Kenyan Teresa Odera Earns Tennis Conference Honors

Teresa Odera of Kenya, and student at Northwestern College Iowa, recently earned Conference Honors in singles and doubles for the third year running as second singles player and, together with her partner Frankie Eszes, as 1st Doubles pair. She also qualified together with her team to NAIA Nationals held in Alabama, the first time being with her former team, Vanguard. Sadili Oval congratulate Terry for this amazing achievement, and both Frankie and Eszes for leading the team to nationals for the first time, this year. Both girls have graduated, GOOD LUCK!

Great Plains Athletic Conference

BRIAR CLIFF   CONCORDIA   DAKOTA WESLEYAN   DOANE   DORDT   HASTINGS   MIDLAND

MORNINGSIDE   MOUNT MARTY   NEBRASKA WESLEYAN   NORTHWESTERN  

Corey Westra, Commissioner

4728 Birch Way

Sioux City, Iowa, 51106

Phone: 712.226.4722   Fax: 303.374.5868   Cell: 712.226.4722

E-Mail:   corey.westra@gpacsports.com

TO:     GPAC Distribution List

FR:      Lucas Mohrman, Assistant GPAC Commissioner

RE:      2015 GPAC Women’s Tennis All-Conference Team

RELEASE DATE:  Friday, May 8, 2015

2015 GPAC Women’s All-Conference Tennis Team Announced

  (Sioux City, Iowa) – The Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) has announced the Women’s Tennis All-Conference selections for 2015.  Gaby Chaparro of Nebraska Wesleyan and Frankie Eszes from Northwestern have been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Co-Women’s Tennis Players-of-the-Year, while Rick Harley from Nebraska Wesleyan is the Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Women’s Tennis Coach-of-the-Year. 

2015 GPAC Women's Tennis All-Conference Team:

Singles:

Position	Name	School	Grade	Hometown
No. 1 Singles	Gaby Chaparro	Nebraska Wesleyan	SR	Chihuahua, Mexico
No. 1 Singles	Frankie Eszes	Northwestern	SR	Santa Maria, Calif.
No. 1 Singles	Vanessa Rockne	Mount Marty	JR	Yankton, S.D.
No. 1 Singles	Katie Hanson	Morningside	JR	Saint Peter, Minn.
No. 2 Singles	Katherine Ternent	Nebraska Wesleyan	JR	Omaha, Neb.
No. 2 Singles	Audri Swisher	Morningside	SR	Spearfish, S.D.
No. 2 Singles	Terry Odera	Northwestern	SR	Nairobi, Kenya
No. 3 Singles	Natalie Cech	Nebraska Wesleyan	JR	Lincoln, Neb.
No. 3 Singles	Cassie Stanek	Morningside	SO	Sioux City, Iowa
No. 4 Singles	Valerie Robinson	Northwestern	JR	Vermillion, S.D.
No. 4 Singles	Bailey Christy	Hastings	SO	Hastings, Neb.
No. 5 Singles	Megan Carlson	Morningside	JR	Cherokee, Iowa
No. 5 Singles	McKayla Johnson	Northwestern	SO	Sioux Falls, S.D.
No. 6 Singles	Megan Solberg	Morningside	SR	Mitchell, S.D.
No. 6 Singles	Cheyanna Kempel	Doane	SO	Lincoln, Neb.

-More-

-Continued-

Singles Honorable Mention: Daniela Lozano (Northwestern), Emily Meisinger (Concordia), Jennifer Heywood (Nebraska Wesleyan), Keelyn Dooley (Midland), Tori Van De Veer (Nebraska Wesleyan), Jessica Zach (Hastings)

Doubles:

Position	Name	School	Grade	Hometown
No. 1 Doubles	Katherine Ternent	Nebraska Wesleyan	JR	Omaha, Neb.
	Natalie Cech		JR	Lincoln, Neb.
No. 1 Doubles	Frankie Eszes	Northwestern	SR	Santa Maria, Calif.
	Terry Odera		SR	Nairobi, Kenya
No. 1 Doubles	Grace Hollenback	Concordia	SR	Wheat Ridge, Colo.
	Annie Horn		FR	Denver, Colo.
No. 2 Doubles	Daniela Lozano	Northwestern	SO	Bogota, Columbia
	Valerie Robinson		JR	Vermillion, S.D.
No. 2 Doubles	Jennifer Heywood	Nebraska Wesleyan	SR	Lincoln, Neb.
	Gaby Chaparro		SR	Chihuahua, Mexico
No. 3 Doubles	Bailey Christy	Hastings	SO	Hastings, Neb.
	Molly Mitchell		SO	Littleton, Colo.

Doubles Honorable Mention: Katie Hanson & Audri Swisher (Morningside), Emily Meisinger & Elyse Kohl
(Concordia), Savannah Mitchell & Morgan Meyer (Doane), Tori Van De Veer & Jamie Bridges (Nebraska Wesleyan), Megan Carlson & Natasha Hongsermeier (Morningside)

                         

GPAC Hauff Mid-America Sports Co-Players-of-the-Year:
Gaby Chaparro (Nebraska Wesleyan) and Frankie Eszes (Northwestern)

GPAC Hauff Mid-America Sports Coach-of-the-Year:
Rick Harley (Nebraska Wesleyan)

-GPAC-

  

Henry Ayesiga Earns Scholarship To Top US Tennis Academy

Henry Ayesiga of Sadili Africa Talent Training Academy (SATTA), has begun a three-week training stint at The Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Maryland, in what will be a major boost to his tennis career. The Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC) is a world class training program located in Washington DC Metropolitan Area, and was founded in 1999 to provide opportunities to talented junior players from diverse backgrounds. to date, JTCC has been home to 11 national champions in the past 5 years, including Denis Kudla, Junior Ore and Mitchell Frank, who are three of the top U16 Boys in the world. JTCC also boasts five athletes, currently playing professional circuits. JTCC is the USTA's first recognized Regional Tennis Training Center.

Henry on clay court at JTCC

Says HeadPro and Director at Sadili, Dr. Liz Odera, "Henry has worked very hard and remained discipline and consistent. Our new partnership with JTCC, courtesy of NJTL National Manager, Dan Limbago, has ensured that we can finally give him and chance of a lifetime, to train with some of the best in the world." Henry Ayesiga has been the ended 2011 at Number 2 in Under 14 Boys in the Confederation of Africa Tennis (CAT) ranking. He is also the National Secondary Schools Sports Association 2013 Boys Singles Champion and helped his school win the Boys Title at the East Africa School Games in August. Says Henry, "I love my tennis, and I always look for new challenges. Going to JTCC is a big eye opener for me, and I really thank Dan and Dr. Liz for working hard to get this wonderful opportunity, but also Amolo and Carlos for believing in me". Asked if he hopes to become a professional player, Henry hesitates and then says slowly, "Don't get me wrong, I love tennis. But I think I also need to get a good education, so college tennis is the direction for me."

Sadili Oval Sports Academy, a not-for-profit, holds an NJTL - USTA honorary recognition for the great work done with children's tennis and education in East Africa. Sadili remains the most successful tennis academy in the region, producing a large majority of the junior stars, while offering them an opportunity for a solid education. 

Sadili Tennis Academy: Olivier Visits ITF Center South Africa

Sadili Tennis Academy: Olivier Visits ITF Center South Africa: Oliver Kigotho of sadili frica Talent Training Academy as just returned from a 6-week stint training and travelling to tournaments with ...

NAIROBI COUNTY TENNIS ASSOCIATION IS LAUNCHED

Nairobi tennis enthusiasts now finally have a chance to work together and grow the game of tennis, with the launching of the Nairobi County Tennis Association, today, at Sadili Oval Sports Academy, Langata.

Speaking on behalf of the Cabinet Secretary of Sports, Dr. Hassan Wario, the County Director of Sports, Ms. Caroline Mungai, reiterated the Ministry’s commitment to working with the county in developing tennis as an important sport in the newly devolved Kenya. Also present was George Kola, of the Langata Constituency Office, who said, on behalf of the MP of Langata, Mr. Joash Olum, was already working to improve and increase the facilities available for tennis, and would actively encourage other constituencies to do the same, in order to give the youth a positive lifestyle choice.

Speaking for The Kenya Lawn Tennis Association, its Charman, Mrs. Paurvi Rawal, congratulated the county for being the first to register fully and that the KLTA would support the initiative fully. She went ahead and registered as a member. The President of Nairobi County Tennis Association, Dr. Liz Odera, announced that they have now opened membership to individuals, schools, academies, clubs and tennis-playing organizations. She stated that both Kenyans and non-Kenyans were free to join the association.

The association was formed to promote the game of tennis in every way and foster friendly relations among officials, players and members of the Association and other organizations by encouraging tennis competitions and community tennis in Nairobi. The association intends to promote the education of coaches, umpires, referees, managers and other officials of the game of tennis, and eradicate discrimination and promote equality and diversity in tennis.

The association has location and divisional representations that include Central, Dagoretti, Embakasi, Kasarani, Kibera, Makadara, Pumwani and Westlands. The association today launched a membership drive in Kibera, and shall be moving through all the other divisional branches to meet tennis enthusiasts and encourage them to take up the mantle and open branch offices in their areas. Locational representation will be very critical to the growth of the game, and apart from areas that are already known to offer tennis and from which representation exists such as Parklands, Karen and Lavington, new areas in which tennis is being promoted for the first time include Kwangware, Kahawa, Maringo, Kasarani, Eastleigh, Pumwani, Kariobangi North, Umoja, Dandora and Highridge.

Association Branches	Locations covered
Central	Huruma · Kariokor · Mathare · Ngara · Starehe
Dagoretti	Kawangware · Kenyatta/Golf Club · Mutuini · Riruta · Uthiru/Ruthmitu ·Waithaka
Embakasi	Dandora · Embakasi · Kariobangi South · Kayole · Mukuru kwa Njenga · Njiru ·Ruai · Umoja
Kasarani	Githurai · Kahawa · Kariobangi North · Kasarani · Korogocho · Roysambu ·Ruaraka
Kibera	Karen · Kibera · Laini Saba · Langata · Mugumoini · Nairobi West ·Sera Ngombe
Makadara	Makadara · Makongeni · Maringo · Mukuru Nyayo · Viwandani
Pumwani	Bahati · Eastleigh North · Eastleigh South · Kamukunji · Pumwani
Westlands	Highridge · Kangemi · Kilimani · Kitisuru · Lavington · Parklands

Membership is open to players, clubs, schools and tennis-playing organizations.

President – Dr. Elizabeth Odera, Director, representative, Karen

Vice-President – Ms. Mary Muriuki, representative, Makadara

Secretary – Mr. Fais Ochieng Magak, representative, Kibera

Treasurer – Mr. Francis Okong’o, representative, Langata

Additional posts are to be filled soon, and include representation committees for Representative from Women in Tennis, Development, Veteran, Juniors, Coaches Association, Clubs Tennis, Schools Tennis, Wheel Chair Tennis, Umpires Association and Historically Disadvantaged Communities. Any person interested in joining the association or partnering with them in any way to promote tennis in the County, may write to nairobicountytennis@gmail.com