PO‘IPU — A mixed plate of mixed doubles and singles matches filled the Po‘ipu Kai tennis courts on the final tournament of the Kaua‘i Youth Tennis series.
“This was another great day of high school tennis,” said Shannon Burkman, coordinator for the Kaua‘i Youth Tennis, who offered an alternative venue of tennis after the Kaua‘i Interscholastic Federation season was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Since the final tournament consisted of mixed doubles lines and the players had not really played doubles with each other prior to this, we emphasized the importance of communication, strategy and encouragement between points. The matches were very competitive, and the players appeared to be having fun.”
The results of the individual matches determined season-ending standings calculated by matches won, sets won and games won.
Savannah and Maddison Hubbard tied for champion honors on the girls court, the pair each winning three matches, 12 sets and a total of 36 games won. Katherine O’Neill, who graduated from Kaua‘i High School, followed in third place with two matches won for eight sets, and 33 games won.
Katie Brown settled in fourth place with two matches won for eight sets, and 28 games won. Kirra Carvalho rounded out the top five girls with two matches won, seven sets won for 23 games won.
Island School senior Michael Fitzgerald was named champion on the top five boys listing with three matches won, 12 sets won and 36 games won. He was followed by Ryder Kenton, a student from Kaua‘i Chritian Academy, who finished with three matches won, 11 sets won and 38 games won.
Matthew Rivera settled in third place with two matches won, 10 sets won, and 36 games won, followed in fourth place by Reed Brown, finishing the season with two matches won, nine sets won and 36 games won.
Christian Teves, a graduate of Kaua‘i High School, rounded out the top five with two matches won, nine sets won and 34 games won.
In addition to providing a venue for competitive tennis for the high-school players, Kaua‘i Youth Tennis solicited food from participating players that was contributed to the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank. Burkman said nearly 200 pounds of nonperishable food was contributed to KIFB on behalf of the tennis players representing five differents schools on Kaua‘i.
“We are so grateful for all the community support,” Burkman said. “Thank you to Po‘ipu Kai for court use, the Kaua‘i Community Tennis Association for subsidizing court fees for the students, the Kaua‘i Junior Tennis Association for player gift-bag donations, Po‘ipu Kai coach Aaron Tada for the awards/trophies, Judy Cano for creating fun tennis-themed stickers for students, and all the volunteers who helped make these tournaments possible.”
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
