MASON CITY, IA – April 8, 2014 – Ernest “The Cat” Miller, former WCW Superstar and commissioner of the River City Sports Festival [RCSF], an amateur multi-sport competition being held May 9–11, 2014, in Mason City, Iowa, today announced that event organizers are adding tennis to the already strong program of individual and team competitions. The move comes as organizers and local supporters are distinguishing how quickly the sport of tennis is growing in Iowa and the surrounding area. Registration and more competition information are available at www.rcsportsfestival.com.
The early and final rounds of the tennis tournament will be played May 10 and May 11 on courts in Mason City set up through Mason City Parks and Recreation. Adult division champions will win an invitation to play at the All Iowa Lawn & Tennis Club [AILTC], a well-manicured and prestigious grass tennis court in the middle of a cornfield just down the road from where the movie “Field of Dreams,” starring Kevin Costner, was filmed. Winners in the Junior Divisions are ineligible for the grand prize.
“We are extremely excited about this addition to the River City Sport Festival, especially because we are inviting the finalists to win a chance to play on a grass court,” Miller said. “Wimbledon, known for its historical grass-court tournament, is a deep source for inspiration around the world. It’s important to a lot of people passionate about the sport to play tennis on grass. This is a great opportunity for tennis players of all ages, from all areas to become involved in this event.”
The double-elimination tournament will feature divisions for both adult men and women, as well as divisions for juniors between the ages of 12 and 17. Doubles play will also be showcased. For more information about tournament divisions, rules and registration, visit www.rcsportsfestival.com
“Tennis is a growing sport in North Iowa, and we are excited to showcase our community to tennis players throughout the Midwest,” said Alex Kuhn, son of Mark Kuhn, a farmer who founded AILTC in 2003 next to his home amid cornfields.
Alex Kuhn, current City Councilman At-Large for Mason City, added: “Players of all skill sets and all ages are invited to register. The athletes in the [adult] divisions will be playing for a free weekend at two of North Iowa’s most unique locations. A weekend at the All Iowa Lawn Tennis Club, the Midwest’s only bent grass tennis club, and a free night at The Historic Park Inn, the world’s only remaining Frank Lloyd Wright designed hotel.”
Along with the new tennis tournament, the three-day RCSF will also include archery, basketball, dance, karate, power lifting, roller derby, softball and wrestling for both individual and team competitors. Competitions will be held at the North Iowa Area Community College [NIACC] complex, while Mason City Parks and Recreation will host the softball tournament and the Mohawk Archery Club will host the archery contests.
Miller and Ronin’ Productions, presenter of the amateur multi-sport competition, in partnership with the Iowa Economic Development Authority and the North Iowa Sports Authority, recently kicked-off a campaign to offer free tickets to the event’s headlining spectacle, the “Rumble in River City,” a professional wrestling show set for May 10 at NIACC. Free tickets are now available for the first 1,000 competitors registering in advance for RCSF. Registration for the inaugural RCSF is now open. For more information, visit www.rcsportsfestival.com
About River City Sports Festival
The River City Sports Festival [RCSF] is a presentation of Ronin’ Productions, LLC, whose chairman Sonny Onoo is a resident of Mason City, IA, and is sponsored by Accelerated Rehabilitation Centers. Ronin’ is positioning the RCSF as an annual event in the Mason City area and is growing it to a level achieved by other multi-sport events, such as “The Arnold” and “Mr. Olympia.” Each of nine competitions in 2014 will be run by a director who has run other tournaments specific to his/her sport at the local, regional and national levels. The events, being showcased as a “Who’s Who” of the amateur sporting world in the region surrounding Mason City, will begin May 9 and run through May 11, 2014. Ronin’ is a partner with the Visit Mason City Visitors Bureau on this historic amateur event, which is also sponsored and supported by the Iowa Economic Development Authority and the North Iowa Sports Authority. For more information, visit www.rcsportsfestival.com
