by Jeff | Feb 17, 2023
Donnie Dreyfuss played all four years on the tennis team while at Bennett. He was All High at second doubles in 1954. In 1956, he was All High at third singles on arguably the greatest high school tennis team to have ever played in the Buffalo school system. Unbelievably, all seven members of the starting team were all High and undefeated; a feat never matched in the history of Buffalo High School tennis. Dreyfuss was famous for his booming cross court forehand and a fierce competitive spirit
He continued his outstanding play at the University of Kentucky where he played as high as third singles and second doubles, competing and doing extremely well in the strong Southeastern Conference.
Presently, Dreyfuss, a retired geriatlic physician, lives in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, where he has lived with his lovely wife, Elisa, for over 30 years. fts proud as Dreyfuss is of his tennis accomplishments, he is even prouder of his four children, three of whom played varsity tennis while in high school. Equally impressive, is that each of his children graduated from the University of Michigan.
Heather is living and teaching in new York City. Heath, a resident in Otolaryngology, is at the University of Illinois in Chicago. Hayley is a third year medical student at Drexel University College of Medicine. Last, but certainly not least, his daughter Heidi plans to attend Columbia University Teachers College to get her Master’s Degree.
by Jeff | Feb 17, 2023
Charles “the Gar” Garfinkel graduated from Bennett in 1956. He is considered by many to be the greatest all around racket sports star to have ever competed in Western New York. “The Gar” was the first racket sport athlete selected to the Greater Buffalo Hall of Fame.
During his tennis career at Bennett, Charlie was All High first team in 1955 and 1956, winning twenty two straight matches. Bennett captured the Bapst Trophy, emblematic of city tennis supremacy, both years. His 1956 team made Buffalo public school tennis history by completing a perfect season, winning all team and individual matches, a feat unprecedented in 39 years of competition.
In 1956, Garfinkel also played on Bennett’s varsity basketball team.
Charlie’s feats as a racket sports star are legendary. Over the years, he won 24 national racquetball titles, 14 city championships, 32 state titles, and 25 eastern championships. He played on the men’s pro tour for 6 years and was ranked as high as number 5 in the world.
In tennis he won 3 national titles, 4 city singles titles, 11 city doubles titles, and 26 Muny titles, more than any present player.
In 1969, he won city championships in tennis, squash, and racquetball. By his accomplishments, he became the only player WNY history to win all three titles.
Charlie is now a member of 7 Hall of Fames. Included are the Greater Buffalo Hall of Fame, National Racquetball Hall of Fame, the International Masters Racquetball Hall of Fame, the WNY Racquetball Hall of Fame, Buffalo State College Hall of Fame, Jewish Center Hall of Fame, and tonight, the Bennett High School Sports Hall of Fame.
Garfinkel, a Buffalo State College graduate, resides with his family in Amherst. He is an elementary school teacher in the Buffalo Public School System.
by Jeff | Feb 17, 2023
Cindy Dayer graduated from Bennett in 1 980, following an illustrious athletic career that spanned four different sports. During her sophomore year, she exhibited her mastery of time management, playing varsity tennis, volleyball, basketball, and running on the cross country team.
Dayer received All-High recognition in tennis during each of her four years at Bennett. She served as team captain all four years, and finished undefeated at first singles during her senior year. Cindy was also a four year starter on the volleyball team. She was the team captain, and led the squad in scoring her sophomore season.
In cross country, she ran the first three years the Buffalo Public Schools offered women the opportunity to participate in competition. Cindy finished fourth in the All-High meet during her sophomore season, and was crowned individual city champion as a junior and senior. She also participated in the Section VI meet as a senior.
Cindy received the “Bennett High School Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year Award” three times during her superb athletic career at Bennett. She won the award, following sophomore, junior, and senior years.
Cindy credits her coaches at Bennett for their inspirational motivation that helped set the tone for her future endeavors.
After an outstanding career as a scholar and athlete at Bennett, Cindy went on to graduate from the University of Michigan. She now calls the San Diego, California area her home, and is the proud mother of three children.
by Jeff | Feb 17, 2023
Arthur had an outstanding tennis career at Bennett. He was All-High and undefeated for three straight years,winning 33 straight matches. He played first doubles during his sophomore and junior year, and second singles his senior year.
Bennett won the city tennis championship in both 1 955 and 1 956. Arthur was also an outstanding baseball player as a youngster, and could have had an equally outstanding career in that sport if he had continued to play. However, tennis was his first love.
He received his pharmacy degree from the University of Buffalo, but didn’t play tennis in college due to personal and work commitments. However, he won five City of Buffalo doubles titles, four with his twin brother, Jim, and one with Jack Sunderland.
Some local experts felt that Arthur and Jim would have been ranked nationally if they had been given the opportunity to travel and play against the best players in the country. Regardless, they are regarded as one of the finest doubles teams to have ever competed in Western New York.
