Two teams representing the USTA Florida Section finished in third and fourth place last weekend when the USTA League Mixed 40 & Over National Championships were held on Nov. 9-11 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando.
The mixed 8.0 team from Sarasota County (Longboat Key Tennis Center, Longboat Key) was edged 2-1 in the semifinals by the team from USTA Middle States (Skillman, N.J.). The Longboat Key team then captured third place by defeating a team from USTA Mid-Atlantic (Fairfax, Va.) 2-1 in the third/fourth playoff match.
Their season roster was comprised of Janet Sperling (captain), Coquina Homer, Calvin Hac, Babette Paige, Jill Lyons, Margaret Wieczerzak, Jeffrey Stern, Eric Abbott, Dean Dancer, Rosa Rojas Weis, Sandra Poston, Nick Hardy, Jim Capazola, Ann Lammers, and Jane Hancock.
The Mixed 18 & Over 9.0 team from Broward County (Midtown Athletic Club, Weston) was also edged 2-1 in their semifinal, falling to the USTA Southern Section (Memphis, Tenn.). The Weston team secured a fourth-place finish after falling 3-0 in the third/fourth playoff match against USTA Missouri Valley (Omaha, Neb.).
The Weston team is captained by Emilio Baez and includes Rubens Jacob, Laura Di Lauro, Gregorio Rodriguez, Ivy Touchstone, Lorena Villar Seminario de Guzman-Barron, Jacqueline Pichardo, Leonardo Torrellas, Justin Touchstone, Kenny Torrellas, Alvaro Ortiz, and Barbara Barrios.
The Florida Mixed 40 & Over teams qualified for nationals by winning their respective sectionals championships in June. You can find more details about the 8.0 division champs here, and the 9.0 here.
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 Leagues or the USTA, visit www.usta.com.
To find a league in Florida go to www.ustaflorida.com/leagues.
