Tennis New Brunswick Hall of Fame Members

Marc Pepin – Fredericton (inducted in 2010) Winner of over 100 provincial titles, 16 Atlantic titles, 3 Canadian titles, and 2 World Championship titles, Marc has been one of the most successful players in the history of tennis in New Brunswick playing and competing for over 40 years now. He has represented Canada on the international stage several times and continues to do so as he just recently attended the European Seniors Championships in Germany and came home with the gold medal in mixed doubles and silver medal in the men’s doubles division. Marc has also just written and published a book on the history of tennis in New Brunswick since 1975.

David Piers – New Maryland (inducted in 2010) Winner of 7 junior provincial open championships, 169 senior provincial open championships and 4 national championships, David Piers has had a stellar tennis career spanning 6 decades. As a junior he began to win, as an open player he excelled, and as a senior he dominated. From younger to older, he was a nationally ranked player. In 1952 he was ranked #1 in Canada as an under 18 year old, and in 2000 he was ranked #1 in the over 65 division. A member of a number of different halls and walls of fame around Atlantic Canada.

Marius King – Grand Falls (inducted in 2010) Marius King of Grand Fall was one of the most dominant players in the province during the 1980’s up to the early 2000’s. For a number of these years he was the #1 ranked player in the province and was a four time Provincial Closed Singles Champion. He represented the North West area of New Brunswick and he is still spoken of highly by anyone he knows him and as well he helped in the development of other players from the region.

Larry Wood – Oromocto (inducted in 2011) Larry was a top junior player in the late 1960’s, winning 10 provincial titles, 2 Atlantic titles and 1 Eastern Canadian title and he represented NB at 4 National Championships. Later, as an open/senior player, he won 24 major titles during the 1980’s and early 1990’s as both a singles player and doubles player. Wood was always best known for his fierce competitiveness, determination and respect for the game and his opponents and in return was well liked and respected by everyone in the tennis community.

James Streeter – Rothesay (inducted in 2011) James played most of his competitive tennis in the late 1940’s and in the 1950’s and was the winner of numerous junior titles during this time. He was ranked nationally in both 1951 & 1952. He later went on to win several open titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles provincially and regionally throughout the next few decades. At the age of 71, he continues to play tennis on a regular basis at the Rothesay Tennis Club and is an avid golfer, skier and squash player.

Janyce Arsenault (Rubin) – Moncton (inducted in 2011) Janyce won her first tennis tournament at the age of 9 and went on to become arguably the best female player ever to come out of New Brunswick. Playing most of her junior tennis in the 1970’s, she was a nationally ranked junior in the under 12 and under 14 divisions. She was a national champion in under 12 girls’ doubles. As an open player, she won 25 provincial open and closed championships and was the 13th ranked woman in the country in 1984. Now married with 3 daughters, she spends most of her time now as the chauffeur for the girls.

Dixon Family – Sackville (inducted in 2012) David, Anne, Beth, Jean, Cathy & Chuck; better know as the Dixon’s, amassed 32 provincial open and closed championships during the late 1980’s and 1990’s as a family and numerous other titles around the Atlantic provinces and Nationally as well. They represented New Brunswick well at the Atlantic level, and at various National Championships and Canada Games. The four playing siblings have combined for the most titles in the history of tennis in the province. Each member of the family was a true ambassador to the sport of tennis. Not only were they great players, they all exemplified sportsmanship both on and off the court. Parents Dave and Anne were very supportive of all the New Brunswick juniors who were playing during those years.

Glenn Cleland – Fredericton (inducted in 2013) Since moving to Fredericton in 1990, Glenn has competed provincially, regionally, nationally and internationally with a number of significant results. As an Open player, he claimed Provincial Championship titles in both singles and doubles and was ranked as high as 39th in Canada in 1992. As a Masters player (35+), Glenn can boast being the first player from New Brunswick to represent Canada in the over 35 year old Italia Cup in 2000 (only 3 players to a team). To prove this was no fluke, he did it again in 2001. He was ranked as high as 54th in the world in 2000 after reaching the third round of the individual event. He was seeded number one at the 1999 Canadian nationals in men’s singles and ended the year ranked number 5. His highest doubles seeding was number 3 in 2009 with a season high of 2nd in 1998. He won the 2005 Western Canadian Masters in men’s singles and lost in the finals of doubles.

Roger Duval – Bathurst (inducted in 2015) Played most of his tennis in the 1970’s first as a junior, then in university and finally on the professional satellite circuit. Some of his notable results include the Under 18 Atlantic singles and doubles champion in 1972 and Under 18 Atlantic singles finalist and doubles champion in 1973. He represented New Brunswick in the 1972 National Championships as well as the 1972 Canadian Junior Closed. Roger was the Atlantic University singles and doubles champion in the 1975/76 season and singles champion in 1976/77 representing the University of Moncton and won Athlete of the Year honours in both years at the school. He then went on to become the first player from Atlantic Canada to test the professional satellite circuit playing in Florida, the Southern US, Puerto Rico, and Canadian events as well as abroad.

Pierre Gallant – Shediac Bridge (inducted in 2015) Has been involved with tennis in the province for nearly 30 years. He had much success in the junior ranks as a provincial team member, a national’s participant and as a member the 1993 Canada Games team in Kamloops, BC. He then moved on to be a force on the open scene for a number of years claiming titles in both singles and doubles in both the NB Provincial Championships and the NB Open Championships as well as other provincial events. As a singles player, he was the provincial champion in 1999 and runner-up several times, and he was the NB Open winner in 1999 & 2007. As a doubles player, he has been a part of multiple doubles championship teams winning the NB Provincial title and NB Open title a total of 8 times and 5 times was runner-up.

Linda Lee O’Neil – Oromocto (inducted in 2015) Was at the top of her game while living in New Brunswick in the 1970’s. Included among her various titles, she was the NB Open ladies singles champion (3 times), the NB Closed ladies single champion (2 times), the NB Closed ladies doubles champion (2 times), she was the runner-up in ladies singles at the prestigious Nova Scotia Open in 1975 and then became the first lady from NB to win the title the next year and added the mixed doubles title as well. Linda represented New Brunswick in the 1973 Canada Games in Burnaby, BC where she and partner David Piers won the bronze medal in mixed doubles to become the first, and to this point, only female tennis player from NB to win a medal at a Canada Games.

Mathieu Girouard -Pointe-du-Chene (inducted in 2017)  Was a dominant player in the province as both a junior and an open player.  He was a 5-time Atlantic Junior Singles champion and won numerous local, provincial and regional tournaments in various age divisions as a junior.  He also had top performances at the National level finishing in the top 12 at the Under 14 Outdoor Nationals in 2004 and followed that up with a 5th place finish at the Under 16 Outdoor Nationals in 2005, results that are among the best ever for a player from New Brunswick.  He was also a member of the 2005 Canada Games teams which finished 7th.  In addition to his junior accomplishments, he also made his mark in the open division, winning the Men’s Singles title at the NB Open Championships in 2006 & 2009, the Men’s Singles title at the NB Closed Championships four years in a row from 2006-2009, the Men’s Doubles title at the NB Closed Championships in 2008 & 2009, and impressively is the only male player from New Brunswick to ever win the Nova Scotia Open Men’s Singles title winning in 2007 defeating Phil Anderson in the finals.

Michelle Zarei (Brown) – Quispamsis (inducted in 2017)  Started playing tennis as an 11-year old in Gondola Point and Rothesay and as her skills developed, her results at the junior level started to improve and she started to excel at the provincial and regional levels.  She represented New Brunswick at the 2001 Canada Games in London and won the Under 16 Girls Singles Atlantic title in 2002 and was runner-up in the Under 18 Girls division as well.  She attended the Junior National Championships in 2000 and 2001.  In 2002, she made the move to improve more and relocated to Montreal to attend the AMG Tennis Academy for two years where she went on to receive a full scholarship to the University of Wyoming, an NCAA Division 1 school.  She was the first NB female tennis player to ever receive a Division 1 scholarship.  She played 4 years at Wyoming and was the team captain for her final two years and won a total of 46 singles matches during her time here.  She has returned to the provincial tennis community and in the past few years has won numerous titles in both the open division and now the masters division in all categories and is a fixture at Tennis NB tournaments around the province.

Robert Jackson – Fredericton (inducted in 2011) Rob was a top player in the late 1970’s to the early 1990’s as both a singles player and a doubles player amassing numerous provincial titles throughout these years.  Best known as a doubles player however, he and partner Larry Wood won a total of 13 NB Open and NB Closed championships.  As a builder, Jackson served on the board of Tennis New Brunswick serving as president on 2 occasions in 1986/87 and in 2004/05/06.  He helped build a strong relationship with Tennis Canada which continues today.  As well, Jackson has contributed to the sport as an official as both a line umpire and chair umpire at the Canada Summer Games, the Federation Cup, the Davis Cup, the Canadian National Championships, the Pan Am Games, and what is now known as the Roger’s Cup.

Paul Elliott – Fredericton (inducted in 2013) Paul began competing in the mid 1980’s and early 90’s where he won numerous titles including NB Open and NB Closed Championships in singles, men’s doubles and mixed doubles and was a member of the 1985 Canada Summer Games Team.  He took a break from playing and returned in 2004 to compete with impressive results in both the Open and Masters divisions of play again claiming a number of titles.  In addition to playing tennis, Paul was also a Level 3 coach in the province and served as the Technical Director for Tennis New Brunswick from 1987-1993.  He was the coach for the NB Canada Games Tennis Team in 1989 and 1993 and was the Team NB coach at both Atlantic and National Championships.

Lina Richard – Moncton (inducted in 2010) As a volunteer, Lina was a board member of Tennis New Brunswick for a number of years; she has been on the organizing committee of every special tennis event held in the south east region including the 2001 Gold Medal Tour, the Under 16 National Championships held in Dieppe in 2004/2005 & 2006, and the 2008 Moncton Challenger.  She has been a board member or has assisted in some form all 3 local clubs over the years and was recently presented with a life-time membership to the Dieppe Tennis Club and had the ladies doubles league in Dieppe named after her which is now called Soiree du Double Feminin Lina Richard.

Michael Ryan – Hampton (inducted in 2010) Michael Ryan of Hampton has been a coach of an exceptional family of six daughters who all played the game and followed in his footsteps as coaches as well.  The girls, simply known as the “Ryan Sisters”, became known for the accomplishments on the court for over 15 years.  The girls competed locally, provincially and nationally including at the Canada Games.  Michael spent hours and hours at the tennis courts and was always there to help anyone who needed it and encourage young players to take up the sport.  Even into his seventies, he attended tournaments and love to talk about tennis.

Frank Remete – Saint John (inducted in 2010) Involved in tennis for over 40 years, Frank Remete has been known as the gentleman of tennis in the Saint John area.  He excelled as a player in the 60’s and early 70’s winning a number of titles including 3 provincial closed singles titles and continued to compete into the 90’s.  His name is synonymous with tennis in the Saint John region and he has worked to develop the sport.  Frank is truly one of the nice guys and is respected by all who know him.  He helped form the Saint John District Tennis Association a number of years ago and has been involved with the Rothesay Tennis Club for many years.

Terry Ross – Riverview (inducted in 2011) Terry was a pioneer in bringing clay court tennis to New Brunswick; initiating and succeeding in bringing the first clay courts east of Quebec to Riverview.  He also supported the efforts of the Rothesay Tennis Club to move to the clay court surface.  As a volunteer, he was the president of both the Moncton Tennis Club and the Riverview Tennis Club for many years and then moved on to become the president of the New Brunswick Tennis Association and was instrumental in working with Tennis Canada in the formation of the Atlantic Tennis Alliance during his tenure as president.

Jean-Guy Blanchette – Dieppe (inducted in 2011)  Jean-Guy has been Involved in tennis for almost 20 years now.  He was instrumental in the formation of the Dieppe Tennis Club and has served as a club executive since 1993.  During these years, the Dieppe club played host to several events in which he was a key organizer; most notably were the Nestor/Lareau Gold Medal Tour in 2001 and the hosting of the Under 16 Outdoor Junior National Championships in 2004/2005/2006.  He also served as a volunteer at the 2009 Moncton Challenger and continues to work tirelessly to bring an indoor tennis facility to the region.

Bill Cairns – Moncton (inducted in 2012) Bill served in various capacities on the Executive of the Moncton Tennis Club from 1978 to the mid 1980’s.  He then served on the Board of Tennis New Brunswick from 1985-1988 and was elected to the position of President in 1989 which he held until 1999.  During his time as President, he spearheaded financial controls to get debt and expenses under control and personally guaranteed the bank loans needed to turn the finances of the association around. Knowing that the association could not survive on meager government funding alone, he negotiated key sponsorships to add much needed income.  He put an emphasis on coaching certification and the use of qualified coaches at all levels of the game throughout the province.  Bill also worked with Tennis Canada to get our fair share of national programs and events. He was successful in bringing increased national funding, programming, and recognition to New Brunswick. He increased our stature on the national stage and was rewarded with Tennis Canada’s Outstanding Achievement Award in its inaugural year.

David Clark – Fredericton (inducted in 2013) David was inducted in the builder category for leading the establishment of the Capital Region Tennis Association several years ago and the spearheading of the indoor tennis center project within the local tennis community over the past few years, and eventual construction of the Abony Family Tennis Center, the only indoor tennis facility in New Brunswick.   David engaged a committed group of volunteers to create a vision for the growth and development of tennis in Fredericton and in New Brunswick and championed tennis as an accessible and affordable healthy living choice.  He nurtured strong partnerships with Tennis Canada, Tennis New Brunswick, the University of New Brunswick, the City of Fredericton, major sponsors and community partners all who supported the indoor center project and helped make it a reality.

Frank Goddard – Fredericton (inducted in 2017) Frank a long-time tennis enthusiast who has devoted countless hours to the development of tennis in the Capital region and most significantly, the vision and commitment to an indoor tennis facility in Fredericton.  A project that began in early 2007 with an initial concept, progressed as Frank stepped forward to offer his professional expertise and leadership in the design and construction of this unique community-based tennis facility.  As an internationally recognized expert in the design of recreation infrastructure, having him lead the construction of the facility was too good to be true.  He played a critical role over a 15-month period serving as the project manager, the construction manager and the lead engineer on the project working tirelessly over this period, contributing thousands of hours to the design, construction and early operations of a world class tennis facility that is the envy of many Canadian communities.  Under his leadership and oversight, the AFTC was built between September of 2011 and December 2012 and after 5 years, the indoor center is a success.

Rose Arsenault – Fredericton (inducted in 2017)  Rose has worked tirelessly behind the scenes in a variety of different capacities over the past several years and devoted countless hours to efforts to build the tennis community.  Most of her work has been in the Fredericton area, where she has helped to rebuild the tennis community from the ground up from her early involvement with the Capital Region Tennis Association to her involvement with the indoor facility project to what is now the Capital Region Community Tennis Center (aka the Abony Family Tennis Center).  She served as ambassador for tennis and coordinated several visits from Tennis Canada during the facility development project and was at the forefront of the fundraising campaign from the beginning.  She has also been actively involved with media relations and community engagement which has helped to build several great partnerships and develop new friends and players to tennis.  She has served on the executive of Tennis New Brunswick for the past 5 years and has been the co-MC of the Tennis New Brunswick Hall of Fame banquet since its inception in 2010.

Frank Flanagan – Fredericton (inducted in 2010) Frank played tennis during the 70’s and 80’s primarily and won numerous tournament titles around the Atlantic Provinces.  He was a leader in the tennis community in the Fredericton region and helped develop the sport during this time.  He was always one of the most respected players and a true gentleman. In 1994 Frank was inducted into the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame as a builder.

Ethel Babbitt – Fredericton (inducted in 2010) Ethel, now deceased, played tennis in the early 1900’s, and was the winner of 14 provincial titles and 3 maritime championships.  She won the ladies singles title and the mixed doubles title at the All-Canadian Championships in 1910.  She won NB ladies singles titles in 1910, ’11, and ’12.  Ethel was the first woman inducted into the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame when she received the honour in 1972.

Peter Cameron – Moncton (inducted in 2013) Recently inducted into the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame, Peter, originally of Dalhousie, survived a tragic car accident in 1982, resulting in the loss of both legs.   He persevered as an athlete as soon as he was able and joined the Provincial wheelchair basketball team and was the first player to score 5000 points in the Maritime league. Peter also tried his hand at wheelchair tennis and quickly became the highest ranked player in Canada in 1989 and 1991. He was the National Singles Champion in 1990 and the National Singles Finalist in 1989, 1991, and 1994.  He now serves as the president of the Moncton Wheelchair Sport Association and has coached its basketball team to 3 consecutive Maritime Championship wins.