The BCTA hosted two competitions at the tennis courts of Council Rock North High School and one at Central Bucks West High School, which enabled players to test their prowess against their peers. During its annual mid-season Team Challenge on July 19, public park players who participated in Seasons 1 and/or 2 of the nonprofit’s outdoor programs enjoyed friendly competition. On July 20 and 21, the BCTA hosted its 22nd annual BCTA Jr. Classic, a USTA-sanctioned tournament for county and tri-state boys and girls in the 14-, 16-, and 18-and-under age divisions. On July 21, the BCTA Double Fortnite Grand Slam teen/adult league celebrated its completion. For more photos, visit the BCTA Facebook page.

TEAM CHALLENGE

While the BCTA has implemented entry-level competition in for many years, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) initiated its Team Challenge pilot program as an introduction to competition that focuses on team play and character development.  Team Challenge athletes were identified by their respective BCTA coach to compete in one of three divisions: Red Ball (recommended ages 7–10 played on 36-foot courts), Green Ball (recommended ages 11–13), or Yellow Ball (recommended ages 14+). The friendly competition highlights teamwork, sportsmanship, and skill development in a fun social environment.

For each division in the event, two teams were formed and teammates created their name, after which each team vied for medals as well as sportsmanship awards. Team champions and runners-up were determined by total team scores that were accumulated during round-robin matches and special “bonus rounds” of Team Singles and Team Tennis Sandwich in the Green and Red Ball, respectively, with loud cheers for “the last player standing” and the first team to finish. BCTA coaches and volunteers were on hand to guide players and matches, and a number of parents and high school volunteers helped with scorekeeping in the Red and Green Ball divisions.

Yellow Ball Division Results 

Gold medal: Southern/Central Bucks (64 games)   

Silver medal: Northern/Central Bucks (50 games)

Yellow Ball Division Teams

Northern/Central Bucks

Adrianna Shantzer, Aidan Elhyani, Anastasia Korshun, Grace Byrne, Keira Calista, Leah Jiorle, Swaroopa Paratkar              

Southern/Central Bucks              

Braeden Toadvine, Claire Titus, Daria Zhukova, Emily Ferris, Julian Corbin, Luke Moore, Tyler Brown, Vincent Malizia

Red Ball Division Results

Gold medal: Southern/Central Bucks Smashing Phillies (215 points)

Silver medal: Southern Bucks Black Magic (186 points)

Red Ball Division Teams

Northern/Central Bucks Black Magic

Gia Patel, Kevin Feng, Lucy Welsh, Vera Duntzee

Southern/Central Bucks Smashing Phillies                         

Connell Souders, Marlo Mielke, Noble Jolly, Yasmeen Chaudhary  

Green Ball Division Results

Gold medal: Northern/Central Bucks Red Hawks (199)

Silver medal: Southern Bucks Silver Black Tigers (158)

Green Ball Division Teams

Northern/Central Bucks Silver Black Tigers

Addison Strawser, Evaleigh Homa, Lincoln Kusters, Lucas Munn, Rosalyn Homa, Shane Riso.

Southern Bucks Red Hawks

Gaven Philp, Hunter Gallagher, Noah Lutz, Ruda Patel, Thomas Cronin, Vivian Bender

22nd ANNUAL BCTA JR. CLASSIC

The 22nd Annual BCTA Jr. Classic drew experienced tournament players from throughout the tri-state area. This year’s tournament included 57 boys and girls competing in 14-, 16-, and 18-and-under age divisions.  A full list of players and match scores can be viewed at:   https://playtennis.usta.com/Competitions/BucksCountyTennisAssociationTournaments/Tournaments/Overview/d9839c12-09ce-4e18-b0a1-39345c90dbe9

Boy’s 14s’ L6

Champion: Sabastian Balistri, Princeton, NJ

Finalist: Shane Beidelman, Hatfield, PA

Boys’ 16s L6

Champion: Keane Dougherty, Cheltenham, PA

Finalist: Kanata Sasaki, Morganville, NJ

Boys’ 18s L6

Champion: Lucas Karapelou, Princeton, NJ

Finalist: Alan Zhang, Furlong, PA

Girls’ 14s L6

Champion: Advika Anand, Cranbury, NJA

Finalist:  Bernadette Gasser, Schnecksville, PA

Girls’ 16s L6

Champion: Maahi Patmidi, Princeton, NJ

Finalist: Shinjini Chandra, Edison, NJ

BCTA DOUBLE FORTNITE GRAND SLAM LEAUGE

Over four weekends of play, 35 athletes endured intense heat and humidity  to create a  true showcase of outdoor, public tennis—lots of fun, great tennis, and new friendships—all while celebrating the 2024 Wimbledon Championships with various tournament themes. The July 21 final was the largest individual group of the four weeks with 22 participants competing in 13 matches over 2 hours. Champions were crowned and giveaways were distributed to participants.

The BCTA “Wimbledon” Champions were:

Women’s Singles—Emily Ferris

Women’s Doubles—Joanne Kucsma and Robin Stamate

Girl’s Singles—Anastasia Korshun

Girl’s Doubles—Dasha Zhukova and Kiera Check

Men’s Singles—Nunzio DeMarcus

Boy’s Singles—Jin Yoon

Men’s Doubles—Aiden Paternoster and Vinny Malizia

The BCTA offers a sincere thank you to the following:

• Council Rock and Central Bucks School Districts for making their respective facility available for tennis
• The late Frances Rupert and Ellen Hackett as well as the Sysler family for their respective legacy in supporting the Girls’ and Boys’ L6 Memorial Championship Trophies.
• USTA Middle States for providing the sportsmanship prizes for Friday and other giveaways for the weekend events.
• BCTA Coaches Steve Johnson, Craig Batten, Cielo Orjuel, Julian Zamudio, Barbara Carlin, Susan Gordon, and Tim Donney for coaching and monitoring the Friday team events.
• High school and parent volunteers who assisted Team Challenge players with round-robin scoring and with playing tips.
• BCTA Classic Tournament Director Laura Canfield, Tournament Referee Bob Long, and tournament officials J.D. Whyte and Ginny Barrett.
• BCTA Coach Steve Johnson for founding and coordinating the BCTA Double Fortnight Grand Slam League.
• All the players’ sideline supporters who appreciated the quality play and sportsmanship.