Both the men’s and women’s Interior teams, comprised of Salmon Arm Tennis Club members, wound up locking up fourth place in the Miele Provincial Team Tennis event held Aug. 3 to 5 in Vancouver.
In the 4.0 men’s event, the Salmon Arm team, representing the Interior, came fourth in the province. The team’s members were George Kocsis, Jim Kocsis, Bob Langford, Kevin Pearson, Solo Qiodravu and Ryan Harrison. Also placing fourth in the province was the ladies contingent from Salmon Arm, who competed in the 3.5 Division. This team consisted of Karen Hoover, Cynthia Langford, Carol Ross, Marianne VanBuskirk, Antje Breugem and Shannon Qiodravu.
Teams from around the province, including Victoria, Sechelt, Vancouver, Delta, North Island, South Island, Coquitlam and Squamish, joined Salmon Arm at many of the prestigious tennis clubs in North and West Vancouver, with Coquitlam winning the 4.0/4.5 Men’s Division and Sechelt winning the Ladies’ 3.0/3.5 Division.
“I am thrilled with the Salmon Arm Tennis Club’s showing against some top-level teams in the province,” says VanBuskirk, Salmon Arm Tennis Club’s president. “Team tennis is becoming more popular, which helps to promote league play in regions with a goal of bringing groups of athletes together from various locations.”
All teams were invited to attend the Odlum Brown Vancouver Open finals held the same weekend at the Hollyburn Country Club that featured international play for a $200,000 prize pot.
The team provincials were sponsored by Miele and organized by Tennis BC, an avid promoter of community team tennis.
Both Salmon Arm Tennis Club teams qualified to enter the provincials after putting in a good showing at the Interior Championships held in Kamloops, July 20 to 22.
Coming up for the Salmon Arm club: they will be hosting the Junior Rookie Tour, Aug. 18 and 19. And the Salmon Arm Open Tennis Tournament takes place Sept. 21 to 23.
“Both of these attract athletes from around the province and we look forward to hosting these events,” says VanBuskirk.