Tanner Chessman Lucas
reporter

The wind was relentless, and the merchandise was holding on for dear life amid a tennis and pickleball tournament for Breast Cancer Awareness Month Oct. 26 on NE Campus.

The event was organized by the kinesiology department to promote health and fitness, along with breast cancer awareness. Previously, it was an eight-year tradition, but COVID-19 caused the department to cancel the tournament in May 2020.

“I was actually super happy,” tennis captain Tony Jacinto said when he realized the event was going to return.

Jacinto enjoyed the last event because of all the items like the pink bandanas and pink tennis racket grips.

If there were any doubts the event would ever take place, tennis coach Kim Kerby Dickman had none. Dickman said COVID-19 doesn’t prohibit anything they do since it takes place outside.

“But I think I would have been very surprised if we had not been able to hold it,” Dickman said.

At the end of the event, the two teams were left tied.

After the tournament concluded, the winners were awarded cans of pink tennis balls, while Jane Poquiz and Vieng Nguyen received T-shirts from the kinesiology department.

“I think we did really well,” Poquiz said.

She described herself to be the net player, and her partner is more of a lobber, making a great team. Poquiz counts herself in on showing up for the next tournament in May 2022.

Altogether, the tournament had 28 players with 14 teams which raised $280 on the day of the event. However, that does not include a big donation yet to be received from two pro players from the Hurst Tennis Center. The total is believed to be around $800.

Half of the money will be going toward the tennis program, and the other half will go to Cancer Care — an organization dedicated to providing financial support and information for people facing the challenges of cancer.