Minot, North Dakota – At Hammond Park on Saturday, two Minot tennis legends joined a select group of players.
John Christen, a singles state champion for Bishop Ryan in 1981, and Raman Jayapathy, a singles state champion for Minot High in 1979, were both inducted into the North Dakota Tennis Association Hall of Fame.
They saw what Jayapathy referred to as the “tennis boom” in the 1970s and 1980s in the US. Jayapathy recalled that Minot had more than 50 tennis courts open at the time.
“It’s fantastic to have these two guys, two of the biggest competitors in the late 70s and the mid-80s in this area before they moved on to bigger and better things. It’s just a great thing for Minot tennis,” said Larry McFall, who coached Christen at Bishop Ryan.
At the University of North Dakota, where he also participated in wrestling and tennis, Christen is a hall of famer.
“John has always been a staple for our family and he epitomizes what the Christens mean. We work hard, make good decisions and nobody wants to play us because we’re fierce competitors,” said Paul Christen, John Christen’s nephew.
Before making the transition to the professional tennis circuit, Jayapathy won a national championship with Gustavus Adolphus College and was awarded a two-time All-American.
“To have it here in Minot is very special for me. A lot of my old tennis friends are here and to be inducted in with John Christen was very special for us because we’re the ones who played all the time together and it was a blast,” said Jayapathy.
Before turning pro, Jayapathy competed in college tennis for Gustavus Adolphus College, where he won a national championship and was twice named an All-American.
“It’s a great honor. I grew up two blocks from here. It’s just a great honor to go into the hall of fame with a guy who I used to play with, Raman Jayapathy. To have it here, in Minot, is quite an honor,” said Christen.
The NDHSAA boys’ and girls’ tennis state finals will be held in Grand Forks at the Choice Health & Fitness, which houses the Hall of Fame.
