2012 ITA Annual Party Recap

2012 Annual Party 

 

Perfect tennis weather kicked off the 2012 ITA Annual Party with over 45 members vying for the title in the round robin competition. Upon check in each player received their choice of a navy or wine colored stadium blanket embroidered with  Irvine Tennis Association.  By 9:00am mixed doubles teams were on the courts and the action started.

 

On the men’s side, Tony Wong led the pack with 31 points, followed closely by Scott Ryan (29),  then Jim Touguchi (26), Gary Bird (24), Michael Zhang (22), David Matusyama (22), Mark Gross (21) and Darrell Saucedo (20) rounded out the top scorers.

Barbara Schafer earned the ladies crown with an identical score to the men’s champ at 31 points.  A traditional racket spin off was held for second place since both Susan Ambrozich and Nan Diesen-Ng had 29 points.  Susan made the right call and claimed the ITA bag tag for the runner up.  Other top scorers for the ladies included Mary deVlugt (24), Lily Yu (23), Anneke Chang (21), Jenny Hua Zhang (21) Hedy Schmutz (21) and Marcella Wilson (19).   Men’s and women’s champions, Tony and Barbara, received modernistic  “nuts and bolts” tennis sculpture awards – along with bragging rights for 2012!

 

Our favorite caterer, Tummy Teasers, served lunch promptly as tennis was winding down.  Beef, teriyaki chicken, macaroni salad, Asian mandarin salad, fresh sliced watermelon and pineapple, Hawaiian rolls, and homemade chocolate fudge brownies sated everyones appetite.  ITA board members were introduced and each received a tennis towel emblazoned with ITA Board of Directors for their generous service.  Scott Ryan was the recipient of the Jim Adams Memorial Award.  Each year, during the Irvine Open tournament, an ITA member competing in the tourney is selected based on the exemplary characteristics of the late Jim Adams including fair play, graciousness in winning or losing, and simple joy of playing the game.  Scott was truly touched when receiving his beautiful glass award.

 

Finally, time for the raffle prizes!  Brand new member Nobuko Wako started off the excitement winning a jump rope and tennis balls as well as a wheeled igloo ice chest later. (Prizes increase in value as the raffle progresses).   David Matsuyama claimed overgrips, tennis balls and sunscreen early on.  He happily complied with the “two prize max” rule when he turned back in the Neutrogena sunscreen pack for the upgraded beer variety pack with US Open bottle opener.  Susan Ambrozich cheerfully accepted the returned sunscreen pack from David.  Joe Bowerbank was a big winner scoring a plush beach towel and a sporty black Wilson racket backpack.  Jenny Hua Zhang (or was it really her husband Michael?) won a sleek fold up cooler.  Tony Wong ended up with two movie tickets to top off his winning day.  Suzanne Frank nabbed the “time for tennis” wall clock.  Mark and Weimin Gross collected a $25 gift certificate to Irvine Tennis.  Judi Hartwick had the winning number for the grand prize full size Dunlap biometric racket bag – retail value $85.  But the question on everyone’s mind was “just how did Tim Chan manage to win both bottles of wine?!”

 

See you at the Turkey Shoot in November –

 

 

 

 

 

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