Ball State University - Orient Yearbook (Muncie, IN)

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V- ' -F li in Q --...Q I .veil al Nate Parsons A Y Nate Parsons vDayna Bromberg from Columbus, Ohio, struggles to return a serve. The week-long tournament was one of live stops on the 1987 National Circuit. vSkip Trapp from Evansville runs to re- turn a shot. The tournament brought an estimated 590,000 into the community. V Nate Parsons vJunior tennis players from the United States and other countries compete in the sixth Western Open at Ball State. John Calvillo came from Wisconsin to partici- pate in the tournament. western 0penL1 3,

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,1 2.1ue5tern open Y Nate Parsons Community becomes center for junior tennis Campus hosts tourney by Charmaine Balsley uring the last week of July, Muncie became the center of attention for the junior tennis world as 256 top male, junior tennis players from the United States and several other countries invaded the campus to compete in the Westem Open Tennis Champion- ships. The Western Open was one of five stops on the 1987 National Circuit. The event was sponsored by the Western Section of the United States Tennis Association. This was the sixth year the event was held on campus, with Bill Richards, men's head tennis coach, as the director, Mike McK- enzie of Muncie was the assistant tourney director. The tournament gives Ball State and Muncie positive publicity in gen- eral. It's a prestigous thing that we have it, McKenzie said. While the toumament made Muncie as a whole look good, it also gave the best junior tennis players in the Midwest a chance to see the campus. It is a recruiting tool for the tennis program. But this was definitely not the primary reason for the tournament, but it is beneficial, McKenzie said. According to Mc- Kenzie, planning for the tournament every year is continuous. However, a majority of the planning took place two months prior to the event to coordinate the 650 matches that were played. Most of 66 the matches The tourna- WHS Played and Creek Muncie Tennis - - Center on poslinfe , the campus. publlclty In But the general additional court space ,, at Lucina, Woodworth and Yorktown High School had to be utilized to meet the needs of the tournament. The indoor YMCA Tennis Center was also used during the final game of the 18-year-old division finals as rain made play at Cardinal Creek impossible. The tournament was divided into two categories: the 18-and-under and 16- and-under boys divisions. Unseeded before the tourna- ment, Loren Llinas emerged as champion of the 18-year- old division. Alexander Schaad, the number one seed going into the tourna- ment, won the 16-year-old title. Most of' the seeded tournament players and winners will go on to a full scholarship at college. But none of the past winners have ever made a big impact on the pro level, McKenzie said. While the impact of the tournament was invalu- able to the players, the impact on the city went beyond recognition. The economic impact on the community during the week was approxi- mately S90,000, said Vicki Veach-Yates, sales director of the Muncie Convention and Visitors' Bureau. According to Veach- Yates, the 590,000 figure was for the amount of money spent by participants only and did not include the revenue brought into the community from a player's parents or friends. While primary spon- sorship for the tournament was provided by the Uni- versity and Village Pantry, additional sponsors were Ball Corporation, Greek's Pizzeria, Kammer Bottled Water Service, Marsh Supermarkets, Ontario Corporation, Tony's Lock- eroom and Vince's Gallery. McKenzie said the most difficult aspect of the tournament was Pat Quinn's job. Quinn was in charge of the housing for the tournament. Quinn has the toughest job and probably the most unpleasant. With over 250 fairly affluent kids and little supervision it's bound to be difficult, McKenzie said. This was the sixth year for the tournament to be at this campus-we've gotten a little better each year. Z

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Y Richard Wars vProlessor Guang Weng Gao ol the Wuhan Institute of Physical Education leads Ball State students in an early morning session ol Shaolin Boxing, a Chinese method ol exercise. The stu- dents were on a liveweek venture ol goodwill in China. VA Chinese student practices Shaolin Boxing in the peace ofthe early morning sunrise in Wuhan, China. Observing cul- tural dillerences first hand was one of the benefits ol the trip. ..:I 4.LHiruz cfefecqation -QT elunllx