Fleming Island, Orlando Teams Advance to Tri-Level League Tennis Chps. in Indian Wells

USTA Florida Tri-Level League teams from Orlando and Fleming Island (located outside of Jacksonville) advanced to Indian Wells, Calif., to represent the USTA Florida Section after capturing men’s and women’s titles over the weekend at the USTA Florida Tri-Level Playoff Championship, held Feb. 5-7, 2016 at the Florida Tennis Center in Daytona Beach.

Tri-Level League is a doubles format designed to provide a unique team league opportunity to members by combining players of three differing NTRP levels (3.5/4.0/4.5) on teams in local and sectional competition. For more info go to www.ustaflorida/leagues.

The women’s winners were comprised of players from the Orlando area representing the Winter Park Tennis Center, and ended the weekend with a perfect 5-0 win-loss record in round robin play, finishing ahead of 3-2 Escambia County.

Captained by Shannon Hurley, the Orlando squad included Susan Silberbusch, Tracey Stewart, Kristine Dionne, Kelly Bushey, Kathleen Hansen, Stacy Girdley, Dianne Harrington-Gocek, Janice Fisher, Anne-Marie Miller, Alana O’Hern, Corin Rombach, Janet Jablonski, and Veronica Barni.

The men’s Tri-Level winner was Fleming Island’s Eagle Harbor Country Club out of Clay County. They were captained by Bill Chapman, with team members Gregory Sapp, Zane Butler, B. Craig Price, Jim Pinkerman, Jose Feliciano, Curt Cavins, Michael Waroff, Steve Andersen, Thomas Keller, James Ellisor, Kevin Beall, David Schilkofski, Neal Goldblatt, and Bob Walsh.

The Florida men’s and women’s winners will compete against teams from the 17 USTA sections across the country to determine the men’s and women’s national champions.

Players will receive complimentary tickets and parking passes to watch the pros play at the BNP Paribas Open, and will be invited to attend a complimentary dinner at the prestigious Emirates Club. Each player will receive a FILA gift and more, and individual awards will be presented to the winners of each flight.

For more info go to www.bnpparibasopen.com/en/event-info/bnp-paribas-open-tri-level-championships.