JEFF JACOBSEN / HEART & SOUL OF KANSAS SPORTS / JUNE 13, 2021
Here is the direct link to the story and photos: https://actionimagesphotography.com/the-jayhawk-open/
Here is the direct link to the Action Images website: https://actionimagesphotography.com/
By JEFF JACOBSEN
actionimagesphotography.com
I get a wonderful feeling when I photograph an event marked by a long heritage and a continual pedigree of champions. I believe the athletes competing in the event feel the same. It is an honor to take part in such an event with the hope of calling yourself a champion.
The Jayhawk Open is one. The tennis tournament might only be a blip on the radar screens of the fast-paced lives of many in the city of Topeka. However, those competing know the very best in the Midwest have made their marks at the Jayhawk.
The Jayhawk established itself in 1939 on the then-clay courts at Hughes Courts set in a quiet neighborhood at 8th & Orleans, east of Gage Park. Only in 1944 due to World War II, the 1951 Topeka Floods and the 2020 COVID-19 shutdown were champions not crowned. A move to the Kossover Tennis Center south of the Veterans Administration Hospital along Gage Blvd in 1980 allowed the Jayhawk to never to miss a beat even as the booms in tennis have ebbed and flowed.
The beauty of the event comes from the roots of tennis that took hold and then drew young players to take up the game. They grew into outstanding high school and college tennis players and even professional players. So, as I walked into Kossover for this year’s events, there sat alums I photographed as children, college players I photographed at KU and so many who now happily give back to the game and tournament’s heritage.
Recent collegiate graduates Martina Okalova of the University of Tulsa and Tom Hand of Drake University won the individual titles with superb play. However, the tournament setup allows anyone of adult age to make their mark in tiered skill level brackets in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles.
I admit I have been far too long absent from the Jayhawk. Yet, it was one of the first events I wrote down on my list of events that illustrate The Heart & Soul of Kansas Sports. The images shared do so with my thanks to dear friends for making The Jayhawk Open exceptional.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JEFF JACOBSEN
Jeff Jacobsen has photographed practically every big event the sports world has to offer during a professional career that spans over 51 years. Jacobsen has seen things up close that only a diehard sports fan could in their dreams. His work for the Topeka Capital-Journal, Arizona Republic, Kansas Athletics, Inc., many national publications and now Action Images Photography, Inc., cemented his reputation as one of the nation's finest sports photographers.
