Due to construction setbacks, Penn-Trafford boys’ tennis will go without the three upper tennis courts this spring season. All home matches will be played away or at a neighboring facility.

     The courts were originally projected to have finished repainting and restriping last summer, but construction was paused after workers found possible condensation buildup and movement.

     “As soon as they started to dig, they saw they were running into a lot of problems,” said P-T athletic director Kerry Hetrick.

     Original construction for the upper tennis courts ended in 2016, but after seven or eight years of use, they needed to be updated, said Hetrick. The two lower courts will still be available for practice.

     Initially, the costs were estimated at around $100,000, but the cost has now risen to $300,000 or $400,000.

     “They put together a proposal that tripled the price, and once it got to be that kind of money, we had to put a hold on things and talk to the school board,” Hetrick said.

     Currently, samples from the ground are being analyzed in a lab, and the results will determine when and how construction will resume. No matter what, renovation cannot start again until after winter when the ground unfreezes.

     Construction on the courts began mid-summer of 2023, also impacting the girls’ tennis season.

     “It’s been a challenge this school year not having courts for the girls’ season as well as being in the same situation for the boys’ season,” said boys and girls varsity coach Megan Satira.

     Similar to the girls’ season, the boys’ tennis team will hold some practices at Murrysville Racquet Club and at the two lower P-T tennis courts, while also playing more away matches.

     “Our athletic director, Kerry Hetrick, and everyone involved are doing everything they can to get this done correctly so we don’t run into this again years down the road,” said Satira.

      To find a willing construction provider at a reasonable price, P-T will use COSTARS, an online bidding platform. 

     “It’s a process in place to make sure you get a fair bid and a proper bid,” said Hetrick.

     After core samples are taken, the architect from the school will draw the design, which will be listed on the COSTARS website, newspapers and school website for bidding.

     “It’s been frustrating, but we’re doing things the right way,” Hetrick said. “We have to do our due diligence when we get into costs like this to make sure that it’s done correctly.”

Annabelle Aquino, Copy Editor