Johnston High alum Testa inducted into RIC Hall of Fame for tennis achievements

On a night when Johnston High School, his alma mater, held its annual Athletic Hall of Fame induction, Johnston resident Joseph G. “Joe” Testa was welcomed into the Rhode Island College Hall of Fame.

The 1995 Johnston High graduate, a member of RIC’s class of 2001, was joined by seven other people who made many outstanding contributions to the storied history of Anchormen athletics.

Testa, who was “Mr. Anchormen’s Tennis” during his four years at RIC, is currently his 16th year as a sixth-grade science teacher at Johnston’s Nicholas A. Ferri Middle School.

“When you think about Johnston sports most of the talk centers around baseball, basketball, and football,” Testa said Saturday night. “I played all those sports growing up. However, it’s nice to put a little tennis accomplishment on the map from a Johnston athlete, as well.”

Testa was among a distinguished class of inductees that included Robert G. “Bob” Walsh – who sports publicist Scott Gibbons called “one of the best basketball coaches in RIC and Little East Conference history” – and longtime director of athletics Donald E. “Don” Tencher, who is known for his unmatched additions to the college’s athletic facilities.

Also inducted during Saturday night’s impressive ceremony and recognition dinner, which was held inside RIC’s Donovan Dining Center and was part of the college’s annual Homecoming Celebration, were Dana J. Skorupa Murnighan, track; Gail H. Davis, athletic administration; Christopher V. O’Connors, baseball; Amy L. Machado, fast-pitch softball; and Timothy P. Rudd, track.

Testa, meanwhile, was a four-year letter winner in men’s tennis at RIC from 1997-2000.

The one-time Panther standout started all four seasons at No. 1 singles and No. 1 Doubles for the Anchormen and faced the opposition’s top player in every one of his collegiate tennis matches.

He left RIC with a 31-25 (.555) career singles mark and a 26-22 (.542) career doubles mark for 44.0 career points. He is sixth all-time at RIC in career points, eighth in career singles, and 10th in doubles victories. In 2005, he was recognized as a member of RIC’s All-75th Anniversary Men’s Tennis Team.

As a senior in 2000, he was the Little East Conference Champion as both number one singles and number one doubles and was selected as the team’s most valuable player. He was 9-4 (.692) in number one singles and 9-4 (.692) in number two doubles for 13.5 points on the season.

During his junior season in 1999, Testa was 9-6 (.600) in singles and 8-6 (.571) in doubles for 13.0 points on the season. Testa teamed with Pat Prendergast to become the Little East Conference’s Champions at number one doubles that year.

Testa earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education/health from RIC in 2000.