The medical crisis impacting the nation and the world has caused sports across the globe to come to a standstill for the time being. For example, the Olympics scheduled for the summer of 2020 in Japan has been postponed until 2021.
While we wait on the sports world to get back on track, this is a good time to revisit the illustrious past of Morgan Athletics. Over the next few weeks we will tap into the archives for historic game recaps and stories.
Here's what was reported on March 1, 1969:
Binns, Bonnie top tennis rankings
Baltimore Afro-American
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Robert Binns Jr., of Cleveland, Ohio, and Bonnie Logan of Durham, N.C., were named this week as the leading players in the American Tennis Association.
The ATA's annual rankings were released by Dr. Hubert Eaton of this city, the president of the association.
Following Binns in the men's singles are John McGill of Louisville, Ky., and Wilbert Davis of New York City. Davis is a former No. 1 player in the ATA listings.
Miss Logan, a sophomore at Morgan State College, is the reigning women's champion although she has yet to reach her 19th birthday. She played in the CIAA last year as a member of the Morgan tennis team while still a freshman.
After the pert Bonnie, comes Sylvia Hooks of Newark, and Bessie Stockhard of Washington, D.C.
Another Washingtonian, Bob Miller, is top listed in senior men's singles.
The women's single rankings follow:
1. Bonnie Logan, Durham, N.C.
2. Sylvia Hooks, Newark, N.J.
3. Bessie Stockard, Washington
4. Jean Richardson, Los Angeles
5. Ruby Pennington, Baltimore
Bear Notes:
● Logan was undefeated in singles for three years as the National Interscholastic Girls champion as a prep star at Hillside High School
● As a freshman at Morgan State, she was ranked No. 1 in singles and doubles from 1967-71
● She was the first woman in conference history to win a CIAA men's tennis title
● She lettered in 5 sports while in college: field hockey, volleyball, softball, basketball and tennis
● The first North Carolina Black High School State tennis championship was won by Hillside in 1953
● Other Hillside champions over the years include: Richard Malloy, Charlie Brown, Irwin Holmes, Joe Williams (1963 NCAA singles tennis champion), Mike Ruffin, and John Lucas Jr. (became a star tennis and basketball player at the University of Maryland, where he was a two-time ACC tennis champion and basketball All-American)
● Logan was the North Carolina State Closed Tennis women's champion (1967, '69)
●American Tennis Association women's black national champion (1964-70)
● Was the first black woman to play on the Virginia Slims Tennis Tour (1972-73).
Bonnie Logan, winner of the 1967 ATA Women's Singles title is congratulated by finalist Sylvia Hooks
and tournament administrators. This event was held at Central State University in Wilberforce, OH.
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified doctoral research institution offering more than 126 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.
