Tournament Reports
Media Report Media Report
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New Champions Crowned
Play concluded in the 2010 Wachovia Palmetto Championships Thursday with singles and doubles finals. Several players added to early singles titles. Chip Cox from Myrtle Beach won the Boy's 18U, his third singles title in the last four years. Spencer Brown from Spartanburg won the Boy's 12U singles and doubles, his third straight year he has won both singles and doubles championships. Brent Lett of Elgin won the Boy's 14U to go with an earlier 12U title. Haley Carter of Hilton Head won the Girl's 16U singles and doubles championships, which gives her a total of 10 Palmetto titles. Alex Martin of Mount Pleasant won the Girl's 18U singles, a title she also won in 2008. She also won the 18U doubles, her third doubles championship. Other singles champions include Matthew Mendez, Mount Pleasant (Boy's 16U), Brant Fenno, Charleston (Boy's 10U), Laura Dean, Georgetown (Girl's 14U), Ashby Bland, Mount Pleasant (Girl's 12U) and Ali Despain, Georgetown (Girl's 10U)
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Three Sportsmanship Awards Presented
Three sportsmanship awards were presented during the awards ceremony Thursday. The Matthew Strange Memorial Sportsmanship Award was presented to Patrick Tobacco from Spartanburg, who played in the Boy's 12U. The Kimberly Hampton Memorial Sportsmanship Award was presented to Savannah Gantt from Beech Island who played in the Girl's 12U. The Malloy Evans Memorial Sportsmanship Award was presented to Elliott Speer from Charleston. Elliott, who played in the Boy's 18U, was playing in his last Palmetto Championships, which was his 11th.
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Incorrect Scores
If you see an incorrect score or winner online, please e-mail the correction to rexmaynard@statecom.net. Please provide the age division and whether the mistake was in the main draw or consolation. Thank you!
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GOOD LUCK AT SOUTHERNS!!
Congratulations and good luck to all players who qualified to play in the Southern Closed Championships! We're proud of you and know you will represent South Carolina well. Good luck in Lexington, S. C. (10U), Carey, N. C. (12U), Macon, GA (14U), Rome, GA (16U) and Little Rock, Arkansas (18U).
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10's Champions Crowned Wednesday Morning
The finals of the 10U singles were played at 8:00 Wednesday morning in Belton. Brant Fenno of Charleston won the boys championship, defeating Luke McClelland of Rock Hill 6-2, 6-1. Ali Despain of Georgetown won the girls championship, defeating Elizabeth Truluck of Myrtle Beach 6-0, 6-1. Despain was a finalist in last year's Palmetto Championships.
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Cook Receives Dunlop Scholarship
Joel Cook of Easley was named the 20th recipient of the Dunlop Scholarship during the 18's party held in Belton Monday night. The $2,000 scholarship is awarded for the freshman year only. Cook is a basketball and tennis standout at Easley High School and will be attending Furman University where he will play both sports. The scholarship was presented by Steve Hall, Director of Marketing for Dunlop Racquet Sports. Dunlop has been a presenting sponsor of the Palmetto Championships for over 25 years, and it is often said "Only a Dunlop bounces on Belton courts!"
Joel graduated from Easley in the top 2% of his class, and his SAT scores are in the top 5% in the nation. He was a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, Freshman Scholars, Rotary Scholars and is a section leader in the Symphonic Band. He was named Mr. Green & White as the best all-around student at Easley High School, an award chosen by the faculty. He was also voted the most athletic senior. He was a 2-time All Region basketball player and captain of his team. He was All Region in tennis 6 years, All state 3 years and team MVP 5 years.
He has been ranked in the top 5 in South Carolina in his age division since he was 13 years old, and has been a singles finalist twice and has won 2 doubles titles at the Palmetto Championships. He won the USTA South Carolina Most Improved Junior Boy in 2008.
Darelyn Holliday, who coached Joel since he was 6 years old, said: "Joel has always had an unwavering love for the game, and an unfaltering commitment to do what is necessary to play it well. It is his work ethic and his perseverance that has enabled him to achieve the level of play that has attracted the eye of many college coaches in both basketball and tennis. He posses exceptional character and leads by example. Joel is fair-minded, and he displays exceptional sportsmanship. His behavior both on and off the court is exemplary. He is a worthy recipient of the Dunlop Scholarship."
In his essay about Tennis and My Life Joel said: "A tennis player must never give us, but fight tenaciously for every point, no matter what the score. He should also have an intense focus that cannot be interupted by unforseen challenges. Because tennis is an individual sport, all the credit in victory or blame in defeat rests upon one person. My performance is almost always directly proportional to the amount of time and energy I spend in preparation for my matches. I believe that my circumstances are not dependent on someone else or on luck, but on what I make of them. This has given me a strong work ethic, which is the main ingredient for success."
The Palmetto Championships congratulates Joel and all the scholarship applicants on outstanding high school and junior tennis results, and thanks them for their participation in the tournament. Three additional $2,000 scholarships are awarded by the South Carolina Tennis Patrons Foundaton. The application is available on line at sctennis.com under Grants & Scholarships. The deadline to apply for these scholarships is June 30.
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10U QuickStart Southern Closed June 26-27
A 10U QuickStart Southern Closed will be played at the Lexington Tennis Center in Lexington, S. C. June 26 and 27. South Carolina's quota for this event is 3 (in both boys and girls). Because other states may not fill their quotas, alternate positions may be available, and there is a good chance these alternates will come from South Carolina. Endorsement to this event will be through the 10U QuickStart event at the Palmetto. Players may enter both the regular 10U draw as well as the 10U QuickStart draw. QuickStart requires an additional $23 entry fee, but players who enter both this and the regular draw will be refunded the $23 by the tournament. The 10U QuickStart will be a one-day event with play between 8:00 and 3:00 on Saturday, June 5. 10U players are encouraged to enter and be a part of the first QuickStart event at the Palmetto Championships. Remember, the entry deadline is Wednesday at 11:59 p.m.
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www.beltontennis.com
Detailed information about the 2010 tournament is available at www.beltontennis.com.
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State Qualifying Tournament
The Wachovia Palmetto Championships is the state junior qualifying tournament and is open to all players 18 years old and younger who live in South Carolina. Players must play in the age division for which they are seeking endorsement to the Southern Closed and National Championships unless they receive a waiver into those events. The tournament will be hosted by the Belton Tennis Association for the 54th consecutive year and has been named USTA South Carolina Junior Tournament of the Year 3 times and USTA Southern Junior Tournament of the Year twice. Matches will be played in Belton and Anderson. The Palmetto is a Level One South Carolina tournament and a Level Three Southern tournament.
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Southern Closed Endorsement
South Carolina's quota for the 2010 Southern Closed Championships is 15 players in the 14's, 16's & 18's, 13 players in the 12's and 6 players in the 10's. Players must play singles in the Palmetto to be endorsed unless they receive a waiver (requirements are a 2009 final singles ranking of top 5 in the south or top 10 in the nation in the age division in which they are seeking endorsement). Players must compete in the Palmetto in the age division in which they are seeking Southern endorsement unless they qualify for a waiver. Players must play singles in the Palmetto to be endorsed. Players are expected to complete all matches (including consolation and playoff) in the tournament. Those who do not will not be endorsed unless they have a justifiable excuse for injury, illness or family emergency. Each player is responsible for their on-line entry into the Southern Closed Championships prior to the entry deadline. All players are encouraged to enter if they feel they may qualify. The entry fee will not be charged until the player is selected (endorsed) for the tournament. Endorsement in the 14's, 16's & 18's will be based on: 1). The top 8 finishers in the Palmetto. 2). The next 6 (14's, 16's & 18's) or 4 (12's) players will be selected by those with the highest Southern standing at the completion of play on Friday, June 11, 2010. 3). The remaining player will be selected based on 2010 player records the caliber of head to head matches and national, sectional and state standing, including play in the Palmetto. All available match data will be used, including head to head results and may not agree with the order of the Standings List. Endorsement for the 10's will be based on: 1). The top 4 finishers in the Palmetto. 2). The next 2 players will be selected by those with the highest South Carolina standing at the completion of play (June 9, 2010) in the Palmetto. Southern qualifier t-shirts will be given to all players who are in the quota. Contact Terry Ferrell, the South Carolina Endorser, for more information at accessdoor@aol.com or 803-422-2328. See the separate message about endorsement to the 10U Southern QuickStart event.
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Birth Certificates
Birth certificates are required for entry into the Southern Closed Championships. Please fax (803-753-9255), e-mail to amick@sctennis.com or mail to Jessica Amick, USTA SC, 18 Woodcross DR, Columbia, SC 29212 prior to June 5.
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Southern Tournament Level 3
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Players are selected manually by the tournament director after the close of registration.
Entry to this tournament is open to specified residents only. Entries must be submitted by Wednesday, May 26, 2010 11:59:00 PM Eastern Time. Only USTA members can register online if available.
In the future, you can jump straight to this tournament by entering the tournament identification number: 704134310 from the searchable schedule homepage.
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