Young tennis players from across New York City gathered at the U.S.T.A. Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, Queens last weekend to play in NYJTL’s Hartman Cup tournament semifinals and finals.
The action started bright and early at 5:30AM each morning, but that was nothing new for the players and their parents who had been waking up before dawn for the past 20 weekends to participate in NYJTL’s Winter Early Morning Program. Children from NYJTL’s afterschool Aces Club program competed in the tournament as well.
Earlier in March, boys and girls in four different age brackets – 12’s, 14’s, 16’s and 18’s – participated in the preliminary rounds of the annual tournament. By the final Sunday, two players in each of the eight divisions were left standing to play for the championships. See the results of the finals matches below.
The morning concluded with a special awards ceremony in which winners received trophies and finalists received medals. During the ceremony, NYJTL President and CEO Deborah Antoine and Columbia University men’s Associate Head Coach Howard Endelman, an NYJTL board member, spoke to the players about the tremendous impact that tennis, education, discipline and hard work will have on their lives.
Congratulations to all of the players on a great tournament, and a productive, fun winter of tennis and learning!
Results from the 2015 Hartman Cup Tournament Finals on Sunday, March 28
Each player’s WEMP or Aces Club site is listed in parentheses.
Boys 12: Jonathan Rabinowitz (Bay Terrace) defeated Lonnie McKinstry (PS 147 Aces Club)
Girls 12: Tori Lai (PS 228 Aces Club) defeated Ginella Grimes (Heights Casino)
Boys 14: Cristian Rabinowitz (Bay Terrace) defeated Anthony Fratarelli (National Tennis Center)
Girls 14: Nia Dabreo (Heights Casino) defeated Natalie Corella (National Tennis Center)
Boys 16: George Arteaga (National Tennis Center)
Girls 16: Coney Bank (Roosevelt Island Racquet Club) defeated Mariana Santamaria (Roosevelt Island Racquet Club)
Boys 18: Joel Cantila (National Tennis Center) defeated Anthony Coneo (National Tennis Center)
Girls 18: Jazmine Cantila (National Tennis Center) defeated Jahnavi Selvam (National Tennis Center)
It was a great tournament; and in the first time that an 8 and under tourney was included as a Hartman Cup event, my son, Joseph Soto, took 2nd…his first tennis medal ever. He was mighty pleased, and this dad was super proud. Great job NYJTL! You fulfill dreams, and expectations for so many.