Sunday, March 20 was an exciting day for Lake Area tennis enthusiasts.  The Reynolds Plantation Lake Club hosted the tennis team from Georgia College and State University.

The men’s team, which is ranked 9th in the nation, came up from Milledgeville to participate in the tennis exhibition. Along with local tennis pro’s Dave Neuhart and Joachim Hohnstadt, Bill Dopp from USTA Southern and Jeff Norton from Augusta participated in a two court exhibition with the GCSU team members.  Local proud parents, Martha and Rick Franks were on hand to watch their son, Tyler, who is a member of the GCSU team.

The GCSU team is composed of players from all over the world.  The current team boasts players from France, Germany, Brazil, Sweden, and Russia.  Players are attracted to the college not only for the fine academics, but also the outstanding tennis program.  Coached by Head Coach Steve Barsby and Assistant Coach, Justin Pickham, both the men’s and the women’s teams are nationally ranked.

The two court format made for an exciting exhibition, with winners from one court taking on the winners from the second court. The GCSU team gave the pros a run for their money, with lots of “yours” called from the seasoned pros. The level of tennis was very high and the spectators enjoyed lots of incredible shots from all the participants.  

On Monday, March 21, the men’s and women’s tennis teams from GCSU came up from Milledgeville to participate in another fun event at the Lake Club Tennis Center.  Local tennis players were given the opportunity to “play with the team” in a fun event that pitted locals with team members against each other.  Local tennis players who participated were: Ron Jeitz, Suzanne O’Malley, Martha Franks, Diane Johnson, Gordon and Denise Bush, Shirley Shattuck, Pat Good, Stephanie Coleman, Marty Colton, Leigh Lofgren, Karen Harper, Liz McLendon, Chris Villa, Doug Echols, Dr. Barry Darugar, Debbie Curtis, Duane and Lynn Artz, Sarah Dunn, Marynell Culpepper, and Larry Lenick.  

The fun began after a lunch catered by the Lake Club.  Teams were assigned by Dave Neuhart, and everyone played to win the most points for their team.  Things got serious on Court One with Barry Darugar and Tyler Franks pitted against formidable opponents. Barry managed to stay at the net while Tyler covered the base line to set up a put away shot for Barry.  There was lots of banter, excellent tennis and a fun afternoon was enjoyed by players and spectators alike.

In the end, it all came down to games won, and the teams, which were named by the players, were given the final results.  In first place was the “Green Machine” with 105 points.  The “ Red Hots” came in second with 100 points and the “Racketeers” and “Banana Pudding” came in third and fourth  with 98 and 96 points respectively.  In truth, though, everyone who played was a winner, especially the GCSU team who were so gracious and forgiving.