PENN TWP — Only a sophomore at Sewickley Academy, Colin Kaye was already a tennis champion.

Last spring, he was a member of his school's state championship boys tennis team, which was coached by Butler Country Club pro Whitney Snyder.

Kaye climbed the mountain under Snyder's watch again Sunday — this time by leading the winning trio at the eighth annual Dave Barnes Pro-Am at the BCC courts.

"I didn't know what to think when Snyde asked me to play in this," Kaye said. "It sounded different. I'm glad I came. I met a lot of nice people."

The Barnes Pro-Am puts together eight three-person teams consisting of a tennis pro, and one male and female current or former club member. The teams are placed into one of two four-team divisions.

The pro on each team plays mixed doubles with his female partner, then men's doubles with his male partner, against the other three teams in the division, then faces the corresponding team from the other division in the finals.

Points accumulated from mixed doubles and men's doubles are combined to determine the event's champion.

Kaye was paired with the husband-and-wife team of John and Sue Murphy, former BCC members now living outside of the area.

"Having never met before, you watch how your partners play and learn to function together on the court," Kaye said. "It was fun."

Among the pros participating Sunday were Tim "Koach" Conroy of Finleyville, Trevor Heck of Sewickley and Saxonburg's Trent Goerk, former Canon McMillan High School tennis coach.

"I didn't use as many pros this year because I wanted to mix some teenagers in with some of the adult players. I liked that mix," Snyder said.

Sewickley Academy's Danny Sponseller and Will Kleeman joined high school teammate Kaye at the event.

Four of the tourney participants — teammates Brian Miklavic and Alisa Green, Marci Mustello and Kristen Petcash — once played for Barnes, who retired in 1999 after 35 years of coaching Butler High tennis.

Miklavic went on to play at Robert Morris University while Green played at Edinboro University. Green is the current Butler High girls tennis coach.

"I'm glad Alisa came back to coach," Barnes said. "She works hard with her players and that's what's important to me.

"She played No. 1 singles for me for three years. In my opinion, she was the best tennis player to come out of Butler."

Miklavic played under Barnes from 1990-94. Green played for him from 1978-81.

"Dave Barnes was the best coach I ever had," Miklavic said. "He cared about us, he helped us and he wanted us to win.

"He thought more about us than he did about himself."

Green played in the men's doubles division Sunday, as did Katy Trostle. Trostle and Conroy teamed to win the men's doubles while Miklavic and Dyane Bilowick won the mixed doubles portion.

Miklavic, Bilowick and Green tied for second overall.

"I felt like I could hit the ball harder and be myself," Green said of playing in the men's division. "I've always been very competitive. I tell my mother I'm her fifth son. This was a lot of fun today."