The Vermont Senior Games, the local affiliate of the National Senior Games, staged its annual state championship tennis tournament at the Bridges Resort in Warren over the weekend of August 13 and 14.
The Vermont Senior Games annually sponsors 14 sporting events over the course of the year, open to anyone who will be 50 years old or more by the end of the calendar year. Bernie Burg of Shelburne won multiple medals this year at the age of 91.
This was the first time that the senior games had held an event in the Mad River Valley, and organizers reported it to be a success. A total of 77 players competed in the singles and doubles competitions. Twenty-three of those athletes were local residents helping to set a new record for VSG tennis participation. Valley players won 21 medals on the courts over the two days in ideal conditions.
Six of those medals were captured in the women’s doubles competition for ages 70-74, as locals swept the podium in that bracket. Waitsfield’s Joan Chesler teamed up with Amy Smith from Warren to earn the gold; Susan Lee, Waitsfield, partnered with Warren resident Virginia Hanson to take the silver; and Fran Glaser and Anne Hyde, Warren, picked up the bronze.
Lee was among The Valley’s multiple-medal winners, as she also took home bronze in the women’s singles for her age group. Moretown’s Woody Dugan won gold in the 55- to 59-year-old men’s singles and added a silver medal in mixed doubles playing alongside Darlene McCormick, Fayston. McCormick went home with a bronze in women’s singles as well.
Mike Sharkey from Waitsfield joined Dugan as a gold medalist in men’s singles, with Sharkey topping the 80-84 age group. Curt Johnson, who heads the Bridges tennis program and worked with the Vermont Senior Games team to organize the tournament, partnered with Waitsfield’s Ann Sanger to win gold medals in the mixed doubles 55-59 age bracket.
Denny Kanarek, who lives at the Bridges, earned a silver medal in the ultra-competitive men’s 50-54 singles. Warren’s Mike and Peggy Clement teamed up for a silver medal performance in the 55-59 mixed doubles, as did Jeff Birnn and Judy Bowen among the 70- to 74-year-olds.
Finally, the partnerships of Peter Delfausse / Dave Goldstein and Susan Snider / Kate Marincic won bronze medals in doubles play as well.
