Tennis, anyone?
By Jim Joanos
The first athletic team at Florida State to use the "Seminole" name was probably a women's tennis team. Tennis has been played on the Florida State campus for a long time. From 1905 to 1947, the school was a very fine women's college named The Florida State College for Women. FSCW loved its athletics and had a very competitive sports program that included tennis. The 1910 school yearbook, Flastacowo, reflects no less than three tennis teams in existence at FSCW that year. There was an elite one named, "Love Game" and two with Indian names, "Okahumpha Tennis Club" and "Seminole Tennis Club". Beginning about 1912, the student body was divided into two groups for athletic competition purposes. Those whose graduation would take place in even numbered years were called "evens" and those to graduate in odd numbered years were the "odds". The odds and evens battled for over forty years in a number of sports including tennis.
MEN'S TENNIS AFTER THE GREAT WAR
Following World War II, in 1947, the institution became coeducational and given a new name, "The Florida State University". In the very first year of its existence, FSU embarked upon an intercollegiate men's athletic program which included six sports. Tennis was one of those very first six teams.
The first men's team which competed in the spring of 1948 was coached by Don Loucks, the same physical education professor who had coached FSU's first men's basketball team earlier in the year. The 1948 tennis team won 9 and lost 4. They finished second in the newly formed Dixie Conference in which FSU had become a member. FSU would remain a member of the Dixie Conference for two more years and in both of those years it won the Dixie Conference tennis championship.
Through its history the FSU men's tennis team has had sixteen head coaches. They include Loucks (1948-50 and 52-53), Ralph Matherly (1951), Keith Pitchford (1954-58), John Powless (1959-60), Bubba McGowan (1961), Eddie Cubbon (1962-63), Paul Scarpa (1964), Lex Wood (1965-69), Pete Barizon (1960-71), Scott Bristol (1972), Randy Jobson (1973-75 and 1980-84), Ken Vinson (1976-77), Juan Ortiz (1978-79), Richard McKee (1984-90), David Barron (1991-99), and Dwayne Hulquist (since 2000).
From 1950 through 1974, FSU's tennis team competed independent of a conference. Then, the team along with the other FSU school teams participated in the Metro Conference from 1975 through 1991. Since 1992, the team has competed as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. In addition to the two Dixie Conference championships, the team won four Metro championships (1981, 1983, 1984, 1988) and finished second on eight other occasions. In the ACC, FSU has not yet won a conference tournament championship but has been very competitive during the regular season placing high in the standings on several occasions. The team finished second in 1995, 1996, and 2003. Three times during the years, the men's team has finished among the top twenty in the nation: 1971 (15th), 1973 (19th), and 1985 (16th). The team is coming off a second place finish in the regular season of the ACC and a 32nd place finish in the nation, and hopes to better that performance this year.
Through the years, the men's team has had a number of outstanding players. I will mention but a few of them. Among the early players was, Jim Costello. Over a two year span in 1949-1950, Costello won 24 matches and lost only one. He was the team captain in 1949. Larry Dickson, a four year letterman and captain of the 1951 team, was also among the early Seminole stars. Dan Boda won 16 of 17 matches in 1953.
One of my all time favorite players was Hal Schaus. Schaus played for FSU from 1953-56 when I was at FSU. From Mansfield, Ohio, Schaus came to FSU in order to play tennis year round. He played in the number one spot at FSU all four of his seasons on the team. In the last three years, he was captain of the team. Since graduation in 1956, in addition to practicing his profession as psychologist, he has continued to play serious tennis. On fourteen occasions during his life he has been picked to play on the United States Gordon Trophy team. The Gordon Trophy, among tennis competitive awards, is second only to the Davis Cup in the length of time that it has been in existence. Coincidentally, John Powless who coached the FSU tennis team in 1959 and 60 is the current United States Gordon Trophy captain. On occasions Schaus and Powless have paired up to compete in doubles during the competition. Schaus reports that "John is having a great year and may end up as the number one player in the world in his age bracket."
Ray Bellamy played from 1959-61. His last two years, he was the team captain. During those last two years, he lost a total of three matches. In addition during his time at FSU he excelled in academics as a pre-med student and was a campus leader. Today he practices medicine in Tallahassee and continues to play competitive tennis.
Paul Scarpa played for FSU from 1960 through 1962. Scarpa played number one and was team captain for FSU in 1962. Following graduation, Scarpa went on to a very successful career as a coach. He was FSU's coach for the 1964 season, then coached at the Naval Academy for a couple of years. Since then he has been head coach at Furman. His Furman teams have won 14 Southern Conference championships during his tenure and on seven occasions, Scarpa was named that conference's Coach of the Year.
Lex Wood, a native of South Africa, played for FSU for three seasons, from 1962 through 1964. He played both singles and doubles. Over his career as a Seminole, he won 51 of his 54 singles matches. One season, 1964, he won 22 of 23 singles matches. Wood stayed on after completing his playing days at FSU to serve as head coach of the men's tennis team from 1965-69. His FSU teams compiled a record of 83-32-1. As a coach, he continued his education and obtained master's and doctoral degrees from FSU as well as his bachelor's. Following FSU, Wood moved on to the University of Central Florida where he taught and coached tennis for a number of years. In 1982, Wood was inducted into the FSU Sports Hall of Fame. He was the first former Seminole tennis player to be so recognized.
Marco Abilhoa, played at FSU from 1980 through 1984 and dominated the Metro Conference during his college days. In 1981 and 1982, he won conference titles in both singles and doubles. He was the Metro Conference's most valuable player in three different years, 1981, 1982, and 1984, despite having to miss the 1983 season because of an injury.
Overlapping somewhat with Abilhoa at FSU was Joey Rive. Rive, who came to FSU from West Palm Beach, won Metro Conference singles championships three years, 1983, 1984, and 1985. He was the Metro's Most Valuable Player in 1985.
The former Seminole player who thus far has received the most public notoriety is probably Paul Haarhuis, who played for FSU in 1987 and 1988. Haarhuis, a native of The Netherlands, was honored as the Metro Conference's Most Valuable Player when he won both the number one singles and doubles championships. He turned professional in 1989 and has had a most triumphant professional career over the past fifteen years. He recently retired from playing because of a severe shoulder injury. During his career he won six Grand Slam championships in doubles, including one at Wembeldon, and one in singles.
A second "Dutchman", Stephen Noteboom, starred for the Seminoles from 1990 through 1992. He was the Metro Conference's Most Valuable Player in 1991 when he won in both the number one singles and doubles competition. He followed his FSU successes with a professional tennis career.
One of the best doubles tandems at FSU had to be the combination of Brian Stanton and Ken McKenzie who represented the school from 1992 through 1995. Throughout the 1995 season, they ranked among the top ten doubles teams in the country and were successful in being awarded tennis' coveted ITA All American award at the end of the season. Both also had successful singles careers. Both were selected as members of the All Atlantic Coast Conference team on two occasions and Stanton, in addition, won Junior Davis Cup titles in 1993 and 1994.
Jason White and Antonio Prieto made the All ACC team in 1995. Prieto did it again in 1996. Xavier Luscan was All ACC in 2001 and 2002. Mat Cloer was selected in 2003 and, in addition, was selected as FSU's first ACC Conference Player of the Year. He continues as a member of the team this year.
Four former men's tennis players have now been inducted into the FSU Sports Hall of Fame. They include Wood, Bellamy, Haaruis, and Rive. In addition, Coach Loucks has been honored by membership in the hall.
THE RACQUETTES
When Florida State became a coeducational institution in 1947, there was no intercollegiate women's athletic program. However, the intramural sports competition program continued in a number of sports including tennis. Gradually during the years along with several other sports, opportunities began to emerge for women to participate on a more serious basis.
As for women's tennis, the activity really picked up in 1958 when a tennis club named "Racquettes" was formed under the faculty leadership of Virginia Dumas. Dumas led the group until Ann Lankford took over the leadership for a number of years beginning in 1961. The organization, operating with a very low budget, did some traveling and hosted some games among other college and high school tennis teams. At first the group traveled only to nearby locations to play but as time went on they expanded the range. In time, they were traveling throughout Florida, Alabama and Georgia and even to Mississippi and Louisiana. Some of the teams they played were from the Mississippi College for Women, Agnes Scott College, the Women's College of Georgia, Rollins College, Stetson University and the University of Florida. In order to be a member of the group, applicants had to compete, and practices were held on a regular basis. The players had to purchase their own rackets and strings as well as their own personal gear. Some money was available for tennis balls which had to be used over and over until they were completely worn out. The players also had to pay for much of the costs of travel although there were some available funds for travel. A number of members would share a motel room or they would stay in private homes or dorms on the trips.
THE WOMEN'S TEAM
By 1980, Florida State had a formal women's intercollegiate tennis program. During the years, since then, there have been four head coaches of the women's team. They include Anne Rizza (1980-1986), Patti Henderson (1987-1991), Alice Reen (1992-1996), and Lise Gregory (since 1997). Incidentally all four of FSU's women's team coaches have obtained conference coach of the year honors on at least one occasion. Rizza was the Metro's coach of the year on three occasions, 1981, 1983 and 1984, while Henderson was so honored in 1989. Reen was proclaimed ACC coach of the year in 1994, and current coach, Gregory, was in 1999.
For their first twelve years of intercollegiate competition, the women's team competed as a part of the Metro Conference. In that time span, the team dominated by winning the Metro Conference competition five times and finished second the other seven times, a most remarkable record.
Competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference since 1992 along with the other FSU athletic teams, the team has had much stiffer conference competition. Nevertheless, they have on occasion done quite well. In 1994, they were the ACC runners-up, and on five other occasions finished third in the conference (1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, and 1999). Since 1994, they have made it to the NCAA post season competition in eight of the ten years, failing only in 1993, and 2003. Nationally, the team finished at number 18 in 1981. Since 1994, the team has ranked in the top 25 nationally at the end of the year on three occasions (1994-22nd, 1999-23rd, and 2000-22nd).
Like the men, the women's tennis teams have had a number of very good players. On five occasions, FSU players have been proclaimed the conference player of the year. Suzanne Doumar was the Metro Conference Player of the Year in 1981. Patti Henderson, likewise was the Metro's best player in 1986 as well as that conference's tournament MVP the same year. Keri Preng won the Metro's most coveted award in 1989. Buffy Baker won it in 1991 in addition to being the conference tournament's MVP. Audra Brannon was player of the year in the ACC in 1994. In that same year, Lori Sowell was the ACC's rookie of the year.
The women's team boasts three who have attained All American status. They include Brannon and Laura Randma (1993 doubles) and Sowell (1995 and 1996 singles). In 1995, Sowell advanced to the quarterfinals of the national championships, the highest that any Seminole has advanced. Nine Seminoles, Brannon (1992-94), Ann Olsson (1997), Elke Juul (1995-96), Kia Asburg (1999-00), Randma (1993), Alida Gallovits (1999-01), Sowell (1994-97), Marina Raic (1999), and Anca Dumitrescu (2003), have attained All ACC status.
Three former members of the women's team have been inducted into the FSU Sports Hall of Fame. They include Patti Henderson (1992), Buffy Baker (1997), and Lori Sowell (2003). Sowell and Gallovits were named to the Fifty Year Team of the ACC in 2002 which included the best women's tennis players in the first fifty years of the conference.
ACADEMICS
While the women's tennis team has excelled on the court, it is in the classroom where the group has totally dominated. Since 1985, the team has been awarded twelve FSU Golden Torch awards as the team with the highest Grade Point Average among the FSU athletic teams. Through 2003, they have received seven straight such awards. Each year FSU recognizes five student athletes to receive special recognition for their scholastic attainments. Ancu Dumitrescu won one of the awards in 2002, and more recently, for 2003, Milhaela Moldovan was so recognized for her perfect 4.0 scholastic average during the year. For the school year 2002-03, FSU had more women's tennis players on the ACC Honor Roll than any other school in the conference.
SCOTT SPEICHER TENNIS CENTER
FSU tennis got a big boost in 1993 when the Scott Speicher Tennis Center at the Donald Loucks Courts opened. The facility is named for the Gulf War, missing in action and possibly deceased Navy Pilot, Speicher, an FSU alum, and Loucks, the first FSU tennis coach. The facility together with later improvements cost more that two million dollars. It brought to FSU one of the finest places to play in the college tennis world. The complex includes twelve lighted courts, seating for one thousand spectators, and other state of the art features. Through the ten years that it has been in use, support and interest in FSU tennis has been given added impetus directly resulting from the existence of the new facility.
In summary, both the men's and women's tennis programs have proud histories and excellent facilities. The future for FSU tennis, indeed, seems bright!