There often is a payback for playing junior and high school tennis, and attending tennis academies, especially in Charleston.
Every tennis scholarship helps the family budget. As the father of a daughter who played four years of college tennis at Converse College, I can attest to the benefits of college tennis scholarships.
Right now, there are at least 16 juniors who reside locally who have committed to college tennis programs, going off to college for the first time this fall or making the trip within the next two years.
We all know the current freshmen group of boys. Bishop England graduate Jared Pratt is already at Wisconsin, while Academic Magnet product Sam Kavarana is at Davidson and former Hanahan star Kerim Hyatt at Tennessee-Chattanooga. Of course, there’s Porter-Gaud graduate Brant Fenno, who has delayed his college career at Wake Forest until at least the spring of 2019, due to rehabilitation from surgery.
By this time next year, former Academic Magnet standout Jacob Jahn plans to be at Clemson, while Hanahan standout Reilly Wilson is scheduled to be at the U.S. Naval Academy, Huntley Allen and Eddie Ross at Southern Methodist University, while former Hanahan stars Chad Nash and Coy Simon are committed to being at Furman and Tennessee, respectively.
And don’t forget the large group of girls. Porter-Gaud graduate Alex Hildell is a freshman at Wofford. Oceanside Collegiate senior Kat Lyman plans to join the Naval Academy tennis program in 2019, while junior star Anna Ross has committed to Vanderbilt for 2019. Former Bishop England standout Emily Elliott is bound for Western Carolina, while Callie Billman is headed for Tennessee-Chattanooga next fall.
And two years from now, current Porter-Gaud sophomore Emma Navarro plans to be a member of the Duke tennis team.
In addition to these 16 locals, Oceanside senior Jill Morse has been offered a full scholarship to Arkansas State and is visiting there this weekend.
Of course, there will be other local juniors joining these 17 players in committing to college tennis programs, especially by 2020.
HIGH SCHOOL PLAYOFFS
The nearly three-week long SCHSL girls tennis state playoffs are scheduled to begin on Wednesday for Classes AAA, AAAA and AAAAA. Class AA will start on Monday, Oct. 29.
The state finals are set for Nov. 10 at Cayce Tennis Center.
In Class AAAAA, Region 7 regular-season champion Wando will entertain Sumter on Wednesday, while Region 8 winner Summerville will be at home against No. 4 James Island. No. 2 seeds Berkeley and Ashley Ridge also will open at home, Berkeley against No. 3 West Ashley and Ashley Ridge against No. 3 Stratford.
In Class AAA, Bishop England will begin its quest for an eighth consecutive state championship at home on Wednesday against an unnamed foe. No. 3 seed Academic Magnet has moved up to AAA from AA where the Raptors were state runners-up last fall and will travel to an unnamed site on Wednesday.
Oceanside Collegiate is the top team in Region 6-AA and is expected to challenge for the state title in its first year of eligibility for the SCHSL state playoffs.
HALBAUER BACK AT LTP
Ellie Halbauer grew up on the local clay courts, and now as a 21-year-old, she is returning to LTP Tennis to train for the pro circuit, where she is No. 335 in the world in the WTA rankings.
“I will just be in and out if I have a free week,” Halbauer said.
After a runner-up finish in the LTP $25K recently, Halbauer suffered an injury and had to pull out of the Florence $25K, but she plans to return to the U.S. Women’s Pro Circuit to compete in the Oct. 29 $80K in Tyler, Texas.
“I have met with her and her parents and she will train with us. We will help her (in) becoming the best player she can be,” said Patrick Heiber, the LTP tournament director and Randy Pate Academy official. “Ellie has been really nice in the days she has trained with us and is a great example to our younger students.”
STATE AWARDS
Local tennis has had another great year, with a large number of award winners selected from the Charleston area.
Lizl Kotz was named the adult female player of the year; Coy Simon and Huntley Allen shared the junior boys player of the year; Maxwell Smith was named the most improved junior boy; Alice Otis was picked as the most improved junior girl of the year; Ross was selected as the junior girls player of the year; Pratt won the Wilton McKinney Award; Mike Saia won the media excellence award; Family Circle Tennis Center was named the member facility of the year; and the Alan Fleming Senior Open was selected as the adult tournament of the year.
PINE FOREST EVENT
The Pine Forest Country Club’s Ladies Tennis Association will stage another Racquets For Recovery “Taking a Hard Swing at Breast Cancer” tournament on Nov. 2-4.
The men’s and women’s event will be trying to break its overall donation of $300,000, with the proceeds benefitting the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center.
The registration deadline for the all-doubles event will be Oct. 28. Registration is available online with the tournament number (700090118).
NOTES
— The ITF Young Seniors World Team Championships will begin on Sunday in Miami with Kotz on the women’s 40 Young Cup team, and Matt Hane serving as playing captain of the men’s 35 Italia Cup team. Former Kiawah pro Brandon Blakenbaker also is a member of the four-player Italia Cup team.
— The 2018 Tennis on Campus State Championship is scheduled for Nov. 10-11 at Charleston Tennis Center.
Reach James Beck at [email protected].
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