May 19, 2009—Belhaven College Men and Women Tennis Coach Levi Patton was presented this past Saturday in Atlanta, Georgia with the Southern Rookie Tennis Pro of the Year Award by the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA).
Coach Patton won the award for the State of Mississippi in February and is honored to be selected for the award which included candidates throughout the entire south. "It’s quite an honor to receive the award for Mississippi, but to win the award for the south was quite amazing," says Coach Patton. “The United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) is the premier tennis organization in the world for the certification of tennis professionals,” adds Patton. “God has truly blessed me and to be receiving this type of award at my age means a great deal to me. This not only helps give me the proper tools to continue advancing as a tennis pro, but also help to advance the tennis program at Belhaven."
Under Patton’s guidance, the Belhaven men’s and women’s tennis teams made strong strides in 2009 having both made it to the GCAC Tournament Semifinals. The men finished with an overall record of 6-12 while the women completed the season with an overall mark of 8-11. For more information about Belhaven athletic programs, visit the Blazers online.