Cuppernull Courts Naming Ceremony Set for June 15
Former Huntington physical education teacher and tennis coach Ron Cuppernull will be immortalized when the Huntington School District names the Blue Devil tennis court complex in his honor on Saturday, June 15.
Mr. Cuppernull passed away suddenly last fall at home. He was 77 years old and still leading a very active life. His loss was mourned by the Blue Devil athletic community and his many friends and family members.
Plans have been developed that call for a doubles tournament involving members of both the J. Taylor Finley Middle School and Huntington High School boys' and girls' tennis teams beginning at 10 a.m. and continuing until noon. Current Huntington coaches will coordinate the tournament. Anyone that played middle school or high school tennis is welcome to join the fun. Participating players will be given t-shirts to commemorate the day.
The official naming ceremony is slated for 12:15 p.m. It will involve members of the Cuppernull family, teachers and coaches who worked alongside Mr. Cuppernull, his former assistant coach, Jamie Fishlow, who currently coaches the Blue Devil varsity boys' and girls' teams and assorted district officials.
Huntington High School graduates who played tennis on a team coached by Mr. Cuppernull are invited to attend the naming ceremony. Alums can contact Mr. Fishlow at jfishlow@hufsd.edu for more information or just come to the high school tennis court complex on Saturday, June 15 at noon.
Georgia D. McCarthy, the district director of health, physical education and interscholastic athletic will serve as the master of ceremonies during the naming festivities. The Huntington Booster Club is expected to provide refreshments and light snacks.
A memorial sign over the tennis complex entrance will be unveiled during the ceremony. A plaque will be placed in a memorial garden area adjacent to the courts.
Huntington Indoor Tennis, a fixture in the community that enjoyed a long association with Mr. Cuppernull plans to award a camp scholarship in his honor. The recipient of the scholarship is expected to be announced at the naming ceremony. An evening get-together at Finnegan's in Huntington village is also planned.
A native of Oswego, New York, Mr. Cuppernull earned an undergraduate degree at Brockport State before moving to Long Island and spending three decades on the Huntington faculty. He amassed 445 victories in 44 varsity seasons spanning 33 years as a head coach. He retired in 1990 as a Huntington School District physical education teacher after a 34-year career, but continued to coach varsity boy's tennis.
When asked why he was retiring from coaching in 1999 despite bright prospects for his tennis team the next few years (which culminated with the Blue Devils winning the 2002 Suffolk County championship), he said simply, "because it's time." Mr. Cuppernull had a way about him that endeared him to his players.
He coached the Huntington boys' varsity team for 19 seasons, winning 190 meets and the county team title in 1987. He guided Gaby Shami to the county individual championship in 1990. Mr. Cuppernull also coached the girls' varsity team at Huntington for eleven seasons before stepping down following the 1989 campaign.
His 1981 team won the Suffolk crown and three times his players won individual county titles including Sandra Birch (1981) and two-time champion Carolyn Daley (1987 and 1989). Birch went on to win two NCAA team championships at Stanford University. Mr. Cuppernull's girl's teams at Huntington won 129 meets during those eleven years.
Prior to coming to Huntington High School he won 126 meets in fourteen years at Cold Spring Harbor High School.
The Huntington High School tennis courts were dedicated in memory of former Blue Devil players Judd Cavalier and Ryan Kelly in October 2004. Mr. Cavalier, a 1993 Huntington graduate, was killed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center where he worked for Sandler O'Neill Partners. Mr. Kelly died in a one car accident on New York Avenue in December 2001 while a senior at Huntington High School. Both young men started in the Blue Devil tennis program while students at J. Taylor Finley Junior High School.
The court complex was completely reconstructed in the summer of 2004 with a mix of district and private funds. A total of $78,000 generated from the Ryan Kelly/Judd Cavalier Memorial Tennis Classic held in September 2003 was donated to the district for the project.
The renovation project included the complete removal of the crumbling old courts, including gravel and poor soil underneath them, and deteriorated fencing. New fill material was installed along with a new gravel base, new asphalt layers, a four coat color system, net posts and a twelve foot high chain link fence.
The project also included installation of spectator bleachers, player benches, windscreens, landscaping and dedication plaques in honor of Mr. Cavalier and Mr. Kelly.
The Huntington community opened its arms to the Ryan Kelly/Judd Cavalier Tennis Classic, with dozens of local businesses and families sponsoring the event. Festivities kicked-off at a gala Friday night reception at the Huntington Crescent Club. Mr. Cuppernull was the guest-of-honor.