The National Campus had the distinct honor of hosting the tennis portion of the 2018 Special Olympics Florida State Summer Games, which was celebrating its 50th year of competition. Athletes took part in a skills challenge along with singles and doubles red, yellow, orange and green ball matches.

The State Summer Games is the highest level of competition for Florida athletes who have qualified to represent their respective counties throughout the Sunshine State. Matches will get underway at noon on Friday and run through the evening. Action will pick back up Saturday morning starting at 9:00 a.m. with play wrapping up in the early afternoon.

Listed below are the top three finishers, along with the Sunshine State county they represented, in each draw:

Singles Green Ball (NE Division)

First Place – Sean Jimenez (Hillsborough); Second Place – Michael Cook (Hillsborough); Third Place – Christopher Cherenfant (Hillsborough)

Singles Green Ball (NW Division)

First Place – Robert Stephens (Hillsborough); Second Place – Joseph Rosenstock (Alachua); Third Place – Colin Lennon (Palm Beach)

Singles Orange Ball

First Place – Elijah West (Alachua); Second Place – Evan Prieto (Hillsborough); Third Place – Zachary Hubers (Palm Beach)

Singles Orange Ball (East Division)

First Place – Aria Beer (Charlotte); Second Place – Meaghan Sue Mellentine (Lee); Third Place – Min Kim (Polk)

Singles Orange Ball (West Division)

First Place – Sierra Javonte Lee (Alachua); Second Place – Jessica Wetherington (Hillsborough); Third Place – Candida Rosa Chaves (Miami-Dade)

Singles Orange Ball (W1 Division)

First Place – Justin Bear (Manatee); Second Place – William Lane Jr. (Escbambia); Third Place – William Hawkins (Lee)

Singles Orange Ball (W2 Division)

First Place – David Brekhus (Hillsborough); Second Place – Jericho Walker (Hillsborough); Third Place – Jesse Hutches (Hillsborough)

Singles Red Ball 1 (Blue Division)

First Place – David Matthew Cowan (Seminole); Second Place – Erick Feldenkrais (Broward); Third Place – Emma Bodie (Hillsborough)

Singles Red Ball 1 (Green Division)

First Place – Erica Rafalowski (Miami-Dade); Second Place – David Martir (Hillsborough); Third Place – Shina Berzina (Manatee)

Singles Red Ball 1 (Red Division)

First Place – Michael Mautino (Hillsborough); Second Place – Fernando Espinosa (Miami-Dade); Third Place – Brian Tilley (Hillsborough)

Singles Red Ball 1 (White Division)

First Place – David Brown (Hillsborough); Second Place – Rodney Young Jr. (Hillsborough); Third Place – Sharon Ann Wirth (Sarasota)

Singles Red Ball 2 (Blue Division)

First Place – Jan Vanderpaauw (Hillsborough); Second Place – Adam Johnson (Lee); Third Place – Erin Miller (Charlotte)

Singles Red Ball 2 (Green Division)

First Place – Joey Baar (Manatee); Second Place – Joshua Blood (Palm Beach); Third Place – Gabriella DeLeon (Collier)

Singles Red Ball 2 (Red Division)

First Place – Kana Brooks (Hillsborough); Second Place – Joanne Infantino (Hillsborough); Third Place – Ashley Harrell (Leon)

Singles Red Ball 2 (White Division)

First Place – Caroline Shin (Leon); Second Place – Stacy Barnes (Escambia); Third Place – John Sterner Jr. (Hillsborough)

Singles Yellow Ball 1 (Red Division)

First Place – Timothy Hodgins (Leon) AND Garrett Lanier (Osceola); Second Place – Carmelo Ayala (Orange); Third Place – Russell Hawkins (Pinellas)

Singles Yellow Ball 1 (White Division)

First Place – Brett Williams (Palm Beach); Second Place – Bryan Fisher (Hillsborough); Third Place – Alberto Nieves (Collier)

Tennis Unified Doubles Orange Ball

First Place – Alexander Lyew (Broward)/David Lyew (Broward); Second Place – Brad Davis (Palm Beach)/Brooke Ariel Levy (Palm Beach); Third Place – Kaitlyn Angiuoli (Collier)/Molly Kirk (Collier)

Tennis Unified Doubles Orange Ball (West Division)

First Place – Renee Miller Bailin (Lee)/Stephanie Pappas (Lee); Second Place – Jonas Linares (Volusia)/Matthew Robert Mundy (Volusia)

Tennis Unified Doubles Red Ball 2 (East Division)

First Place Victoria Mae Adams (Volusia)/Curtis Fisher (Volusia); Second Place – Travis Andrews (Alachua)/John Hadsall (Alachua); Third Place – April Bradley (Sarasota)/Natalie Spurgeon (Sarasota)

Tennis Unified Doubles Red Ball 2 (West Division)

First Place – Jose Devivero (Miami-Dade)/Joel Roberto Felipe (Miami-Dade); Second Place – Cana Lana Irene Bear (Volusia)/Daja Williams (Volusia)

 

In 2014, USTA Florida and the USTA Florida Section Foundation announced the landmark three-way agreement with Special Olympics Florida to provide more tennis play opportunities to athletes in Florida. The formal agreement has built on the existing support that USTA Florida and its charitable arm have provided to local Special Olympics programs by offering free 10 and Under Tennis workshops, grants, and other resources to providers that offer tennis programs to Special Olympics athletes.

Special Olympics Florida is part of an international nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities to become physically fit, productive and respected members of society through sports training and competition. Special Olympics offers children and adults with intellectual disabilities year-round training and competition in 30 Olympic-type summer and winter sports. The next Special Olympics Summer World Games, featuring tennis, is scheduled for 2019 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.