Susie Welker

The weather was perfect, the balls were flying and many spectators were clapping and cheering during all seven days of the Bradshaw Tennis Tournament from November 2 through November 8 at the Cottonwood tennis courts. The courts were in constant use as 160 players competed in 132 matches during the 30th Bradshaw Tournament. Matches were fiercely contested throughout the entire week and in fact 76 set tie breaks were played to decide match winners. From Monday to Friday a team of food preparers served breakfast, lunch and afternoon snacks to both players and spectators, which was between 150 to 200 lunches a day! No easy feat for sure! On Saturday a brunch of pancakes, mimosas and bacon was on the menu making a perfect accompaniment to the final matches before awards were distributed.

Tournament Chairman Jack Sanders and Tournament Director Don Neu announced the 19 raffle items winners and presented trophies to the happy tennis champions and to second and third place winners in the 13 skill level playing divisions; eight men skill levels and five women skill levels. The winners were:

Women:

3.0 – 1st Kathy Moliter and Pat Roberts, 2nd Lil Bailey and Edith Tanniru, 3rd Kim Schmuck and Bobbie Fitzgerald

3.5 (3) – 1st Sue Elsner and Donna Nelson, 2nd Jeanne Harstone and Carol McCulley, 3rd Mary Ann Rice and Kay Strauman

3.5 (2) – 1st Helene Mein and Sylvia Page, 2nd Wands Johnson and Petra Janusas, 3rd Sandra LaBute and Kay Getelman

4.0 – 1st Ann Dugan and Dar Brasch, 2nd Sandy Casale and Sharon Feltus, 3rd Randi Rex and Michelle Mather

Men:

70 Plus (1) – 1st Jack Sanders and Rod Green, 2nd Len Paulson and Don Neu, 3rd Bruce Stead and Bill Corso

70 Plus (2) – 1st Roger Diddock and Sid DeHaan, 2nd Dave Withers and Rob Lehrer, 3rd Gerry Picker and Karl Day

3.0 – 1st Dennis Rix and Mel Bram, 2nd Dick Kane and Ron Petersen, 3rd Milt Olsen and Harvey Trachtenberg

3.5 (3) – 1st A. Crawford and T. Tschetter, 2nd Chuck Bryant and Norbert Guimond, 3rd M. DeMalleville and Z. Whaley

3.5 (2) – 1st Rick Kenny and Lloyd Yake, 2nd Dave Markell and Don Peterson, 3rd John Reed and Brian Claflin

3.5 (1) – 1st Mike Davin and Tom Kasper, 2nd John Gates and Art Baessler, 3rd Wayne Mangold and Jack Peterson

4.0 (2) – 1st Pat Kenney and Gary Porter, 2nd Al Wagner and Rob Campbell, 3rd Dick Harrold and Ken Stanley

4.0 (1) – 1st Don Teusaw and Warren Kutchyera, 2nd Mario Dominguez and Dave Zapatka, 3rd J. Brasch and B. Majercsik

Putting on a tournament of this magnitude is a herculean task, requiring the efforts of many people. The participation of a myriad of volunteers from the CTC performed large and small tasks that are so necessary for an event of this size. Some of these people were Hal Davis for securing sponsorships; Larry and Kathy Sundsrud for running the tournament desk; Jorge Aparicio for spectator chair set up; food court organizers Al and Helene Mein, Lynn Cox, Bonnie Livingston, Betty Dunn, Susie Welker, Janice Kilbreath, Kathy Klotz, Denise Devereaux, Pat Davidson, Dave and Linda Cain, Kay Wengert, Mary Jane Robinson, Kelz and Sarah Kelzenberg; and banner hangers Jim Sutherland, Jack Sanders and Don Neu. But, above all, the tournament was made possible by the support of these sponsors: Big 2 Toyota, A-1 Golf Carts, AZ Sanitation Service, Sun Lakes Realty, Sun Devil Auto, Pinnacle Physical Therapy, The Girls’ Group, RIS (Retirement Investment Specialists), Ocotillo Foot and Ankle, Bonded Logic, Lee and Marsha Coffman, Jesse and Susan Stewart and Loews for all the flowers. Thank you all!

And during this wonderful week players and spectators consumed over 1100 Dixie cups of ice cream and orange sherbet donated by Arizona Sanitation Service. Yum!

Please visit our fabulous website at www.cottonwoodtennisclub.com for information about our tennis club and to view photos from the Bradshaw Tournament.