USTA Boys' 18 & 16 National Championships

August 2 – 11, 2024

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Aug. 19, 2004
August 2004
Aug. 19, 2004
August 2004

Our Most Memorable Moments of 2004

USTABOYS.COM announces its fourth annual tournament awards:

Rookie of the Year Award

  • Gold Ball: Michael McClune
  • Silver Ball: Wil Spencer

    Best Match

  • Gold Ball: Phillip Simmonds vs. Wayne Odesnik 18s singles quarterfinals
  • Silver Ball: Vahid Mirzadeh-Phillip Simmonds vs. Brendan Evans-Scott Oudsema 18s doubles finals

    Most Photogenic Award

  • Gold Ball: Phillip Simmonds
  • Silver Ball: Alexander Clayton

    Players We Can't Wait to See in the "Zoo" Next Year

  • Gold Ball: Vahid Mirzadeh, who could become the first to play in Kalamazoo for six straight years
  • Silver Ball: Donald Young who withstood the media barrage with poise beyond his years

    Top Ten Reasons Kalamazoo was a Better Tennis Bet than the Olympics in Athens this summer:

  • 10. Who needs medals? A banner on the Light Fine Arts Building wall is much more visible
  • 9. Traffic and security are not issues at the 'zoo (well, maybe the parking problems are comparable)
  • 8.The Stowe Stadium tennis venue has been ready for play since 1946
  • 7. The weather was certainly not dangerously hot
  • 6. They don't have Prince mini-tennis to play between matches
  • 5. Crowds were larger
  • 4. Seeding committee was better
  • 3. Mardy Fish and Taylor Dent's success didn't surprise us. (Dent won the 16s singles title here 1996)
  • 2. We appreciate our winner, even if he isn't local
  • 1. And the number one reason Kalamazoo is superior to Athens: Blueberries and frozen yogurt beat cucumbers and yogurt every time

    Golden Microphone Award

  • Gold Ball: Scoville Jenkin's father Scoville
  • Silver Ball: Scott Oudsema's father Bill

    Deja Vu All Over Again Award

  • Gold Ball: The three and four seeds met in the singles finals in both divisions in 2004, just as they did in 2003
  • Silver Ball: Tim Smyczek, who won his second straight National 18s feedin title, finishing in fifth place at both the Clays and Kalamazoo this summer

    Best Fashion Statement

  • Gold Ball: Dylan Arnould's shoes
  • Silver Ball: This year's "must have"--a hooded Nats at the Zoo sweatshirt

    ...It's How You Play The Game Award

  • Gold Ball: 18s Champion Scoville Jenkins, who is his semifinal match, at 15-30, 3-4 gave Phillip Simmonds an ace rather than accept the lineman's fault call. Simmonds went on to win the game, but Jenkins's sportsmanship at that crucial point in the match is now part of Kalamazoo legend.
  • Silver Ball: Donald Young and Tim Smyczek, unselfish tennis stars who volunteered their expertise at the junior tennis clinic on Friday evening.

    Most Emotional Moment

  • Gold Ball: Glenn Morgan, Community Service Award winner and high school tennis coach who suffered a stroke last year. There were few dry eyes at the volunteer luncheon awards presentation when he thanked his wife for her support during his recovery.
  • Silver Ball: Kathy Oudsema and Moe Mirzadeh embrace after their sons Scott and Vahid, on opposite sides of the net in the 18 doubles finals, receive their trophies.

    American Idol, Umpire Division

  • Gold Ball: Betsy Craig, who sang the National Anthem before the singles final, with her daughter Emily
  • Silver Ball: Umpire Kyle Corbin with the bellringer's version of "The Star Spangled Banner"

    If You Need A Doubles Partner Next Year, You Might Want to Call:

  • Gold Ball: Vahid Mirzadeh, who has won two doubles titles in Kalamazoo in the past three years with two different partners and is age-eligible for 2005
  • Sliver Ball: Unseeded Michael McClune who won eight of his nine 16 singles matches in his debut at the Zoo, but did not play doubles.

    Most Mispronounced Name

  • Gold Ball: Michael Sroczynski
  • Silver Ball: Marc Spicijaric

    Welcome Back

  • Gold Ball: Tennis Legend Vic Braden, who did more digital and video photography in two days than ustaboys.com did in a week
  • Silver Ball: Mardy Fish and Robby Ginepri, recent 18 singles finalists in Kalamazoo who are now ATP top 100 and U.S. Davis Cup players

    High Tech Success of the Tournament

  • Gold Ball: www.ustaboys.com, which had over four million hits in the first two weeks of August.
  • Silver Ball: Website webcam, which got so many hits during the 18 singles final that it had to be shut down so that the site's home page could be accessed

    Low Tech Saviors of the Tournament

  • Gold Ball: An outstanding Red Crew, who worked overtime during all the rain delays to keep the site running smoothly
  • Silver Ball: Big Tents at the West Main Hill Neighborhood Picnic that kept the party going.

    Least Likely to be Mistaken for a Ballrunner (and they're 16s!)

  • Gold Ball: Sam Querrey
  • Silver Ball: Spencer Vegosen

    Our Favorite Shotmakers:

  • Forehand: Scott Oudsema
  • First Serve: Brendan Evans
  • Second Serve: Scoville Jenkins
  • Volley: Ashwin Kumar
  • Backhand: Alex Clayton
  • Service Return: Robby Ginepri (Exhibition)

    For previous years' awards see: For previous years' awards see: 2003 2002 2001

    Source: USTA Boys Staff