October 9, 2015

Soyuzivka hosts the 60th USCAK National Tennis Tournament

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Petrusia Sawchak

In the men’s group, winner Mykola Stroynick (fourth from left) holds trophies with (from left) USCAK Tennis Director George Sawchak, semi-finalist Yuriy Pereyaslavskiy, finalist Marko Krasij, UNA Treasurer Roma Lisovich and semi-finalist Mykola Nalywayko.

KERHONKSON, N.Y. – For the fourth consecutive year, Mykola Stroynick, a tennis teaching professional from New York State, and Marko Krasij, a math lecturer from Texas University, battled against each other in the men’s finals held at the Soyuzivka Heritage Center during the glorious Labor Day weekend. This year Stroynick overcame Krasij 6-2, 6-4 in an intense and compelling match between two adversaries, but this year Stroynick came back more determined to regain the title. They have been alternating winning for the past four years:  Krasij in 2014, Stroynick in 2013, Krasij in 2012, and Stroynick in 2011.

Women’s group winner and finalist with tournament officials (from left): UNA Treasurer Roma Lisovich, USCAK Tennis Committee member George Hrabec, finalist Svetlana Goletz, winner Lesia Bilak Schinnerer, USCAK Tennis Committee member Ivan Durbak and Petrusia Sawchak.

George Sawchak

Women’s group winner and finalist with tournament officials (from left): UNA Treasurer Roma Lisovich, USCAK Tennis Committee member George Hrabec, finalist Svetlana Goletz, winner Lesia Bilak Schinnerer, USCAK Tennis Committee member Ivan Durbak and Petrusia Sawchak.

After winning the final, Stroynick said, “I love coming to the USCAK tennis tournaments at Soyuzivka every year. I especially like the great competition, which has recently been with Marko Krasij and look forward to playing here for many more years.”

Unfortunately, in the women’s division there were too few competitors despite the fact that the stipends were there. Originally from Ukraine Lesia Bilak Schinnerer, (Pa.) a highly accomplished five-time champion, who participated on  the professional International Tennis Federation (ITF) Tour for a year, easily beat Svetlana Goletz, (Conn.) a long-time competitor at Soyuzivka known for her gracious manner, 6-0, 6-1.  Last year’s finalist, Halyna Kostenko, a sports journalist from Kyiv, was unable to attend for personal reasons as well as Anastazija Koval, a college student, due to injury.

Many participants of the 60th USCAK National Tournament held at the Soyuzivka Heritage Center.

Petrusia Sawchak

Many participants of the 60th USCAK National Tournament held at the Soyuzivka Heritage Center.

This was the 60th year that USCAK (the Ukrainian – based acronym for the Ukrainian Sports Federation of the U.S.A. and Canada) has been conducting the national tennis championships during the Labor Day weekend at the Soyuzivka Heritage Center. Players, who come from all over the U.S., sometimes Canada, and recently Ukraine, look forward to competing with each other at Soyuzivka. This year they were also fortunate to have great weather which helped with the scheduling of matches.

The opening ceremonies for both the tennis and swimming championships were held on the deck of the swimming pool on Saturday, September 5. After formal presentations of the flags and the playing of the American, Ukrainian and Canadian national anthems, George Sawchak, the director of the USCAK Tennis Committee, officially greeted all the players, organizers, dignataries and spectators to this event. A moment of silence was given to Jurij Kupchynsky, who passed away this summer. He was a long-time great athlete in Ukrainian sports, member of Carpathian Ski Club, and initially participated in tennis and swimming competitions on Labor Day at Soyuzivka.

Mr. Sawchak acknowledged the  main sponsors of this tournament for many years: the Ukrainian National Association (UNA), a fraternal organization that has been serving the Ukrainian community unyieldingly for more than a century with endowments, life insurances and annuities and provides trophies for the tournament, and John Hynansky, owner of Winner Automotive Group (Del.) with companies in the U.S. and Ukraine, which offers monetary stipends to the winners and finalists in the men’s, women’s and junior groups. It is these stipends which help attract talented players to the tournament. He also thanked Soyuzivka Manager Nestor Paslawsky, Assistant Manager Stefko Drabyk and Office Administrator Sonia Semananyszyn for their cooperation and assistance.

Other speakers included President of USCAK Myron Bytz and Roma Lisovich, Treasurer of Ukrainian National Association, who officially opened the tournament.

Many of the men played in more than one group because they enjoy the competition this provides.

In getting to the finals Stroynick eliminated Yuriy Pereyaslavskiy (N.Y.) 6-0, 6-1, in the semifinals, and Krasij defeated Mykola Nalywayko (N.J.) 6-0, 6-0.

In the men’s 35 in a round robin format, Mykola Nalywayko came in first, Steve Sosiak (N.J.), second, retaining his title from last year.

In the men’s 45, round robin, Steve Sosiak repeated last year’s win with George Walchuk (N.J.) coming in second.

In the men’s 55, one of the best matches of the tournament was played between George Petrykevych (Conn.) and George Hrabec (Mass.) with Petrykevych winning 7:6 (10-8), 6:1.

In the men’s 65, last year’s winner Yaroslav Sydorak (Calif.) overcame Petrykevych 6:3, 6-1, retaining his title.

Junior boys played in two groups also in a round robin format. Marko Gural won in both groups. In the older group, Pavlo Buzko was the finalist, and in the younger group both Kase Schinnerer and Danylo Sosiak shared second place with Eric Schinnerer winning the consolation.

Closing ceremonies were held on Sunday after the matches were concluded. USCAK Tennis Director George Sawchak thanked all the players for their participation, and the sponsors of the tournament: Mr. Hynansky, UNA, and Soyuzivka for their loyal support. He also commended members of the USCAK Tennis Committee, Messrs. Hrabec and Ivan Durbak, for their assistance.

Danylo Sosiak was awarded the Mary Dushnyck Sportsmanship Trophy determined by the USCAK Tennis Committee. Mrs. Dushnyck, past supreme vice-presidentess of the UNA, was a participant of this annual tennis tournament from 1956 until she could no longer do so. She was very much loved and respected for her many years of contributions to the Labor Day tournament.

The following memorial trophies were established but not all were presented: Roman Rakoczy Trophies to the men’s and women’s winners; men’s – Bohdan Rak Trophy; women’s – Constantine Ben Trophy; men’s 35 and over – Jaroslav Rubel Trophy; men’s 45 and over – Dr. Wolodymyr Huk Trophy; and the men’s 55 and over – Dr. Petro Charuk Trophy.

UNA Treasurer Ms. Lisovich officially closed the annual USCAK Tennis Tournament congratulating all the winners and finalists and inviting everyone to return again next year and to continue supporting UNA and Soyuzivka.

Danylo Sosiak (second from right) is awarded the Mary Dushnyck Sportsmanship Trophy.

Petrusia Sawchak

Danylo Sosiak (second from right) is awarded the Mary Dushnyck Sportsmanship Trophy.

 


USCAK East tennis tournament results

KERHONKSON, N.Y. – The USCAK-East tennis tournament, which was held at the Soyuzivka Heritage Center during the weekend of June 27-28, were forced to have many of their final matches postponed to different dates due to inclement weather.

The results of the tournament finals were as follows:

• Men’s – Yuriy Pereyaslavskiy def. Pavlo Buzko 6-0, 6-0.

• Boys’ singles – Marko Gural def. Danylo Sosiak 6-1, 6-0.

• Girls’ singles – Nastya Dudaryk def. Katya Kopach 6-1, 6-1.

• Senior Men’s 65 – George Petrykevych def. George Hrabec 7-6, 6-1.

• Girls’ doubles – Katya Kopach/Ariadna Louer def. Ksenia Lewycky/Elie Klim 6-3, 6-2.

• Mixed doubles – Nastya Dudaryk/Pavlo Buzko def. Molly Bis/Marko Bach 6-3, 6-1.

• Senior doubles – Don Kopach/Roman Rakoczy def. Steve Sosiak/George Hrabec 6-4, 6-1.

– Submitted by USCAK Tennis Director George Sawchak

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