As the ball dropped and 2017 came to a close its worth reminiscing on the 2017 Smith Stearns students produced. The year saw them take home four Gold Balls, eight Silver Balls, and two Bronze Balls at 2017 Super Nationals.
Joining other alumni who have qualified for the post-season in college tennis with their respective teams, four former students of the Smith Stearns Tennis Academy in Hilton Head, South Carolina were selected to the Division I singles and doubles championships Wednesday evening. Three of the four participants received seedings in their championship garnering them All-American honors. The NCAA Division I singles and doubles championships will take place May 24-29 at the University of Georgia’s Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, … read more
Players from Smith Stearns Tennis Academy were able to take home 5 of 8 championships in the 16& under and 18& under age divisions. 2017 got off to a hot start for several Smith Stearns students as they competed in the Southern Section’s first Level 1 tournament of the year–taking home five of the eight championships awarded in the top two age divisions. The girls and boys 16& under tournaments were hosted at the beautiful new Rome Tennis … read more
Students of Smith-Stearns Tennis Academy brought home the title 12 times at USTA National Tournaments, 8 times in ITF tournaments and 77 times at the Sectional level. 2016 proved to be a year where the students and coaches of Smith Stearns Tennis Academy saw their hard work on the court and in the gym come to fruition. Players were able to take home the singles or doubles title in an astounding 97 tournaments–12 at the National level including four … read more
Students of Smith-Stearns Tennis Academy brought home five top-3 finishes including three championships at the 2016 USTA Winter Nationals held in Arizona. When measuring success in the ranks of elite American junior tennis, the hallmark is the coveted Gold Ball a small but important trophy afforded the champions at USTA Super National events. Every year after Christmas and going into the New Year the top American juniors converge in Arizona for the USTA Winter Nationals. The final day of this … read more
Smith-Stearns Tennis Academy student, Vikash Singh, made history at this year’s Metropolia Orange Bowl and Eddie Herr–the two most prestigious 16 & under tournaments in the world. Vikash Singh has spent the last two years of his life residing on Hilton Head Island training at Smith Stearns Tennis Academy and studying at Heritage Academy where he is a junior with a 4.7 GPA. Hailing from Kolkata, India the 16-year old has gone over a year without seeing his family, … read more
Last year was a historic year for five former Smith Stearns students who competed in the National Championship Match in Athens, Georgia. Kaitlin Ray and Catherine Harrison were on the UCLA Bruins Championship team that defeated Hayley Carter, Caroline Price, and Whitney Kay of the UNC Tar Heel’s in a hard fought 4-3 win to earn the NCAA title. It was a special moment for Smith Stearns … read more
Hampton Drake Hometown: Columbia, South Carolina College Commitment: Clemson University Hampton has been a member of the academy for the past three years. He moved from Columbia to be in an environment with high level players and top coaches which would be more conducive to helping him become a better player. These factors combined with the hard work that Hampton has put in, proved to be a catalyst for him becoming one of the top players in the nation … read more
Three Smith Stearns students were selected to play in the Southern Junior Cup which was held the past two weekends in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Sara McClure (girls 12’s), Catie Meighan (girls 14’s), and Cameron Kriscunas (girls 16’s) represented their home state of South Carolina in the tournament. The Southern Cup is a team competition which selects the top 3 players from each state to compete against the other states in a dual match format which includes singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. … read more
Over 25 Smith Stearns students participated in the SC Junior State Open, which was held from September 20-23 in Charleston, South Carolina. It was a successful weekend with our students winning a total of 4 singles titles including the boys 14-18’s title and the girls 18’s title. Kyle Barr has his hands full in the boys 18’s division but fought hard each match and ultimately came out on top. He won his semifinals and final … read more