When Enumclaw High’s boys tennis team hits the courts Aug. 23 for fall turnout, it won’t be on the maroon-colored, slick surface they’ve grown accustom to. Instead, bright blue, top-quality courts greet the Hornets thanks in part to the United States Tennis Association.

The Enumclaw School District received a USTA Pacific Northwest Court Improvement/Development Grant. The USTA PNW offers the money to improve existing public courts including resurfacing and repair.

USTA PNW is a nonprofit organization comprised of more than 20,000 individual and organizational members committed to promoting and developing recreational and competitive tennis. More than 200 volunteers and 300 tournaments make up the backbone for grassroots tennis in the Pacific Northwest.

“Our facilities department, business office, and athletic office worked on this project for months,” EHS Athletic Director Kevin Smith said.

The grant helped cover some of the $34,000 cost of the much-needed resurfacing of the courts.

According to Enumclaw School District grounds supervisor Liz Mirtallo, the courts haven’t been resurfaced since she arrived 10 years ago.

“For years we would spend time filling the cracks and they kept growing,” Mirtallo said.

“They were definitely due,” Mirtallo said.

The district was eligible for the USTA grant since the courts are open to community play and are among the few available to the public in Enumclaw.

Smith and Mirtallo said it was just a coincidence the Hornet courts have been a maroon color, as most are green or blue.