Pete Dern benefit tennis tournament heads to finals
Tennis players Brian Wright and Drew Hoskins were teammates at USC roughly 10 years ago.
They haven’t lost their touch on how to play well together.
Wright and Hoskins have advanced to Friday’s men’s open division finals of a Copper River Country Club doubles tournament that is helping raise money for severely burned Fresno Fire Capt. Pete Dern.
The ex-Trojans duo will face the team of Fresno State women’s tennis coach Ryan Stotland and former Fig Garden Swim & Racquet club head tennis pro Dean Petty.
Stotland played college tennis at the University of New Mexico and Petty at Abilene Christian.
The tournament has been going on for six weeks, with $5,000 in prize money waiting to be awarded.
In the tournament’s other championship match, Dan Rhoads and Ted Reynoso will meet Cliff VanderBeek and Don Mills for the men’s 4.0 division (50 and older) title.
Admission is free and the public is encouraged to attend.
Copper River Country Club organized the tournament to aid Dern, a 25-year veteran of the Fire Department who suffered burns to 70% of his body. Dern was critically injured in late March when he fell through the roof of a burning garage.
Fresno City Fire Chief Kerri Donis is expected to attend as a guest speaker. There also will be a “Fine Wine” raffle and silent auction.
Doubles tournament for Pete Dern
- Friday: Championship matches at Copper River Country Club
- Finals times: 5 p.m. for men’s 4.0 championship; 7 p.m. for men’s open division championship
- Championship pairings: Men’s 4.0 — Dan Rhoads and Ted Reynoso vs. Cliff VanderBeek and Don Mills; Men’s open — Brian Wright and Drew Hoskins vs. Ryan Stotland and Dean Petty
- Of note: A raffle and silent auction also are planned; admission for the public is free
This story was originally published May 28, 2015 at 7:50 PM with the headline "Pete Dern benefit tennis tournament heads to finals."