Oxford College will host a tennis tournament May 3 honoring one of the state's tennis pioneers.

The Eagles will host the Fowler Memorial Tennis Classic at the Cline Tennis Center on the campus of Oxford College of Emory University in honor of Mary Louise Fowler. Fowler, a tennis player, teacher and benefactor, is a member of the State of Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.

The single-day tournament will feature three divisions including men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles. Based on the number of participants, divisions will be subdivided by playing level.

The tournament will feature a scramble/round robin format in the morning to determine player positions, with playoff champions set for later in the tournament.

Trophies will be award to division finalists and champions.

The entry fee for the tournament is $50 which includes a tournament T-shirt, lunch and game balls.

Deadline to register for the tournament is April 25. Spots are limited and are awarded on a first come, first serve basis.

Fowler, who won more than 200 titles in women's singles, doubles and mixed doubles competition from 1936 to 1961, is a Covington native and Oxford College alum. Fowler helped establish the Fowler Tennis Club in Covington, where she instructed local youth.

Fowler was inducted into the State of Georgia Sports Hall of Fame posthumously in 1983 and provided Oxford with an endowment for the Oxford College Tennis Program. The program's mission is to promote the sound philosophical and ethical standards of competition which Fowler exemplified.

Those interested in playing can pick up an application at Oxford College. Applications can be returned to Pete Sherrard, Oxford Athletics, 810 Whatcoat Street, Oxford, Ga., 30054, or by email at thterry@emory.edu or psherra@emory.edu.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the American Cancer Society and the Oxford College Athletics Department.

Sponsorship opportunities

Sponsorship opportunities are available for the Fowler Memorial Tennis Classic.

Sponsorship opportunities can be purchased at the title sponsor, court sponsor and patron sponsor level.

Title sponsorship for the event is $1,500 and includes signage and company presence at the Cline Tennis Center during the event, court naming for the event, complimentary entry, logo on all marketing materials and a feature on the event's Facebook page.

Court sponsorships for the event are $300 and include court naming for the event, Facebook page mention, logo on event webpage and sponsor board and logo on event T-shirt.

For $100, individual patrons can sponsor the event, which will include a Facebook mention, logo on sponsor board and a T-shirt logo.

Those interested in sponsoring can contact Timothy Terry or Pete Sherrard at Oxford Athletics.