KERHONKSON, N.Y. – As Hurricane Dorian threatened Florida and the Southeast coast during the Labor Day weekend, August 31 to September 2, Soyuzivka Heritage Center was blessed with beautiful weather and calm winds, perfect for tennis.
This year’s winner in the finals of the men’s division was 13-year-old Kase Schinnerer (Pennsylvania), last year’s boys’ winner, who defeated Nick Nalywayko Sr. (New Jersey), longtime contender, 6-1, 6-1. Absent from this year’s competition was last year’s champion Oleksandr Zavorotnyi, newcomer from Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, and present resident of New Jersey.
One of the most thrilling matches this year was in the men’s semis when Schinnerer defeated Mykola Stroynick, three-time men’s champion, in an intense match that lasted four hours and seven minutes. The score was 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 tiebreak. Another compelling semifinal was between Nalywayko and Steve Sosiak (New Jersey) with Nalywayko winning 2-6, 6-1, 6-2. In the men’s feed-in, Nick Nalywayko Jr. (Colorado) overcame Sosiak in a pro set 8-1.
In the women’s final, repeating last year’s win was Maryna Zhytska, a newcomer from Odesa, Ukraine, now living in New York City, who beat her sister Kira Zhytska Richardson 6-3, 6-3. In the semis, Zhytska defeated Svetlana Goletz (Connecticut) 6-0, 6-1, while Richardson overcame Lesia Bilak Schinnerer (Kase’s mother), 6-1, 6-0. In the first round, Goletz bested Krystyn Monos (New York) and in a feed-in Schinnerer won when Monos retired due to injury after the first set.
George Walchuk
Women’s champion Maryna Zhytska (fifth from left, holding trophy) with (from left) Petrusia Sawchak, Lesia Bilak Schinnerer (women’s semi-finalist), UNA CFO/Treasurer Roma Lisovich, USCAK Tennis Director Yurko Sawchak, Kira Zhytska Richardson (women’s finalist), Svetlana Goletz (women’s semi-finalist) and Ivan Durbak, USCAK Tennis Committee member.
Since 1956, USCAK (the Ukrainian-based acronym for the Ukrainian Sports Federation of the U.S.A. and Canada) has been conducting this tournament at Soyuzivka. It is sponsored by the Ukrainian National Association (UNA), a fraternal organization that has been serving the Ukrainian community unyieldingly for 125 years with endowments, life insurance and annuities, which funds the trophies for the tournament; and John Hynansky, owner of Winner Automotive Group (DE) and Winner-Ukraine with many companies in the U.S. and Ukraine, which generously provides handsome stipends to the men’s, women’s and junior groups. These stipends are what help attract top-notch players to compete in the tournament. Soyuzivka Heritage Center is also a proud sponsor of the tournament, providing the use of the tennis courts and other amenities.
The opening ceremonies for both the tennis and swimming championships were held on Saturday, August 31, on the deck of the swimming pool. After the American, Ukrainian and Canadian anthems were played, Yurko Sawchak, director of USCAK Tennis Committee, welcomed all the tennis players, swimmers and guests to this special event. He introduced USCAK President Myron Bytz, who presented UNA CFO/Treasurer Roma Lisovich; Roman Hirniak, former mayor of Randolph, N.J.; Taissa Bokalo, director of the USCAK swimming championships; and Ivan Durbak, USCAK Tennis Committee member.
Petrusia Sawchak
Top men’s players (from left) Ivan Durbak (men’s 65 champion), Walter Dziwak (men’s 55 feed-in winner), Kase Schinnerer (men’s champion), George Petrykevych (men’s 65 finalist and winner of the Mary Dushnyck Sportsmanship Trophy), Nick Nalywayko Sr. (men’s finalist and men’s 35 champion), Bohdan Kucyna (men’s 35 finalist), Steve Sosiak (men’s 55 champion), Nick Nalywayko Jr. (men’s feed-in winner) and Yurko Sawchak (USCAK tennis director).
Mr. Bytz commended all the athletes and guests for their participation and enthusiasm for attending this event. He said the mission of USCAK is to coordinate and facilitate sports activities within Ukrainian communities. He also invited everyone to the fourth induction banquet of the Ukrainian Sports Hall of Fame to be held on Saturday, September 14, at the Tryzub Ukrainian American Sports Center in Horsham, Pa. This year, the UNA is being inducted into the Hall of Fame “Legacy” category which honors supporters of sports throughout the past decades.
Mr. Bytz also announced that USCAK, as a committee member of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine (NOC), will be inviting athletes next year to compete with Olympic contenders in Ukraine. More information about this will be advertised later.
A colorful and beautiful USCAK banner/beach mat was displayed and offered to all the participants of the tournament. Ms. Lisovich officially opened the tournaments.
The last groups of players – men ages 35, 55, and 65 and over are those referred to as the “perennial contenders,” because most of them have been coming to the tournament every year since the 1970s. They are committed and devoted to the USCAK Tennis Championships played at Soyuzivka.
In the men’s 35 Nick Nalywayko beat Bohdan (Bo) Kucyna 6-4, 6-3.
There was no play in the men’s 45. Some men play in more than one group because they enjoy the competition.
In the first round of the men’s 55, Bohdan Kucyna (New Jersey) bested Peter Goletz (Connecticut), while Steve Sosiak (New Jersey) overcame Walter Dziwak (New Jersey). In the semifinals, Kucyna defeated perennial champion Yaroslav Sydorak (California) 7-5, 6-0, and Sosiak advanced when George Walchuk (New Jersey) retired due to injury. In the finals, Sosiak beat Kucyna 3-6, 6-3, (10-2) tiebreak in lieu of a third set. The feed-in was won by Dziwak over Goletz 6-3, 6-0.
In the second round of the men’s 65, Walchuk beat Dziwak 6-1, 7-5, and Sydorak advanced when John Szwanyk withdrew. In the semifinals, Ivan Durbak (New Jersey) won over Walchuk 3-2, retired. In the semifinals, George Petrykevych (Connecticut) defeated Sydorak in a very competitive match 7-6, 3-6, 6-2. In the finals Durbak overcame Petrykevych 6-3, 6-3.
A contender for more than 40 years, Petrykevych was awarded the Mary Dushnyck Sportsmanship Trophy as determined by the USCAK Tennis Committee. The late Mrs. Dushnyck was the supreme vice-presidentess of the UNA and a devoted participant of this annual tennis tournament from 1956 until she could no longer play.
Presenting the trophies and stipends to the winners and finalists were USCAK Tennis Director Mr. Sawchak, USCAK Tennis Committee member Mr. Durbak, and the UNA’s CFO/treasurer, Ms. Lisovich. Mr. Sawchak gave closing remarks, thanking everyone for their participation and the sponsors for their support. Ms. Lisovich officially ended the tournament.