HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-11-11, Page 32Photo contributed
Huron County's Laurie Schmidt (pictured with husband,
Larry) is headed to Arizona this April to compete for the State
Florida in the United States Tennis Association Super Senior
League.
Schmidt competing for
US tennis title in April
Gerard Crease
signal -star staff
Canadian Laurie Schmidt is
on her way to being a United
States champion in senior' ten-
nis.
Schmidt, who summers south
of Goderich, plays for the Fort
Myers Racquet Club in Florida,
and last year earned the chance
to play on a national scale.
"We did well through the sea-
son," Schmidt said. "We won
our games and won for the State
of Florida."
Schmidt plays in two leagues,
the Fort Myers County league
and in the Super Senior division
of the United States Tennis As-
sociation - the governing body
for amateur and professional
tennis in the United States.
After winning the State of
Florida, she will be off to Sur-
prise, Arizona, April 22-25 for
the national competition.
"We will be competing against
all the other states," she said.
"We play three days straight.
The team is eight members
strong, playing three pairs of
doubles, and one alternate pair.
What's unique about Schmidt's
team is she is the only one to hail
from the Great White North.
"I'm the Canuck," she said.
Schmidt has been playing ten-
nis for 35 years. She said she
gets her games in the off-season
at her summer home at Pine
Lake, where she is involved in
the tennis club there.
"We've got our own little ten-
nis club. I really work at keeping
that organized," she said. "Both
tournaments and round -robins."
She also plays competitively at
the Maitland Country Club, and
said the best part of the game is
the exercise and the pace.
"It's just fun being out there
hitting the ball," she said. "And
it's fast... I'm still not into golf.
It's slow and it takes longer."
Tennis is more than a game,
she said. The social aspect and
the competition are equally big
draws.
Participating in a USTA tour-
nament, Schmidt said sfie had to
be rated. She started out as a 3.0
and moved up to 3.5 by the end
of the year.
"I would say I'm a strong
player," she said. "I'm a hard
hitter for a senior."
She said her mind wasn't
made up right away about the
national tournament, but after
thinking it over, got her ticket to
Florida and is leaving at the start
of December.
"When you're going to Flor-
ida already and now Arizona, I
debated," she said. "I'm excited
now. They've been trying to talk
me into going. I booked my
flight already. and I'm excited."
She said she already has a
steady lineup of games, in ad-
dition to regular practices and
professional coaching.
A snowbird with a love of
sport, Schmidt's tennis season
runs November through March,
with weekly games.
The tournament takes place
April 22-25.
Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, November 11, 2009 - Page 31
Arctic Cat
CTICCELT
SHARE OUR PA5SIOPJ,
Equlernen1
Box 179, Lucknow, ON NOG 2H0
Ph (519) 528-3426 Fax (519) 528-3035
•
Take a free ride for 6 years on all sub -compacts and compacts.
Right now we're offering serious savings, across the board. Save on our Massey
Ferguson® GC Series sub -compact tractors, featuring a roomy operator platform. Save
on our 1500 Series, featuring models that offer more comfort and more tractor for
far less than comparable machines. And save on our unprecedented new 1600 Series,
a completely new generation of compacts that outshine them all. Massey Ferguson
sub -compacts and compacts. Buy now and save — for years to come. See your dealer
or visit masseyferguson.com.
• On select models with approved credit from AGCO finance LLC. Sales tax. freight. dealer set up and administration costs are excluded. Available for equal monthly payments
only. Leases and balloon payments available at slightly higher rates. Contact your participating dealer for more details. Offer applicable to new purchases made between
September 30.2009 through December 3, st. 2009 and may be subject to change without nonce.
22
Box 70,
Mildmay, ON
NOG 2J0
Ph (519 367-2648
Fax (519) 367-5502
dos
I[qulams? ni
Box 179,
Lucknow, ON
NOG 2H0
Ph (519) 528-3426
Fax (519) 528-3035