USTA Eastern Announces Honorees for 2012 Junior Awards Luncheon

Dec. 13, 2011 - PRLog -- White Plains, NY – On Jan. 21, USTA Eastern will recognize 16 outstanding students for their sportsmanship and their appreciation of Arthur Ashe’s legacy at the section’s 2012 Junior Awards Luncheon. The luncheon, which begins at noon, will be held at the Renaissance Westchester Hotel in White Plains, N.Y., and is part of USTA Eastern’s Annual Meeting and Volunteer Development Workshop, Jan. 20-21, 2012.

The sportsmanship awards will be presented to eight Eastern juniors, four girls and four boys, for the respect and fair play they showed while participating in USTA sanctioned tournaments all year long. The section will also honor the seven Eastern winners of the USTA Arthur Ashe Essay Contest and the section’s National winner of the USTA Arthur Ashe Art Contest. These eight Eastern juniors competed against 16 other USTA sections in the national competition, which engages the entire network of National Junior Tennis and Learning centers and recognizes the legacy of Arthur Ashe and his impact on the world.  

“We are very proud of all the juniors being honored,” said Julie Bliss, Director of Competition and Player Development for USTA Eastern. “They understand that what matters most in tennis is not whether you win or lose, but how you treat others, both on and off the court.”

At the luncheon, USTA Eastern will also give out awards for parent sportsmanship, tournament director of the year, and present the Henry Benisch Award.  The Henry Benisch Award, which was established in memory of the USTA Eastern Past President and awarded on behalf of the Junior Tennis Foundation, is a scholarship given to a to a top junior player who has exemplified good sportsmanship. This year, USTA Eastern’s Annual Meeting and Volunteer Development Workshop will feature sessions on grant writing, running USTA-sanctioned tournaments and teaching 10 and Under Tennis. There will also be opportunities for participants to network with section leadership, including members of the Board of Directors, the Executive Board and section committees, as well as Eastern staff, tournament directors, instructors, and key section providers.

To register for the meeting or the luncheon, visit www.eastern.usta.com.

2012 JUNIOR AWARDS
Richard D. Lynch II Boys' 12 Sportsmanship Award:  Harris Walker (South Salem, NY)
Richard D. Lynch II Girls' 12 Sportsmanship Award: Marcella Cruz (Marlboro, NJ)
E. Hawley Van Wyck, Jr. Boys' 14 Sportsmanship Award: Maverick Lin (Edison, NJ)
Edith Martin Girls' 14 Sportsmanship Award: Shanice Arthur (Glen Head, NY)
Lawrence A. Miller Boys' 16 Sportsmanship Award: Taiyo Hamanaka (Eastchester, NY)
Lawrence A. Miller Girls' 16 Sportsmanship Award: Luisa Fernandez (Pittsford, NY)
Lt. Frederick M. Scribner, Jr. Boys' 18 Sportsmanship Award: Brendan Henry (Massapequa, NY)
Edith Martin Girls' 18 Sportsmanship Award: Hannah Shteyn (Staten Island, NY)
Henry Benisch Scholarship Award: Brian Power (Pelham, NY)
Ron Smyth Parent Sportsmanship Award: Melanie Rubin (Merrick, NY)
Tournament Director of the Year: Annelies Karp (Floral Park, NY)

USTA ARTHUR ASHE ART CONTEST WINNER:
Clara Kim (Flushing, NY)

USTA EASTERN ARTHUR ASHE ESSAY CONTEST WINNERS:
Girls 10 and Under: Shelly Yaloz (Little Neck, NY)
Boys 10 and Under: Christopher Beharry (South Richmond Hill, NY)
Girls 11-12:  Jennifer Yu (Forest Hills, NY)
Boys 11-12: Noah Castillo (Brooklyn, NY)
Girls 13-14: Isis Gill-Reid (Brooklyn, NY)      
Boys 13-14: Stephen Mai (Little Neck, NY)
Boys 15-16: Justin Selig (New York, NY)  

About USTA Eastern
The USTA Eastern Section, based in White Plains, New York, is a not-for-profit community service organization whose mission is to promote and develop the growth of tennis.  The section encompasses all of New York State, Northern New Jersey and Greenwich, Connecticut.  It is one of 17 geographic sections of the United States Tennis Association, the governing body of tennis in the United States, and supports more than 50,000 members. The section also establishes and maintains rules of fair play, high standards of sportsmanship and represents, in its jurisdiction, the programs and policies of the USTA.  More information about the USTA Eastern section is available by visiting: www.eastern.usta.com.