Buffalo Tennis Hall of Fame to induct second class

The second class of the Buffalo Tennis Hall of Fame will be inducted at 6 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 30 at Transit Valley Country Club, 8920 Transit Road, East Amherst.

The Buffalo Tennis Hall of Fame is located inside Amherst Hills Tennis Club, 5959 Sheridan Drive Amherst, and is open to the public for viewing.

Reservations for the night of celebration ($50 per person) can be made before Sept. 20 by calling 688-2235.

J. Michael Albano

A versatile athlete, J. Michael Albano had competed in soccer, basketball, gymnastics and badminton, in addition to tennis.

At the prodding of his father, Albano became interested in tennis at the age of 11 or 12 and had won his first tournament by age 14. The development of a serve-and-volley style of play helped Albano win the Western New York 16s, 18s and 21s.

One of his highlights as a junior was being a finalist in the Eastern 18s doubles at Forest Hills, losing in five tight sets.

In the men's division, Albano earned a ranking in the top 20 in the East, and ninth nationally, in Public Parks rankings. He was the MUNY singles champion in 1968, the only year he participated during his college career.

That same year, he was a finalist in the City Open Clay Court Championships, losing to Rauno Suominen, a recent Davis Cup player for Finland. Suominen, who was Albano's doubles partner in several Canadian tournaments, may have been the most influential player in Albano's development in tennis.

From 1965 through 1969, Albano's college experience at Middle Tennessee State University was an upward ride, playing with a full tennis scholarship. He started at the number six position as a freshman, finishing at the No. 1 singles and doubles positions as a senior. At the time, Middle Tennessee State University was twice ranked in the top six nationally for NCAA small colleges. As the team captain his senior year, Albano won the competitive Ohio Valley Conference Championship at No. 1 singles. He was twice voted the Most Valuable Player; first by his university and again for the Ohio Valley Conference, voted by coaches and players. In 1970, Albano returned to his alma mater as the assistant tennis coach.

At the conclusion of his last year of school, Albano traveled to Europe for part of the summer to play in some of the European tournaments. He returned to Vicenza, Italy in the winter, where he was stationed while serving two years in the army. He managed to pick up two singles championships and two doubles titles during his stay.

Spanning four decades, Albano has been a finalist in more than 85 tournaments, winning more than two-thirds of them. Seven finals were for MUNY singles and doubles. Albano is also considered to be one of the best doubles players during this era. He won tournaments with a number of different partners.

Albano has worked with a number of juniors over the past decades, including Jimmy Arias, Bobby Banck, and Jay Udwadia.

Albano and his wife of 21 years, Mary Ellen, live in East Amherst and own a publishing company serving the Niagara area. They have two daughters, Alexandria who is a sophomore on the Duquesne tennis team, and Cassandra, who is a senior at East and plays on the Williamsville East tennis team.

Seth Bowen

Seth Bowen, a native of Derby, N.Y., was an outstanding junior talent, achieving a USTA Eastern ranking of No. 20 in the 16 and under division. This ranking was earned playing only part of the time due to the fact he spent most of the year excelling in football and hockey.

At Nichols High School, Seth played first singles all four years and was team MVP in his senior year.

Bowen played collegiately for the University of Arizona from 1979 to 1984 where they were ranked in the top 20 for his entire career.

From 1983 to 1985, Bowen was Western New York's top ranked male player. In 1984 he captured the Buffalo City Open Singles title, defeating Alex Gaeta in the final. Also in 1984 he reached the Open Singles final of the National Public Parks tournament. Seventeen years later he was the finalist in the National Public Parks 40s singles and won the Men's Open Championship.

In 1984 to 1988, Bowen played professionally, traveling worldwide to Europe, Canary Islands, Australia, Nigeria and Canada. In a tournament in Orlando he lost to Andre Agassi in the quarterfinals, 7-5, 6-4. He played doubles primarily with Andrew Schnieder, the No. 1 player from Canada.

In 1986, he reached the finals of an ATP tournament in Texas, losing to Craig Karden (Martina Navratilova's former coach). While touring, Bowen defeated three top 100 players. In 1986 he achieved an ATP highest ranking of No. 409 in singles and No. 344 in doubles. Jimmy Arias and Bobby Banck are the only male players out of Buffalo ever to earn a higher ATP ranking.

Seth and his son, 8-year-old Sterling Chase Bowen, live in Laguna Beach, California.

Jack Castle

Jack Castle did it all. Nationally ranked in singles and doubles, he was a champion many times. He also was a teacher, coach, umpire, both amateur and professional, a sought after speaker, published author of tennis articles, and co-founder of the Buffalo Racquet Club.

Castle won his first tournament in 1911 at age 15 in Pittsburgh, Pa. From 1914 to 1918 he had an undefeated record at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa. In 1916, he was ranked No. 42 nationally in singles by the U.S. National Lawn Tennis Association.

From 1919 to 1932, he dominated the Western New York tennis scene. He was a seven-time Buffalo singles champion, including five wins in a row. Castle captured several city doubles crowns with partner Leo Kronman. In 1929 and 1930, he was the MUNY singles champion, and from 1929 to 1931, won the Ohio State doubles championships with partner Cliff Marsh. In 1931 he held a National Public Parks ranking of No. 8 in singles and No. 6 in doubles (with Kronman).

His professional years were from 1932 to 1947. He regained his amateur standing after World War II.

In the late 1930s to early 1940s he umpired world pro matches at Memorial Auditorium for Jack Kramer, Bobby Riggs, Poncho Segura, Don Budge, and Bill Tilden. In 1959, he played with Don Budge in an exhibition in Broadway Auditorium.

In 1952, he won the Buffalo City doubles championships at age 56 with his 22-year old partner, Bruce Heacock.

An insurance agent, he served as President of the Buffalo Life Underwriters and established an independent agency in the 1940s. With his wife Elizabeth, they raised

four children, Jack Jr. with whom he played in several national father and son tournaments, Carol, Bill and Allen. He died in 1967 at age 71.

Cathy Farrell

At age 11, Cathy Farrell captured her first tennis title, a beginner's tournament in her hometown of Dunkirk, N.Y. Twelve years later, she was ranked No. 223 in the world in singles by the World Tennis Association. Her professional ranking is the highest by far of any singles player from the Western New York area.

She graduated in 1975 from Dunkirk High School where she played first singles for the boys' team. Later she joined the satellite circuits in Brazil and England and played in qualifying tournaments for the U.S. Open and French Open championships.

She finished in the top 10 of the Nike circuit and reached the masters doubles finals in Saratoga. In 1989, she was a runner-up in the National 30 indoor tournament and won the Arthur Ashe Tennis Classic at Flushing Meadows.

In 1980 she attained her highest international ranking. In the US national rankings, Farrell has been ranked as high as No. 9 in the 35 singles (1993), No. 6 in the 35 doubles (1994), No. 9 in the 45 singles (2002) and No. 22 in the 45 doubles (2003).

Farrell works for her family's construction/ roofing business, A.W. Farrell, Inc. which has seven offices across the United States.

Alex Gaeta

After starring at Nichols High School along with teammate Seth Bowen, the Snyder native literally rewrote the record book at the University of Rochester.

From 1980 to 1983 under the direction of coach Peter Lyman, Gaeta played first singles and was a three-time All American (1981-83). He twice reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Singles tournament (1981,1983). In 1983, Gaeta and his partner, Bob Swartout, captured the NCAA doubles title.

In addition to Peter Lyman, Gaeta was also coached by Rich Abbott (1977) and Rauno Suominen (1979-81). He credits their help for making it possible, through the years to capture numerous tournament victories in Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, Binghamton and Schenectady.

In 1981 he won the Muscular Dystrophy Tournament, defeating Bowen and Reverend Bob Hetherington in the last two matches. That same year, he was ranked No. 12 in men's singles by the Eastern Tennis Association. He captured the Derby Invitational in 1982 defeating Hetherington in the title match. In 1985 he won two titles, defeating Bowen in the final to capture the Hetherington Classic and knocking of Tom Hatzell in the title match to win the Rochester City Open.

Since 1992, Gaeta has been a Professor of Applied and Engineering Physics at Cornell University where he teaches and performs research in the area of laser-matter interactions, producing over 100 publications.

Alex and his wife of 18 years, Zaga have two children Marina and Max.

Pat Lord

Pat Lord totally dominated women's tennis in Buffalo throughout the 1960s.

Coached by fellow inductee Bob Mack, she won 12 MUNY Open titles (7 singles, 7 doubles and 3 mixed doubles) and 15 City Open titles (6 singles, 4 doubles, and 5 mixed doubles). Some of her partners included Buffalo Tennis Hall of Famers Charlie Garfinkel, Jack Sunderland, and Mike Albano. She also won titles with Louise Rich, Vi Hall, Glenda Ford, Henrietta Trankel, Liz Derry, Sandy O'Doherty, Ann Nelson, Irv Brent, Mike Simmons, and many others.

Lord won many other tournaments, including the Western New York singles and doubles championships in Jamestown, The Genesee Valley singles and doubles championships in Rochester, The Rose Festival doubles tournament in Welland, The Queen

City Open singles, and the Buffalo Tennis Center singles and doubles titles.

In 1965, Lord was ranked sixth in women's doubles (with Henrietta Trankel) by the National Public Parks Tennis Association.

She joined the running boom in the mid 1970s and continues to run local races, winning the Buffalo News Runner of the Year age group title in 1991, 1996 and 1997, and the South Buffalo Athletic Club Runner of the Year age group title from 2000 to 2005.

Lord formerly taught tennis for the Erie County Department of Recreation in Amherst with Bea Massman and was a Physical Education teacher in the Maryvale School system for 32-and-a-half years. She currently resides in Tonawanda.

Bob Mack

Bob Mack began teaching tennis in 1957 and is regarded as one of the most respected teaching professionals in Buffalo history. Extremely knowledgeable, his well-organized, meticulous coaching style with unwavering loyalty towards his students, produced outstanding results.

An All-High player at Canisius High School, Mack went on to a successful collegiate career at University at Buffalo from 1948 to 1950. His single season record of 18-1 at first singles is a UB record.

In 1954, Mack was a mathematician at Cornell Aeronautical Laboratories, in the field of operations research. He was a tennis consultant to Dennis Galesi, owner and builder of the first indoor tennis facility in Buffalo, the Buffalo Tennis Club and to Steve Korduba, owner and builder of the Four Seasons Racquet Club.

When the Four Seasons in Williamsville opened its doors, Mack made a career change and became the first manager of the facility. He also taught and was co-owner of the pro shop with Bob Scamurra. In 1973 he completed Dennis Van der Meer's Tennis America University in Baltimore, Md. Mack, along with Joe Di- Carlo, co-created "Tennis Unlimited", a 20-hour course for teachers. The curriculum, based on the Van der Meer teaching system, attracted 72 local pros and coaches. Mack and DiCarlo also teamed up and developed a tennis program sponsored by the Niagara Frontier Tennis Association that provided competitive training for Western New York's elite junior players.

Mack, 88, currently resides in Hamburg.

Terry McMahon

As a high school player in New York City, Terry McMahon was ranked No. 1 in the Eastern Regional competition and was a member of the Jr. Davis Cup squad.

In 1959 he played first singles and doubles for Fordham University, before moving to Canisius College, where from 1961 to 1963 he was first singles and doubles as well as team captain. From the mid 1960s through the late 1970s McMahon won numerous doubles titles in the Buffalo area, including the 1968 MUNY Championship with Mike Albano. He also captured prestigious singles tournaments, including the Schenectady Championships ('76), Utica Championships ('78) and New York State Hard Court Championships ('78). In 1979, with partner Gary Thorne, he won the National Public Parks Jr. Veteran Doubles title.

McMahon's accomplishments as a coach are even more impressive. From 1964 to 1975, he was head coach of the Canisius College tennis team before moving on to become head coach of the boys and girls teams at Orchard Park High School. In 32 years as boys coach, his teams compiled a record of 425-77 and in 26 years as girls coach a record of 400-28 loses. He has been Section VI Tennis NYSPHSAA chairperson since 1980 and was boys and girls Empire State Games head tennis coach from 1990 to 2000. In 2000 he was USTA Eastern High School Coach of the Year. Additionally, from 1972 to 1998 he was Southtowns Tennis Center Director of Junior Excellence.

McMahon taught Social Studies at Orchard Park from 1965 to 1967 and from 1980-98. From 1967 to 1980, he was a guidance counselor at the school. Terry and his wife of 42 years, Diane, reside in Orchard Park, Dewittville, N.Y. and Pompano Beach, Florida. They have four children - Kevin (Lynn), Tim (Kathleen), Colleen (Daniel), Erin (Andy) and nine grandchildren.

Lou Schaefer

Lou Schaefer was one of Western New York's all-time racquet and sports greats. A lifelong Buffalo resident, he dominated local tennis, racquetball and squash, winning more than 110 championships from the 1920s through the 1950s.

In 1923, he won his first of 15 MUNY open doubles titles. In 1924 and 1925, he captured the MUNY open singles crown. Additionally, through the years, he won 20 Western New York Championships in singles and doubles. He was ranked as high as No. 3 in singles and in the top ten in doubles by the National Public Parks Tennis Association. He and his partner Jack Castle, a fellow Buffalo Tennis Hall of Fame inductee, captured three Canadian Senior (over 45) National doubles titles.

He won the Buffalo Invitational doubles squash championships twice and was undefeated in seven U.S. Lapham Cup Squash Championships. He also won seven City Open doubles squash titles. In basketball, Schaefer was named All-City as the league's second highest scorer and went on to play professionally with the former Buffalo Lincolns in 1927. He excelled in baseball as well and was offered a contract by the Dodgers' organization.

Lou was a manager with Dick Fischer's Sporting Goods for 38 years before retiring in the 1960s. He was also a former Athletics Director at the Westminster House and was the MUNY Tennis Association President. After retiring from competition in the 1950s, Schaefer began teaching racquet sports at local schools and clubs, helping many players including Charlie Garfinkel.

Schaefer died in 1985 at the age of 80.

Karen Peterson Schleifer

Orchard Park resident Karen Peterson Schleifer was raised in Jamestown where she won several city and Western New York tennis titles. She played for Buffalo State College from 1967 to 1969. Before graduating, she captured the New York State Collegiate doubles title in 1969.

Her post collegiate tennis accomplishments, particularly in the MUNY tournament, were outstanding. She won three open singles titles (1973, 1976 and 1981) and won numerous open doubles and mixed doubles championships. In 1979, she won six MUNY titles, capturing the open singles, doubles and mixed doubles as well as the junior vet singles doubles and mixed doubles.

Through the years, Schleifer has been ranked by the Eastern Tennis Association in women's singles, doubles (with Cathy Farrell), and mixed doubles. In 1981, in Pittsburgh, Pa., she won the National Public Parks 30 and over women's singles crown.

Schleifer taught Social Studies in West Seneca for 33 years before retiring in 2002. She coached the girls and boys tennis teams at West Seneca West and West Seneca East and was the assistant girls coach to Terry McMahon at Orchard Park High School. Certified by the Professional Tennis Registry, she has taught at South Towns Tennis Club since 1973.

Karen is married to John Schleifer. She has two stepsons, Brad (wife Amy) and John (wife Shannon) and two grandchildren, Grant and Luke.

Rauno Suominen

Rauno Suominen started playing tennis in Finland at the age of 15.

From 1963 to 1972, he won 10 Finnish National Championships and represented Finland in Davis Cup, King's Cup and Scandinavia Cup a to tal of 44 times. His highest national singles ranking was No. 2. He served as National Coach for the Finland Tennis Association from 1971 to 1972 and 1977 to 1979. Three of his junior players attained international rankings.

He relocated to the U.S. in 1972 to become Head Professional at the Four Seasons Racquet Club in Williamsville from 1972 to 1976 and 1979 to 1980.

During his time in the Buffalo area, he impacted many students including Mike Albano, Alex Gaeta, Cathy Farrell - all fellow 2006 Buffalo Tennis Hall of Fame inductees.

While in the U.S., Rauno won four national titles- Men's 40 singles (Kansas City) 1981, Men's 40 Doubles Clay Courts (New York City) 1981, Men's 40 Doubles Indoor (Kansas City) 1982, and Men's 45 Doubles Indoor (1986).

In 1981, he reached the final of the Men's Singles Clay Court Championships in New York City, falling to the late Eugene Scott. His highest U.S. national rankings were in 1980 when he was No. 3 in singles and No. 4 in doubles, both in the men's 40 and over division.

Suominen has been an independent pro since 1993 in Salt Lake City. Many of his juniors have reached high national rankings and received tennis scholarships.

Ken White

Growing up in Tonawanda, Ken White, along with his five brothers,

excelled in baseball. As a teenager he began to switch his concentration to tennis and played first singles for Tonawanda High School, enjoying a great deal of success.

His game truly began to blossom in 1984 when he began a record setting career at the University at Buffalo. White credited a great deal of success to his coach, Bill Monkarsh. He played first singles all four years and led his team to SUNYAC championships in 1986 and 1987. He was conference singles and doubles champion every year. He was voted team most valuable player in 1985 through 1987. He was the first ever UB tennis player to be named NCAA Division III and ITCA All American (1986). He captured the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Singles title in 1986 and was a semifinalist the following year. In 1988, he achieved a national ranking of No. 3 in both singles and doubles. In 1985, White became the first tennis player to be inducted into the UB Athletic Hall of Fame.

In 2005, at the age of 43, White became the oldest Men's MUNY Open Singles Champion. Last month he won it again establishing a new record.

White currently resides in Elma and owns USA Advertising. He has three children, Courtney (14), Sam (11) and Jacob (8).

Mary McLean Wilson

Mary McLean Wilson was born and educated in Fort Worth, Texas.

In 1967 she received her physical education degree from Trinity University in San Antonio and went on to an illustrious career as a coach and player. She served as head tennis coach at King High School in Corpus Christi, winning state championship titles. She was named coach of the year by the Corpus Christi Tennis Association in 1971.

Wilson taught tennis professionally for several years and in 1990 met her future husband, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr., an equally superb athlete and owner of the Buffalo Bills, on the tennis

courts. Both compete internationally, Mary in the USTA National age division tournaments.

Wilson has been a member of various international cup teams representing the United States, including the Maureen Connelly Cup in Austria (2002) and in Australia (2005) and the Alice Marble Cup in Turkey (2005). In 2006, she was ranked No. 3 in ITF women's 60 singles, No. 1 in the U.S. women's singles and No. 4 in U.S. women's doubles.

She currently serves as trustee of the Strong Museum in Rochester, is the president of the National Senior Women's Tennis Association, and a board member of the United States Tennis Association National Tennis and Education Foundation.