Fairchilds Named VP of USPTA Board
Mark Fairchilds, director of tennis at Modesto Fitness and RC, was among the national board of directors who took office during the USPTA World Conference on Tennis, Sept. 21-26, in Marco Island, Fla. Joining Fairchilds, who was named VP, were President Tom Daglis, First VP Randy Mattingley, VP Jack Groppel, VP Jim Loehr, VP Bunny Bruning, Secretary-Treasurer Chuck Gill and Immediate Past President Harry Gilbert.
Fairchilds has been the director of tennis at Modesto Fitness and RC since ‘91. He became a USPTA member in ‘87 and began serving on the NorCal Division Board of Directors in ‘92, becoming president in ‘98. Fairchilds was the ‘92 USPTA Open singles champ and ‘93 USPTA Open Player of the Year. He served as chairman of the USPTA Nominating Committee in ‘99.
He was also honored as USPTA NorCal Pro of the Year in ‘03 and IT’s Men’s Open Player of the Past 25 Years in ‘06.
Giraldo Claims $50K Challenger at Natomas RC
On a day when several of his famous countrymen were dealt tough losses, Santiago Giraldo enjoyed a winning effort on Oct. 11. The Colombian captured his third Challenger title of ‘09 that day at the USTA $50,000 Men’s Professional Tennis Tournament at Sacramento’s Natomas RC.
Giraldo comes from the same nation as shortstop Orlando Cabrera of the Minnesota Twins, who were eliminated by the N.Y. Yankees from the ALCS; the same nation as PGA pro Camilo Villegas, who that same day fell (along with his International team brethren) to the U.S. squad at the Presidents Cup in San Francisco. The No. 6-seeded Giraldo moved up to 108 in the world with the victory, a 7-6(4), 6-1 decision over lefty Jesse Levine of Boca Raton, Fla. The title is Giraldo’s first on both a hard court and on American soil. It marked a boon for the Natomas RC, which was hosting its first USTA Pro Circuit tournament. Giraldo, a 21-year-old Davis Cup vet, overcame a 5-4 deficit in the first set before pounding away from the baseline against the Canadian-born Levine.
Campbells, Freund, Downing, Nielson, Jossi in HOF
The hardware is in its rightful hands, the inaugural class in its rightful place. The night of Oct. 7 saw Natomas RC induct Bill and Margie Campbell, Ralph Freund, Martha Downing, Lonnie Nielson and Jack Jossi into the new Sacramento Tennis Hall of Fame.
Bill and Margie Campbell each served as head coaches for the men’s and women’s teams, respectively, at Sacramento State. They run the network of Spare Time tennis clubs in the Sacramento region.
“We’ve always wanted to promote and inspire those who play tennis,” Margie Campbell said. “Anyone who gets recognized like this has so many people to thank, and an award like this should be shared. It feels great.”
Nielson has been a co-owner of the World TeamTennis Sacramento Capitals since ‘00. The Caps, who have won six WTT championships, including four straight from ‘97 to ‘00, are a fixture in the area’s summertime sports calendar.
Inducted posthumously after his death in ‘07, Jossi led Sacramento State men’s tennis to a host of Far Western Conference titles in 26 seasons (‘48-’73) as head coach. Freund won a national title as a player at UCLA prior to leading the men’s program at Sacramento’s American River College. Downing taught for years in the Sacramento area, namely at Arden Hills Country Club. The Shingle Springs resident continues to win tournaments on the USTA Seniors doubles circuit.
Warrior Duo Reaches ITA Regional Final
Doubles teams from two of the NCAA’s better D2 programs in the West met at the Wilson/ITA Regional Championships in Pomona on Oct. 2, though the local side had to settle for a tough loss.
BYU-Hawaii’s Yuan Jia/Jenny Chin stormed back from a 6-4 deficit to top the Cal State-Stanislaus tandem of Verena Preikschas/Vanesa Reibstein. In the first-to-eight-game match, the Seasider duo was an 8-6 victor.
“For just a week and a half of practice against players from the best [D2] program in the country, I can’t complain,” CSUS head coach Verek Visarga said.
Preikschas, a native of Germany, was named CCAA MVP in her freshman year of ‘09. She and Reibstein had beaten Cal Poly Pomona’s Jennifer Chow/Jackie Trendt earlier in the day’s semifinal action. BYU-Hawaii has won seven women’s national D2 titles since ‘99.
In Brief
Spare Time Action: The Gold River RC is set to launch its indoor leagues. For info, call (916) 635-3358…Look for Johnson Ranch RC to host some exciting high school tennis Nov. 7-8. That’s when the courts will see the Sac Joaquin Section Division II tournament…At Twin Arbors, the Turkey Shoot Tournament is on November 21.
