WHOA! Now that the USTA has released the updated NTRP ratings, it's that time of year again!
What's that? Time for folks to push the "appeal" button so many times that the USTA website breaks down?
NO! (but maybe)
It's time ... time for the annual D.F.O. Player of the Year AND Hall of 3.0 Fame awards!
Congratulations to the list of amazing 3.0ers who have all had amazing 3.0 seasons and/or amazing 3.0 careers! Who will be selected to be one of the greatest honors ever bestowed (at least by us, the D.F.O.)? Who will earn Player of Year? Doubles Team of the Year? Captain of the Year? And who will earn the most glorious of all awards - entry into the (made-up) D.F.O. Hall of 3.0 Fame?!
READ BELOW TO FIND OUT!
We'll reveal the results by December 15th!
THAT'S A THREAT!
Player of the Year Nominees
Find out information on the criteria to even be considered for this illustrious award by going here and then read below to get info on this year's nominees for the most coveted award most of the nominees don't even know about!
Then click here to have your vote counted for Player's of the Year!
Hall of 3.0 Fame Nominees
There are 14 current nominees for the Hall of 3.0 Fame.
Wow!
Check out the all-time stats here!
Play a role in the democratic process by choosing among these all-3.0-time greats for the most illustrious Hall of all the Hall's (even if it's not really a physical hall and more of a made up hall)! Check out the nomination process here and check out the nominees here!
Player of the Year Nominees
Scout Bourbeau*3 (Springfield HS)
Tournament: None
League: 14-0 (11-0 singles)
Playoff: 2-0 (2-0 singles)
Key Matches: Key member of the Springfield HS Northwest Ohio District championship team, defeated fellow nominee Sangyoon at State!
Overall: 16-0 overall (13-0 singles, 3-0 doubles)
Notes: Second most league singles (11) wins...
Brandon Carrus*8 (MVRC)
Tournament: 9-5 (3-3 singles), three total events, highlighted by NTRP Nationals 18+ Doubles 5th place finish (4-1)
League: 12-0 (1-0 singles)
Playoffs: 7-4 (0-1 singles)
Key Matches: In tournament play, tag-teamed with fellow nominee Robert Haught to take 5th at NTRP Nationals 18+ Doubles. In league play, key member of two Flight championship clubs, MVRC's 18+ and 40+. In playoff play, helped lead Northeast Ohio's MVRC 40+ to District, State, and Midwest titles, playing two fellow nominees along the way, Sean and Travis, falling to the former but defeating the latter!
Overall: 28-9 overall (4-4 singles, 24-5 doubles)
Notes: Second most combined wins (singles and doubles) ...
Nathan Chavez*3 (Force)
Tournament: None
League: 11-1 overall (11-1 singles)
Playoffs: 10-2 overall (10-2 singles)
Key Matches: Defeated NWO's Nathan Gauthier, a 2022 D.F.O. Player of the Year nominee, 0 & 3 at State Championships and was a key player for Force team that won Flight, District, State, and Midwest championships en route to Nationals!
Overall: 21-3 overall (21-3 singles)
Notes: Most playoff singles wins (8), tied for league singles wins (11) and most overall singles wins (21) ...
Matt Greenburg*3 (CVAC)
Tournament: 4-7 overall (4-4 in singles), two events, highlighted by Midwest 18+ NTRP Sectional Championship (4-0)
League: 2-0 overall (2-0 singles)
Playoffs: None
Key Matches: In tournament play, won third event of career at Midwest 18+ NTRP Sectional Championships, defeating fellow nominee Sean Schulze en route to the title. Tag-teamed with fellow nominee Travis Haselswerdt to take 4th place (0-3) in same event in doubles, losing to Doubles Player of the Year Robert Haught in three.
Overall: 6-7 overall (6-4 singles, 0-3 doubles)
Notes: Back-to-back NTRP tournament champion, only the third 3.0er in history to accomplish said feat...
Mason Hagan*2 (Schroeder Tennis Center)
Tournament: None
League: 10-6 (10-6 singles)
Playoff: 4-1 (4-1 singles)
Key Matches: Key member of the OHVA team that won their Flight and their District and qualified to State!
Overall: 14-7 overall (14-7 singles)
Notes: OHVA leader in singles wins (14) ...
Travis Haselswerdt*6 (Force, Bay)
Tournament: 12-8 overall (9-4 singles), four total events, highlighted by Midwest Independence Open Champion (3-0) and Akron Open 4th Place (4-2)
League: 19-7 overall (7-1 singles)
Playoffs: 9-4 overall (5-2 singles)
Key Matches: In tournament play, won 2nd Annual MIO. In playoff play, defeated Captain Frank from Towpath in doubles in USTA Wild-Card and 2021 Hall of Famer Jim Montgomery to clinch Force's State Championship cutting/charcuterie board! Member of Force team that won Flight, District, State, and Midwest championships as well as Bay-Force-Westlake team that won first ever One-Doubles Championships!
Overall: 40-19 (21-7 singles, 19-12 doubles)
Notes: Most overall wins (40) and third most single-season wins in 3.0 history, tied for second with most singles wins (21), third most single-season wins in Ohio 3.0 history ...
Sangyoon Lee*2 (MVRC)
Tournament: None
League: 17-4 (16-3 singles)
Playoffs: 4-2 (4-2 singles)
Key Matches: Played Akron Open champion Gunnar Schied at District and fellow nominee Scott Bourbeau at State, falling to the latter but defeating the former! Key member of MVRC 18+ and 40+ teams, winning two Flight titles and one District, State, and Midwest title with the 40+ group!
Overall: 21-6 overall (20-5 singles, 1-1 doubles)
Notes: Most league singles wins (16) and tied for second most singles wins (20) ...
Brian Piazza*2 (Towpath)
Tournament: 5-2 (5-2 singles), one event, Akron Open Vice-Champion
League: 13-2 (11-2 singles)
Playoffs: 0-1 (0-1 singles)
Key Matches: In tournament play, defeated fellow nominee Travis en route to first ever vice-champion finish!
Overall: 18-5 overall (18-3 singles)
Notes: Number two overall in singles wins (18) ...
Doubles Team of the Year Nominees
Brandon Carrus*8 & Robert Haught*2 (MVRC)
Tournament: 4-1, one event, NTRP Nationals 18+ Doubles 5th place finish (4-1)
League: 6-0
Playoffs: 5-3
Key Matches: Key tag-team for two MVRC teams, the 18+ and 40+ teams that both won their Flight. Then led the 40+ team to District, State, and Midwest glory, highlighted by their doubles court being the tie-breaker to earn the Midwest championship!
Overall: 15-4
Notes: Most tag-teams wins (15), won in both tournament, league, and playoff play...
Kishore Devarakondra*3 & Pradeep Madhavanpillai*1 (Center Court)
Tournament: 4-1, one event, Towpath Champions
League: 1-0
Playoffs: None
Key Matches: Won their only league match versus famed Frenchman, De Fault, 0 & 0!
Overall: 5-1
Notes: Won the second doubles tour event of the season...
Robert Haught*2 & John Olenik*4 (MVRC)
Tournament: 3-0, one event, Midwest 18+ NTRP Champions (3-0)
League: 1-0
Playoffs: 1-1
Key Matches: Defeated teammates Brandon and Scott en route to their first ever tournament title!
Overall: 5-1
Notes: Won in both tournament, league, and playoff play...
Travis Haselswerdt*6 & Anthony Kulka*7 (Force)
Tournament: None
League: 4-1
Playoffs: 1-0
Overall: 5-1
Notes: Won in league and in playoffs to earn the first ever One-Doubles Championship!
Steven Pauwels*1 & Michael Boukzam*10 (North Ridge)
Tournament: None
League: 8-1
Playoffs: 0-1
Key Matches: In league play, helped lead 40+ North Ridge team to the playoffs!
Overall: 8-2
Captain of the Year Nominees
*Jeremy Benjamin - Force
League: 3-5, 40+, 10-0, 18+ Flight Champion
Playoffs: 11-2, Wild-Card, District, State, and Midwest 18+ Champions, Nationals 11th place
Key Matches: Victoriously took on Captain Frank of Towpath and Captain James of NWO en route to earning the championship cutting board!
Total Record: 24-7
Notes: Most playoff wins (11), second most team titles (4)...
*Ronald Bassak - Towpath
League: 7-1
Playoffs: 6-2
Key Matches: Led Towpath's 55+ 6.0 team to back-to-back Nationals, finishing runner-up!
Total Record: 13-3
Notes: The only captain to lead his team to back-to-back Nationals top two finishes, he enjoyed the best team finish in O-H-I-O!
*Guy Cecchini - North Canton Racquet Club
League: 8-2, Flight Champion
Playoffs: 2-1, Wild-Card winner, District runner-up
Key Matches: Enjoyed a Flight title in rookie captaining season as well as an upset wild-card victory over LaTuchie to eventually finish District runner-up!
Total Record: 10-1
Notes: Rookie captain...
*Robert Corts - North Ridge
League: 5-3 40+ Flight runner-up, 6-2, 55+ Flight runner-up
Playoffs: 0-1
Key Matches: Went 1-1 versus former Captain of the Year and fellow nominee Captain Jeremy of Force!
Total Record: 11-6
Notes: Two Flight runner-up finishes...
*William Fox - Towpath
League: 1-7, 55+, 4-2, 65+ Flight Champion
Playoffs: None
Key Matches: Won Ohio's first ever 65+ Flight title!
Total Record: 5-9
Notes: First ever 65+ title in O-H-I-O history!
*Travis Haselswerdt - Bay-Force-Westlake
League: 5-2, One-Doubles Runner-up
Playoffs: 1-0, One-Doubles Champions
Key Matches: Competed against 50+ Captain winner JP, going 1-0 on the year!
Notes: Won first ever One-Doubles Championships! We are going to keep writing this until someone cares!
*Robert Haught - Mayfield Village Racquet Club
League: 10-0, 18+ Flight Champion & 8-0, 40+ Flight Champion
Playoffs: 8-5, 40+ District, State, and Midwest Champions, Nationals 10th place finish
Key Matches: Led two teams to two Flight championships during the regular season. During playoff play, 18+ squad fell to fellow nominee Captain Jeremy's Force team, but 40+ squad made it all the way to San Diego and Nationals!
Total Record: 26-5
Notes: Tied with most regular season wins (18), most overall wins (26), most team titles (5)...
*James Jacobs - Springfield HS
League: 10-2
Playoffs: 3-1, NWO 18+ District Champion, State runner-up
Key Matches: Despite finishing third in the NWO flight, went 2-0 in the playoffs to earn the District championship!
Total Record: 13-3
Notes:
*Frank Licari - Towpath
League: 8-2, 18+ Flight runner-up, 5-3 40+, Flight runner-up, 0-9 Fusion
Playoffs: 0-1, 18+ NEO District runner-up
Key Matches: Went on a six match winning streak in 18+ to finish runner up, including a win over eventual Flight Champion NCRC before falling them in the District finals. In 40+, finished fourth, but did enjoy a win over long-time veteran 3.0 Captain J.P. and Wembley.
Total Record: 13-15
Notes: Most 3.0 teams captained (3)...
*Sean Schulze - Paramount Westlake
League: 8-0, 40+ Flight Champion
Playoffs: 0-2
Key Matches: Won a Flight title in first year as Captain!
Total Record: 8-2
Notes: Rookie captain...
*Adam Scott - Fallen Timbers
League: 12-1, 18+ Flight Champion
Playoffs: 1-1, District runner-up
Key Matches: Went 1-1 in all matches versus Hall of 3.0 Famer Captain James Jacobs!
Total Record: 13-2
Notes: Rookie captain...
*Jeff Stewart - Quail Run
League: 5-3, 18+, 12-0 18+ Flight Champion
Playoffs: 3-2, Ohio Valley 18+ District Champion, State third place
Key Matches: Faced off versus Hall of 3.0 Famer Captain James Jacobs and former Captain of the Year Captain Jeremy Benjamin at the state championships!
Total Record: 20-5
Notes: Tied with most regular season wins (18) ...
*Victoria Ung - MVRC
League: 8-1 Fusion Flight Champions
Playoffs: None
Key Matches: Defeated Frank Licari's Towpath team during the season!
Total Record: 8-1
Notes: The sole female Captain!
Ineligible Nominees
Congrats to the following nominees who, due to the D.F.O. "One and Done Rule," are unfortunately not eligible for D.F.O. awards. However, they are eligible for our respect as they venture into the near-professional level of 3.5 tennis!
Tyler Elwing*1 & Anthony Kulka*7 (Force)
Tournament: None
League: 2-0
Playoffs: 9-0
Key Matches: Key playoff doubles tag-team for Force club that won District, State, and Midwest titles! Playoff run included matches against two-time Player of the Year Ron Novak and previously undefeated fellow nominee Robert!
Overall: 11-0
Notes: An incredibly double-digit win season surely makes up for their DFO snub, right?!
*Abhijit Borawake*1 & Suhas Londhe*1 (Center Court)
Tournament: 2-0, one event Akron Open Champions
League: 3-1
Playoffs: 0-1
Key Matches: In playoffs, finished Runner-up in One-Doubles Championships!
Overall: 3-1
Notes: They may not have won the DFO Doubles Team of the Year award, but that Akron Open title is a nice consolation prize!
Hall of 3.0 Fame Nominees
After five (five!) rounds of voting the D.F.O. Selection Committee and the Twelve Apostles have narrowed down over 200+ worthy nominees to a final 15! Check out the worthy nominees below, their stats here (some of which might actually be correct!), and then have your vote counted here!
Ronald Bassak ...
Stats: 8 teams Captained, 47-14 regular season, 14-5 playoffs, 61-19 overall record, 5 Flight titles, 2 Midwest titles, 4 trips to Nationals.
Status: Bumped to 3.5 as a player after 2017 season but has Captained 6.0 since then.
Comments: Nominated as a Captain, he won Nationals in 2022 at 55+ 6.0 as Captain and took back-to-back 55+ teams to Nationals as a Captain (2022 and 2023). A 4x National qualifier at 55+, which is the best in Ohio history, he is also Top Ten in season, playoff, and overall Captain wins.
All-3.0-Time Firsts: Captained National Championship team & a National Runner-up.
Reasons to Vote for Him: Only national championship captain ... ever!
Timothy Booher ...
Stats: 3 seasons, 2-0 singles, 53-24 doubles, 55-24 overall. As a captain, 32-4 regular season, 15-5 playoffs, 47-9 overall, 3 Flight titles, 2 Midwest titles, 1 trip to Nationals.
Status: Bumped to 3.5 after 2022 season!
Comments: Nominated as both a player and a Captain. As a Captain, his NCRC had the best ever 18+ finish (4th) in O-H-I-O history and he was rewarded as the 2022 D.F.O. Captain and Doubles Player of the Year. During that season, his 43 individual single-season wins were 2nd all-3.0-time (behind teammate Matthew Johnston, 48), and along the way the pair won the '22 Towpath Doubles tournament, thus enjoying wins in all three phases of USTA play - league, tourney, and playoffs.
All-3.0-Time Firsts: Best ever 18+ Nationals finish (4th), best ever Captain winning percentage (83.9%).
Reasons to Vote for Him: The second greatest single 3.0 season of all-3.0-time and the best ever 18+ finish of all-3.0-time!
Clayton Cundiff ...
Stats: 4 seasons ... 3-1 singles, 53-21 doubles, 56-22 overall, 4 Flight titles, 3 Midwest titles, 3x National qualifier. As a captain, 18-0 regular season, 13-6 playoffs, 31-6 overall, 2 Flight, 1 Midwest, and 2 Nationals appearances.
Status: Bumped to 3.5 after 2018 season!
Comments: Nominated as both a player and a Captain. A 3x National qualifier, 1x as a player and 2x as a Captain. Took NCRC to a all-3.0-time best ever 40+ finish (3rd) and ended that season as a D.F.O. Doubles Team and Captain of the Year. By the end of this career, he ranked Top Ten in playoff wins as a Captain and remains tied for 1st with doubles and overall playoff wins as a player (19) while having the 2nd best Captain winning percentage (83.7%).
All-3.0-Time Firsts: Best ever 40+ Nationals finish (3rd), tied for first with playoff doubles and playoff overall wins (19).
Reasons to Vote for Him: Individual playoff wins and 40+ team result are all-3.0-time bests!
William Fox ...
Stats: 5 seasons ... 8-10 singles, 59-26 doubles, 67-36 overall, 2 Flight/Midwest titles and 3x National qualifier. 2x tournament champion (Akron Open, Towpath).
Status: Bumped to 3.5 after 2015 season, he was yo-yo'd back to 3.0 after the 2021 season!
Comments: A member of the 2022 National Champion 55+ 6.0 team (as a 3.5), he's also a 2x tournament champion (Akron Open, Towpath) and has won at all levels! A D.F.O. Doubles Player of the Year, he was yo-yo'd back to 3.0 after
seven years at the nigh-professional 3.5 level!
All-3.0-Time Firsts: Captain Ohio's first ever 65+ 6.0 Flight championship in 2023!
Reasons to Vote for Him: Has won in all three 3.0 phases! ALL OF THEM!
Jeremy Benjamin ...
Stats: Captained 8 teams, 43-35 regular season, 24-6 playoffs, 67-41 overall, 3 Flight titles, 2 Midwest titles, 2 Nationals appearances.
Status: 3.0!
Comments: Nominated as a Captain, he is the only Captain to ever take two 18+ teams to Nationals, earning D.F.O. Captain of the Year back in 2021 for his efforts! As a result, he enjoys the most playoff wins in all-3.0-time (Jacobs, NWO, is 2nd with 19)!
All-3.0-Time Firsts: Playoff Captain wins (24), 2x 18+ National qualifier, tied for first with best playoff winning percentage (75%) and D.F.O. Captain of the Year awards.
Reasons to Vote for Him: His two 18+ runs and his playoff records are tops in all categories and is the only captain to have achieved 20 wins in both playoff and regular season play!
Derek Kohanski ...
Stats: 7 seasons, 13-1 singles, 23-15 doubles, 36-16 overall. 1 Flight and Midwest title and 1 Nationals appearance.
Comments: Nominated as a Contributor to 3.0 Tennis, he had quite the career as well! Ranks Top Ten in playoff singles wins (8), was a D.F.O. Player of the Year, and for the past 8.5 years has acted as the current Adult Tennis Coordinator for NEO tennis.
All-3.0-Time Firsts: Only 3.0er to ever hold the title of Adult Tennis Coordinator.
Reasons to Vote for Him: Would be one of the first "contributors" in the Hall!
James E. Kyrsiak...
Stats: 9 seasons, 0-1 singles, 63-28 doubles, 63-29 overall, 8 Flight titles.
Captained 10 teams, 64-16 regular season, 3-11 playoffs, 69-27 overall, 7 Flight titles, 1 Midwest title.
Comments: Nominated as both a player and a Captain. As a player, tied for most Flight titles. As a Captain, only second member of the 60/60 Club, though the first to do so (wins as a player and as a Captain; Frank Licari is in 90/90). 7 Flight titles is tied for first all-3.0-time!
All-3.0-Time Firsts: Tied 1st 8 Flight titles as a player and 7 Flight titles as a Captain, first ever to enter the 60/60 club.
Reasons to Vote for Him: See above!
Edmond Lash ...
Stats: 11 seasons, 1-3 singles, 83-46 doubles, 84-47 overall, 3 Flight titles.
Comments: Top Ten in all-3.0-time league wins, he was one of the most consistent doubles players of the 2000s.
Reasons to Vote for Him: One of the dominate NEO players of the 2000s!
Frank Licari ...
Stats: 20 teams Captained, 95-78 regular season, 4-7 playoffs, 99-85 overall.
Status: 3.0!
Comments: Nominated as a Captain (not eligible as a player yet!), he ranks #2 in all-3.0-time Captain wins.
All-3.0-Time Firsts: Only member of the 90/90 club ... 90 wins as a Captain and 90 wins as a player!
Reasons to Vote for Him: 2nd most Captain wins in 3.0 history (Jacobs, 134)!
Scott Mellino ...
Stats: 9 seasons, 2-8 singles, 55-25 doubles, 57-33 overall. 2 Flight, Midwest, and Nationals appearances. 1 tournament title.
Status: Promoted to 3.5 after 2022 season.
Comments: Nominated as a player, he is a 2x National qualifier and 1 tournament doubles title (NEO 50+ NTRP), he's Top Ten in doubles and overall playoff wins and has won at all three levels.
All-3.0-Time Firsts: One of only six players to participate twice at 18+ Nationals!
Reasons to Vote for Him: Has won at all three 3.0 levels, league, tournament, and playoff play!
Ron Novak ...
Stats: 10 seasons, 38-42 singles, 59-32 doubles, 97-74 overall, 1x Flight, Midwest, and Nationals. 3x tournament champion.
Status: Bumped to 3.5 after 2015 season, we was invited back to 3.0 after the 2019 season!
Comments: Nominated as a player, he is a 2x D.F.O. Player of the Year and the only one to do so in both singles and doubles, has won in all three phases. Is #2 in tourney singles and overall tourney wins and top 5 in overall singles wins. A 3x tournament winner, 2 x in singles (Western Reserve, Paramount Fall) and 1x doubles tournament winner (Towpath). Was yo-yo'd back to 3.0, he is 4th all-3.0-time in overall wins.
All-3.0-Time Firsts: Only player to win both D.F.O. Player of the Year AND Doubles Team of the Year, he is also one of only six players all-3.0-time to win both a singles and a doubles tournament championship.
Reasons to Vote for Him: Of all the nominees eligible as a player, he's the wins leader ... of all the nominees!
Paul Rodusky ...
Stats: 11 seasons, 89-50 doubles and overall, 3 Flight titles.
Status: Retired from 3.0 after 2017 season.
Comments: Nominated as a player, he was one of the dominant players of the 2000s and 2010s, he currently ranks 8th all-3.0-time in overall wins.
All-3.0-Time Firsts: Held career 3.0 wins record (89) from 2009 until 2019 until Clem Kissling surpassed him in 2020.
Reasons to Vote for Him: "Lost to history" and recently discovered in the archives, the wins leader has always earned a nomination to the Hall of 3.0 Fame (2020 Kissling 94, 2021 Haselswerdt 103, 2022 Warner 113).
Roderick Yamat ...
Stats: 15 seasons, 47-79 singles, 23-36 doubles, 70-115 overall, 1 Flight title.
Status: 3.0!
Comments: Nominated as a player, he is #2 all-3.0-time in league and overall singles wins, #3 in matches played, he's one of the most prolific singles players of his era.
Reasons to Vote for Him: One of the most prolific singles players of the 2010s!
Benjamin Young ...
Stats: 4 seasons, 24-34 singles, 33-13 doubles, 57-47 overall, 3 Flight titles, 1 Midwest title, member of National qualifying team.
Status: Bumped to 3.5 after 2022 season.
Comments: Nominated as a player, he was one of the most prolific tournament players of his time, winning two doubles tournament championships (Green, Akron) along the way and was also a key member of NCRC's 2022 18+ 4th place team.
All-3.0-Time Firsts: Member of best ever 18+ NCRC team.
Reasons to Vote for Him: Has won at all three 3.0 levels!
Here's the link for voting! Results will be revealed December 15th!
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