Four Florida USTA League teams finished in 3rd-4th place last week at USTA League National Championships across the country in the 40 & Over and 55 & Over divisions in Las Vegas, Orlando and Mobile, Ala.
Finishing in 3rd place were the men’s 40 & Over 4.0 team from Miami-Dade South (Tamiami Tennis Center, Miami), and the men’s 55 & Over 9.0 team from Tampa.
October 28, 2018 – The Florida section came in third place in the Adult 40 & Over 4.0 League National Championship at the Darling Tennis Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Miami men lost to the eventual second-place USTA Caribbean (Guaynabo, P.R.) 3-2 in the semifinals, then in the 3rd-4th round playoffs defeated USTA Middle States (Ambler, Pa.) 4-1. They reached the semifinals by winning their round robin flight on Friday and Saturday.
Blogging daily from the national championships in Las Vegas, the Miami men were also featured in a video story during Hispanic Heritage Month.
Their season roster was comprised of Eli Parnell (captain), Armando Cabane, Federico Valencia, Jesus Minjares, Ciro Vasquez, Jaime Kang, Noel Chang, Jose Lebron, John Narus, Gerardo Perdigon, Patrick Kettel, Jose Zambrano, Ricardo Deliz, Cristian Mateluna, Mario Hidalgo, Nelson Rodriguez, Noel Barengo, Guillermo Brito, and Juan Liriano.
Playing out of Hillsborough County (Palma Ceia Country Club, Tampa), the 55 & Over 9.0 men, contesting the national championships at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, lost to the eventual second-place USTA Midwest (Barrington, Ill.) 2-1 in the semifinals. In the 3rd-4th round playoffs they defeated USTA Missouri Valley (Overland Park, Kan.) 3-0. They reached the semifinals by winning their round robin flight on Friday and Saturday.
October 28, 2018 – The Florida section came in third place in the Adult 55 & Over 9.0 League National Championship at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida.
Their season roster was comprised of Gary Downing (captain), Douglas Dace, Michael Erbe, Tim O’Brien, Marc Mazo, William Rogers, Scott Bartos, Ignacio Molina, Brad Welch, Pedro Camacho, Michael Rothberg, Robert Graham, and Jeff Dadamo.
Two women’s teams took home 4th place honors over the weekend, the 55 & Over 7.0 women out of Clearwater, and the 40 & Over 3.0 women out of Kissimmee.
Playing out of Pinellas County (Countryside Country Club, Clearwater), the 55 & Over 7.0 women lost to the eventual second-place USTA Eastern (Mahwah, N.J.) 3-0, then in the 3rd/4th round playoff fell to USTA Caribbean (Palmer, P.R.) 2-1.
October 28, 2018 – The Florida section came in fourth place in the Adult 55 & Over 7.0 League National Championship at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida.
Lisa Mahler was the captain of the 55 & Over 7.0 women, with teammates Kathy Duncan, Robin Gerlach, Barbera Loy, Pam Collins, Carol Byrne, Henriette Skoczen, Debra Gross, Debra Rothberg, Caron Hobson, B. Sue Wyman, Kathy Pisciotta, Deirdre Sokol, Deena Fields, and Diane Flammer.
The Osceola County (Star Island Resort, Kissimmee) 40 & Over 3.0 women kept alive the trend of all four Florida teams losing to the eventual 2nd place finishers at nationals.
October 28, 2018 – The Florida section came in fourth place in the Adult 40 & Over 3.0 League National Championship at the Mobile Tennis Center in Mobile, Alabama.
In the semifinals they narrowly fell 3-2 to USTA Texas (San Antonio), then in the 3rd/4th place playoff lost to USTA Mid-Atlantic (Potomac Falls, Va.) 3-2, and they also blogged their journey to Mobile, Ala.
USTA Florida League Nationals Blog: Kissimmee 40-Over 3.0 Women in Mobile
Captained by Traci Kendall, thei season roster included Shelly Crema, Jennifer Heistand, Natalia Bonavia, Tara Marvin, Leslie Hartog, Victoria Karen, Patricia Wubker, Nicole Prihoda, Dina Meng, Melissa Tyrcha, Jennifer Johnson, Lisa Pierzynski, and Natasha Holland.
Established in 1980, USTA League has grown from 13,000 players in a few parts of the country in its first year to more than 310,000 players across the nation today, making it the world’s largest recreational tennis league.
USTA League was established to provide adult recreational tennis players throughout the country with the opportunity to compete against players of similar ability levels. Players participate on teams in a league format, which is administered by the USTA through its 17 sections. The league groups players by using six National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP) levels, ranging from 2.5 (entry) to 5.0 (advanced). USTA League is open to any USTA member 18 years of age or older.
For more information about USTA League or the USTA, visit www.usta.com.
To find a league in Florida go to www.ustaflorida.com/leagues.
