCAA Division I doubles tandem at one time in February, and juniors Melissa Lord and Caroline Lampl.

Potentially signaling a shift in the Pac-12’s balance of power from recent years, upstarts Oregon, Washington and Arizona State may pose the biggest threats to UCLA. Leading the charge for the Ducks is senior Alyssa Tobita

The Stanford Women’s team won the first Pac-12 Championships dual match title last year at The Ojai, defeating rival Cal-Berkeley. The Cardinal finished the year ranked No. 2 in the country.

It could be a bear for teams to unseat this year’s favorite and freshman Julia Lilien in singles, and junior Shweta Sangwan in doubles.

Huskies junior Stacey Fung is one of the Pac-12’s best singles players, followed by freshman Vanessa Wong and senior Miki Kobayashi, who are Washington’s top doubles duo.

The Sun Devils are bolstered by top singles players (and doubles duo) in South African Ilze Hattingh and English freshman Lauryn John-Baptiste.

THE 118th OJAI TENNIS Tournament

Cal, a third-round entry in the 2017 NCAA Division I Championships and a 2016 national semifinalist, has strength in singles through Croatian senior Karla Popovic, freshman Anna Bright and junior Olivia Hauger.

USC will Fight On at The Ojai behind its senior leader and No. 1 player, Gabby Smith, and The Ojai will welcome first-year Trojans head coach Alison Swain and her assistant Chris Wootton.

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ince the Ojai Tennis Tournament began hosting the Pac-12 Men’s Dual Team Championships in 2012, USC and UCLA have split six conference titles – USC in 2012, 2015 and 2017, and UCLA in 2013, 2014 and 2016. USC beat UCLA, 4-3, in last year’s title match which ended in dramatic fashion on the No. 1 court as USC’s Brandon Holt outlasted UCLA’s Gage Brymer 6-4 in the third to clinch the title for the Trojans.

The 2018 Pac-12 Championships at the 118th Ojai begin Wednesday and conclude with the championship match in iconic Libbey Park at 3 p.m. Saturday.

If the crosstown L.A. rivalry wasn’t already fueled with enough intensity and intrigue, consider that UCLA and USC now share the same family tree.

Peter Smith is in his 16th season as USC’s head coach, and counts two sons – Riley, a sophomore, and Tanner, a junior – among his Trojans roster. Riley and Tanner fill slots in USC’s Nos. 1 and 3 doubles teams, respectively.

Standing 6-foot-7 on the UCLA roster is freshman Keegan Smith – a 2015 and 2016 Boys’ CIF doubles finalist at The Ojai, and Peter Smith’s nephew. Keegan Smith has played frequently in UCLA’s No. 3 singles and No. 2 doubles slots.

UCLA beat USC, 4-2, in their first meeting of 2018, and Keegan Smith won a point at No. 3 singles and won a set in doubles in helping UCLA earn the doubles point.

This week’s Ojai fans are left to wonder if a UCLA-USC matchup might be decided by a singles match involving Keegan Smith, or a doubles point pitting Keegan against Riley or Tanner Smith.

UCLA is anchored by senior Martin Redlicki, the 2016 NCAA Division I doubles champion, and Evan Zhu as the Bruins’ top singles entries and, potentially, a formidable doubles tandem which was seeded No. 2 in last year’s NCAA Division I Championships.

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Photo by Kirby Russell

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Pac-12 Men’s Preview

Brandon Holt is the recipient of an ice water bath from teammates after clinching the 2017 Pac 12 Championships for USC.

Can Stanford spoil a rematch of last year’s championship?

Brothers Austin and Connor Rapp provide the Bruins with quality depth.

USC is bolstered by Holt, a sophomore and son of 2018 Ojai Tournament Honoree and tennis Hall of Famer Tracy Austin. Holt also is the doubles partner of Riley Smith. Together, they were 2015 U.S. Open Junior doubles finalists. Israeli Daniel Cukierman is an impact player for the Trojans in singles and doubles, alongside Tanner Smith.

Stanford is the major obstacle standing in the way of a USC-UCLA rematch. The Cardinal beat USC and UCLA consecutively in February. Stanford is powered by senior Tom Fawcett, a 2017 NCAA Division I singles semifinalist, and Argentinian freshman THE 118th OJAI TENNIS Tournament

Axel Geller in singles, and juniors Sameer Kumar and Michael Genender (The Ojai’s 2015 Boys’ CIF singles champ) in doubles.

The Cal Bears are looking to make a return to the Pac-12 final they advanced to in 2016 falling to UCLA and are led by a pair of former SoCal junior players and Ojai veterans Jacob Brumm and Bjorn Hoffmann.

Arizona State joins the Pac-12 Championships at The Ojai for the first time. The Sun Devils feature Danish freshman Benjamin Hannestad and Belgian senior Michael Geerts as its top players among eight foreigners and lead the Pac-12’s second tier of teams.

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Men’s and Women’s Open Preview

Prize money increased this year for women competitors

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Photo by Holly Roberts

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Ojai tennis fans will likely get used to seeing Salma Ewing play at Libbey Park as the 17-year-old defending Women's Open singles champion will play her college tennis at USC.

serve as the OVTC president. In 1960 and 1961, Helen Lucking was the first woman to serve as president. She was followed by Harriet Herrick (1962-63), Ruby Morrison

(1983-88), Gerry Roe (2004-05) and Vivian Perrett (2012-13).

In last year’s Women’s Open final, 16-year-old future USC player Salma Ewing, from Long Beach, See page 28

Photo by Holly Roberts

n a progressive move that embraces its past yet looks to the future, for the first time the Ojai Tennis Tournament will offer equal prize money in the Men’s and Women’s Open divisions for singles and doubles.

Women have always played a key role at The Ojai, a tournament that began in 1896 when local Ojai resident William Thacher decided to form a club devoted to tennis. In 1895 his Ojai Valley Tennis Club was born. The following year, the Ojai Tennis Tournament was played for the first time.

The Ojai was one of the earliest tournaments in the nation to hold a women’s division. In 1900, Ruby Garland won the first Women’s Invitational singles and doubles titles.

In 1904, May Sutton won the third of her seventh straight women’s Open singles titles at The Ojai, and that same year won the U.S Nationals, which is today known as the years’ final Grand Slam, the U.S. Open.

"The Ojai Valley Tennis Club is proud to announce that this year we will be awarding $30,000 in prize money, to be distributed equally among our Men’s and Women’s players in the Open division,” said Ojai Valley Tennis Club President Carolyn Burke. “We are grateful that Mike Taggart has generously increased his sponsorship, allowing us to provide equal prize money to players in both singles and doubles.

Our Open division has steadily increased in draw size, and we have been getting players ranked inside the top 350 in the world in the ATP and WTA. This year will continue to provide exciting, high level tennis in both the Men’s and Women’s Open divisions."

Burke is the sixth woman to

In the Men's Open singles final last year, Henry Craig beat 2015 champion Philip Bester in a thrilling third-set tiebreaker for his first Ojai title.

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From page 26

On that sunny April day 12 stars, including former Ojai players defeated top-seeded Megan Mcyears ago in Libbey Park, when like Pete Sampras, Michael Chang Cray, 7-6, 6-0, to win the Women’s Querrey fell in the Men’s Open and Taylor Fritz.

Open singles title. singles final to Zbynek Mlynarik As a precocious 17-year-old Ewing will return to defend her of Chatsworth, it was the start of Thousand Oaks High School sentitle this year. “To win The Ojai something big. Committed to USC means the world to me,” Ewing said ior in 2006, Sam Querrey entered to play his college tennis for after last year’s match. “Know2018 Allocation of Open Prize Money coach Peter Smith, Querrey ing my photo will be out there

Men Women parlayed his Ojai winnings on the board forever is very Singles Winner $5,300 $5,300 with several other solid exciting.”

Singles Runner-Up $2,600 $2,600 results in pro events during In the Women’s Open douSingles Semifinalists (x2) $1,000 ea. $1,000 ea. the summer, deciding against bles final, high school seniors Singles Quarterfinalists (x4) $500 ea. None* Doubles Winners (x2) $1,200 ea. $1,200 ea. college tennis and instead Annette Goulak, of Oak Park, Doubles Runners-Up (x2) $600 ea. $600 ea. turning pro. and Newbury Park resident Doubles Semi-Finalists (x4) $300 ea. None* Now, at the age of 30 and Dominique Schaefer prevailed TOTAL $16,700 $13,500 $30,200 a good 12 years removed for their first Ojai title as a pair- * Because the Men’s draws each contain one more round than the corresponding Women’s draws, the Men’s Singles quarterfinalists from his last finals appearing. and Doubles Semifinalists receive prize money, whereas the Women’s ance at The Ojai, Querrey In the Men’s Open singles Singles quarterfinalists and Doubles semifinalists do not. has ascended to a career-high final, Murrieta, Calif. native ATP Tour world ranking Henry Craig beat 2015 champiof No. 11 and remains a threat to The Ojai Open just two years after on Philip Bester, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (2), possibly go all the way at the year’s the then-Lancer sophomore served to win the prestigious Ojai title. remaining Grand Slams: the French noticed that he was a rising SoCal The Men’s Open division has Open, Wimbledon and the US tennis star winning the CIF Boys’ always served as a launching pad Interscholastic Division at The Ojai. Open. for some of America’s next great

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Division III Preview

Inaugural event replaces Women’s Independent College play

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Photo by Morey Spellman

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Men's Division III trophy presenter Jim Maxwell hands the hardware to Claremont Mudd-Scripps doubles winners Nikolai Parodi and Daniel Morkovine.

Photo courtesy of Cal Lutheran University

he 118th Ojai Tennis Tournament comes with a new wrinkle this year within the event’s collegiate ranks – the introduction of the Women’s Division III Invitational division.

Replacing what was the Women’s Independent Colleges division, the Women’s Division III Invitational showcases select players from NCAA Division III universities on the West Coast in singles and doubles competition. The draws will include a bracket of 32 singles entries, with a consolation back draw, and 16 entries in doubles.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, buoyed by sophomores Catherine Allen and Nicole Tan and senior Lindsay Brown, and Pomona-Pitzer, bolstered by the dynamic duo of seniors Emily Chen and Maryann Zhao and junior singles player Caroline Casper, are among NCAA Division III’s top teams and figure as primary contenders for the inaugural Women’s Division III Invitational singles and doubles crowns.

The Women’s Division III Invitational division will award trophies to the singles and doubles champions and runners-up, as well as a team trophy to the university with the most combined success in singles and doubles.

The new division provides The Ojai with a complementary balance to the Men’s Division III West division, which in recent years has served as a platform to display the greatness of the Claremont-MuddScripps men’s tennis program.

The Stags are 25-time champions of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC), including the past 12 years. They were NCAA Division

Longtime Cal Lutheran men's tennis coach Mike Gennette in now leading the CLU women's team, which will play in the new Division III event at The Ojai.

III national champions in 1981 and 2015 and, recently, were the Division III runner-up in 2013, 2014 and 2017.

A NCAA Division III national championship contender again, CMS has swept the Men’s Division III West singles and doubles spoils at The Ojai the past four years; THE 118th OJAI TENNIS Tournament

Stags teammates competed against each other in each singles final during this span, and the 2015 doubles final was also an all-CMS affair.

Sophomore Nikolai Parodi is The Ojai’s reigning Men’s Division III West singles and doubles champion. He anchors a talented CMS squad which also features freshman Jack Katzman, sophomores Oscar Burney, Daniel Park and Matthew Jacobs, and juniors Julian Gordy (captain) and Avinash Vemuri.

The most formidable threat to CMS’ throne at The Ojai may come from its SCIAC rival, Redlands.

Senior Joey Dulle was a doubles finalist last year at The Ojai, and junior Chase Lipscomb is among NCAA Division III’s top singles players for the Bulldogs.

Cal Lutheran will curry favor amongst Ojai supporters as the tournament’s local Division III school.

Longtime men’s coach Mike Gennette (20 years coaching the Kingsmen) has also taken the helm of Cal Lutheran’s women’s team (the Regals) for the first time. On the men’s side, the Kingsmen feature its top singles players and doubles tandem in junior Yahn Gawrit and senior Lucas Tilly. The Regals are led by juniors Christie Kurdys and Sarah Seeman.

All men’s and women’s Division III competitions conclude Sunday on the following schedule at storied Libbey Park: • 9:30 a.m. – Women’s Division III Invitational singles final • 11:00 a.m. - Men’s Division III West singles final • 12:30 p.m. – Women’s Division III Invitational doubles final • 2 p.m. – Men’s Division III West doubles final

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The Tennis is Intense, the Tea Tradition is in Tent

T

he time-honored ritual of serving tea at the Ojai Tennis Tournament is a local legacy that has been handed down from generation to generation. Much like the players who enter the tournament, the Tea Tent also carries with it a prestige that it bestows upon the tapestry of volunteers from the valley who carry on this tradition each year.

Helping keep this classic English custom alive in the heart of Southern California is this year’s chairperson, Cassandra VanKeulen, along with her sister and vice chair, Lauren VanKeulen. Their legacy began in 1996, when their mother, Anne Williamson, first joined the Ojai as a volunteer. Now they look forward to passing this honor on to the first grandchild in the family.

Williamson has served on the

board as the accommodations director and also runs The Ojai Open division.

Starting with William L. Thacher’s love for “tennis, talk or tea,” the Tea Tent has evolved into the focal point of the tournament, inviting tennis goers to cool off, unwind and socialize during the matches.

In 1904, Thacher's favorite drink, tea, was served for the first time and started one of many traditions that continue today. Harry Maiden, a longtime Ojai and Wimbledon umpire, once said, "There are only two civilized tournaments in the world, the Ojai and Wimbledon, because they both serve tea."

Held in a pavilion-style tent donated in 1925 by Harry and Florence Sinclair, the ladies will be serving tea, cookies and con-

versation from Thursday, April 26 through Sunday, April 29. Refreshments will be served from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. for the first three days of the tournament and from 1 to 4 p.m. on finals Sunday.

Assisting the VanKeulens are this year’s hand-picked day hostesses Carly Lucking Ford, Tonya Peralta, Pinky Belshe and Wendy Hilgers. They will be following in the steps of their hospitable predecessors, by dressing in elegant attire to match the polished silver and shiny china cups.

The setting will be further brought to life by the vibrant bouquets artfully created each day by the Ojai Valley Garden Club.

As integral as the ladies running the tent are the attendees, who return each year to mingle just as much as for the tea and cookies.

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Community College Preview T Events will bookend this year’s competitions

he California Community College Athletic Association’s men’s and women’s team and individual singles and doubles State championships return to the Ojai Tennis Tournament for the fifth consecutive year and will bookend all championship action at The Ojai.

The CCCAA State Team Championships are the first titles to be determined at The Ojai Wednesday – the women’s final at Pierpont Racquet Club in Ventura and the men’s final at Ventura College. Sunday’s Women’s CCCAA State doubles final will close out the 118th Ojai.

The men’s CCCAA singles and doubles competitions are played at Rio Mesa, Pacifica and Hueneme High Schools in Oxnard Thursday and Friday, while the women’s draw will be contested at Ventura College, Camino Real Park and Buena High School in Ventura the same days.

All CCCAA individual draws play at the Ojai Valley Athletic Club Saturday and conclude Sunday on the following finals schedule at Libbey Park: • 11 a.m. – Men’s CCCAA State singles final • 11 a.m. - Women’s CCCAA State singles final • 2 p.m. – Men’s CCCAA State doubles final • 2 p.m. – Women’s CCCAA State doubles final Irvine Valley College won the past three men’s CCCAA State dual team titles. The Lasers defeated American River College the past two years.

Cerritos College, Riverside City College and Ventura are Southern California’s frontrunners, with Cerritos boasting Kent Hunter and Victor Castro as its top players and Riverside City anchored by Thomas Pidoux and Kayne Trustfull.

American River still appears to be Northern California’s most formidable team, bolstered by a lineup featuring Michael Vizcarra, Sam Hall and Pete Gibson.

36

Santa Monica College’s Mayra Jovic and Abby Mullins were presented with the trophy recognizing them as CCCAA State women’s individual doubles champions following their 6-4, 6-3 victory over Glendale College’s Veronika Galstyan and Tsukimi Ono at last year’s Ojai Tennis Tournament.

Photo by Morey Spellman/Ojai Tennis Tournament

On the women’s side, Orange Coast College won the 2017 CCCAA State team title, ousting 2016 and 2017 Northern California champion De Anza College, and has been overhauled with top freshmen like Australian Miri Inoue and Camryn Mason.

Cerritos introduces strong singles and doubles forces in Lisa Suzuki and Petra Such. Glendale College’s Hailey McNall and Srna Lepchevska could also contend for individual titles.

Seemingly the class of the north once again, De Anza returns a strong unit led by Sandra Dafinescu, Maria

Zimmerman and Anjelica Gagliano.

Other top individuals from Northern California include Modesto’s Symone Jacques and Sarah Kellogg, and American River’s Vika Lavor.

The CCCAA State individual championships at The Ojai represent a true State championship. The men’s and women’s individual draws are open to qualification from all 84 California community/junior colleges that field tennis programs.

Each individual draw is plugged into a bracket of 128 (seeds are chosen

by CCCAA coaches).

Irvine Valley College was honored with the Men’s Community College Team Trophy at the 2017 Ojai Tennis Tournament after the Lasers won their third consecutive CCCAA State team championship and swept the CCCAA State men’s individual singles (Javi Callejo Velasco) and doubles (Velasco and Lucas Lesoeur) titles.

Photo by Morey Spellman/Ojai Tennis Tournament THE 118th OJAI TENNIS Tournament

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Juniors Preview Boys will get their time in the sun this year

T

raditionally, The Ojai junior divisions and CIF Boys’ always seem to get lost in the hustle and bustle of the busy finals weekends at Libbey Park.

But this year will be different.

Tournament organizers – led by first-year President Carolyn Burke and new Executive Director Katrina Rice-Schmidt – wanted to highlight the younger players at the 118th Ojai Tennis Tournament and have juggled the schedule to do that.

The Boys’ CIF Division final will be played in prime time following the 3 p.m. Pac-12 Men’s final with a scheduled start of 6 p.m. All other junior finals – played Saturdays in the past – will now be played Sunday.

“We thought that having the Boys’ CIF semifinals immediately before the Pac-12 finals would give the boys some exposure and ability to be seen by the Pac-12 coaches and the large Libbey Park crowd on Saturday,” Rice-Schmidt said. “The CIF finals following the Men’s Pac12 final would give the CIF players a chance to watch and to be inspired by some good college level tennis, too.”

There are 20 finals Sunday, highlighted by all the junior finals except for the CIF boys.

“Playing at Libbey Park in The Ojai finals is the goal for all of the players in the four-day junior tournament, yet only a few have the opportunity to receive trophies from this historic and prestigious tournament in a grand presentation in front of a large crowd,” Rice-Schmidt said.

38

Photo by Morey Spellman

Jeff Jenkins (right) presents a trophy to Palisades junior Jake Sands, who defeated Stefan Dostanic to win the 2017 Boys' CIF Interscholastic singles title.

He will play his college tennis at USC.

Photo courtesy of Cali Jankowski

Girls' 18s singles champion Cali Jankowski won't defend her 2017 title, opting instead to play in the Women's Open division. She will play on scholarship next season for Arizona State.

for the Bruins.

“It’s heart-warming to see the smiles Other junior winners from 2017 and look of accomplishment on the players’ faces when they receive their to keep an eye on this year include: Boys’ 14 Singles: Ryan Morgan hard-earned trophies.”

(Pasadena); Girls’ 14 Singles: LeyLast year, Palisades junior Jake Sands came back in heroic fashion to den Games (Newport Beach); Boys’ 16 Singles: Sahm Irvine (Rancho beat sophomore Stefan Dostanic of Palos Verdes); Woodbridge, The winners of the past seven years of the Boys’ InterGirls’ 16 4-6, 7-5, 6-0. scholastic division at The Ojai have gone on to play for Singles: Elle A future USC Pac-12 teams: Christensen player, Sands 2011-Gage Brymer (University-Irvine) – UCLA (Los Angewas down 5-3 2012-Gage Brymer (University-Irvine) – UCLA les); Girls’ 18 in the second 2013-Gage Brymer (University-Irvine) – UCLA Singles: Cali set before 2014-Austin Rapp (Palm Desert) – UCLA stepping on 2015-Michael Genender (Harvard-Westlake) – Stanford Jankowski (Carlsbad); the gas and 2016-Connor Hance (Peninsula) – UCLA 2017-Jake Sands (Palisades) – USC in 2018-19 Girls’ 18 Doupowering to bles: Amanda the win. Sands Chan (Pasadena)/Lauren Ko (Temple defeated top seed, defending chamCity). pion Connor Hance, of Peninsula, in Another junior to watch is Ojai the semifinals, 7-5, 6-2. resident and Weil Academy player In the CIF Doubles final, San Scout Matthews, who made the Girls’ Marino seniors Bryce Pereira and 14s final in 2016.

Connor Lee defended their doubles Girls’ 18s champion Jankowski crown with a 6-4, 6-1 win in the final is a senior now, but has decided to over a Harvard-Westlake pair. Ojai play in the Women’s Open division fans will get a chance to see UCLA this year. She will play on scholarship freshman Pereira this week as he has next season for Arizona State. cracked the doubles starting lineup THE 118th OJAI TENNIS Tournament

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Youth Tennis Local groups aren’t kidding Photo by Holly Roberts

when it comes to introducing sport to young people

W

ith the help of more than 500 local volunteers, the Ojai Valley Tennis Club (OVTC), organizes and hosts the annual Ojai Tennis Tournament.

A key objective of the club is to promote interest in physical fitness and tennis among Ojai- and Ventura-area youth year-round.

The OVTC Youth Tennis Committee conducts and supports programs to introduce the game of tennis to Ojai Valley youth and to encourage their continued participation in the sport.

Dozens of local tennis enthusiasts support the youth programs by volunteering as coaches and mentors, as well as business sponsors. Some of the youth program sponsors include Wilson Sporting Goods and the USTA/ SCTA Organization, both which donate tennis equipment; Toppers Pizza and Friends Ranches provide delicious and healthy citrus snacks and lunches at fundraising events; and Michael Taggart, The Rotary Club of Ojai and the OVTC each donate funds directly.

This year, OVTC donated funds to the Ojai Recreation Department (ORD) youth-tennis programs for youth-tennis scholarships, prizes and tennis equip-

40

Scott Burton (center) the Ojai Recreation Department Youth Tennis Program director, works with more junior players.

ment, all of which fosters friendly competition on the Libbey Park courts.

Tennis professional, Scott Burton, who is a master at motivating the more than 80 participating junior players (ages 4-18), took the helm of the ORD youth-tennis program this year. Burton is also in charge of training the Ojai ball kids for the 118th Ojai Tournament.

The eighth annual Ojai Holiday Tennis Challenge, a well-anticipated year-end tradition, is a tournament in which 64 players (32 teams of adult/ youth paired teams) participated in both “In for Fun” and “In To Win” divisions to raise funds for area youth programs.

The annual Holiday Challenge guarantees a weekend of family fun to wind down the old and ring in the new year.

The OVTC also organizes a High-Performance Clinic in late March, where local tennis professionals share their expertise with a select group of promising, young, tennis players for a day. Juniors are “sponsored” by coaches to participate and rotate through six or eight courts, receiving instruction for a different skill on each court.

THE 118th OJAI TENNIS Tournament

During The Ojai, the OVTC presents Sportsmanship awards to deserving youth who are nominated by local tennis coaches and selected by the Youth Tennis committee. The selection is based on sportsmanship, motivation, talent, potential to advance, and financial need.

The prizes are tennis related, including tennis scholarships for summer camps and individual and group lessons, donated by various Ojai Valley tennis professionals.

Several past Youth Award winners, who have gone on to compete at the college level, will be playing in this year’s Ojai Tournament.

In addition, OVTC supports the Ventura County Junior Tennis Association tournaments and provides VCTA Youth Team Tennis programs with trophies, balls and prizes.

One of OVTC's most successful and widespread youth-tennis programs is the "10 and Under" program (formerly QuickStart), that is brought to Ojai Valley elementary schools and some Ventura schools through a collaboration between OVTC, ORD, Ojai Unified and Ventura Unified school See page 42

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To volunteer or donate to the OVTC youth tennis efforts, contact Vos at jhmvos@aol.com. Tax-deductible donations can be sent to: P.O. Box 482, Ojai, CA 93024.

Scott Burton works with an Ojai junior on his game.

Photo by Holly Roberts

districts.

Developed by the USTA, 10 and Under tennis is specifically designed to speed up the learning curve for younger children, with the use of smaller, lighter racquets, under-inflated balls and smaller courts. The instruction results in quicker progress and more fun, because the kids can start to rally and play sooner.

The program is now in its ninth year, under the outstanding leadership of tennis professional, Philippe Gache.

With the help of several dedicated adult volunteers and Gache’s leadership, the 10 and Under tennis program has grown from two to more than 15 elementary schools in the Ojai Valley and Ventura, and works with an average of 2,000 students between third and sixth grades during the school year.

Gache said Ojai schools, including Topa Topa Elementary, Mira Monte Elementary, Ojai Valley School, Oak Grove School, Montessori School of Ojai and Sunset Elementary are great examples of schools where the principals, teachers and parents are very

involved in the success of the program.

According to Gache, the youth-tennis program in the Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) has been very well received, particularly in the Title One schools.

“Most of these kids have never had a racquet in their hands and tennis brings them a new physical activity in a satisfying and fun way,” Gache said.

During the playing of The Ojai, a 10 and Under Tennis Challenge will once again take place in which promising and interested students can challenge each other for prizes and school pride. The Challenge will be held at the Ojai Valley Athletic Club (OVAC) on courts one and two Thursday, April 26 at 3:30 p.m.

“The OVTC would like to thank all the generous contributions and sponsorships provided by Mike Taggart and other local tennis fans, as well as Wilson Sporting Goods, several local businesses and all of our volunteers for their unwavering support of all of Ojai Valley Tennis professionals,” said Jakob Vos, the OVTC chair of youth tennis programs.

Photo by Holly Roberts

From page 40

Ojai Valley Athletic Club member Karen Mathews (back row from right), Valerie Greenberg, OVAC Tennis Director Thomas Brinkhoff, Dan Rudark and Jody Lemon were among those who participated in a competitive tennis fundraiser to purchase a custom wheelchair for Thomas Allen Hopkins (front), a local college student.

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