The women’s 3.0 national champions, left to right, front: Christine Jablonski, Brandi Holston, Madelyn Escudero (captain), Sandra Iris Montes, Jean Patricia Zambrano; back: Lynn Piper, Timea Manfredi, Erin Brown, Isabelle Welsh, Cherie DePriest, Sherene Romaine Lewis.
USTA Florida League women’s teams placed in all three USTA League National Championships over the weekend in Arizona and California, bringing home 1st place, 2nd place and 4th place finishes.
The 18 & Over women’s 3.0 team out of Casselberry, Fla., won the championship at the USTA Adult 18 & Over 3.0 League National Championships in Tucson, Ariz., in the final defeating the team from the USTA Southern California Section (Coronado, Calif.) 3-2.
Earlier in the day the Casselberry team defeated a team from Laramie, Wyo., 5-0 in the semifinals. They advanced to the semifinals by winning their round-robin flight contested Friday and Saturday.
The Casselberry women, who play out of Red Bug Lake Park, had a season roster comprised of Madelyn Escudero (captain), Sandra Montes, Lynn Terito, Erin Brown, Isabelle Welsh, Jean Zambrano, Timea Manfredi, Brandi Holston, Sherene Lewis, Vivian Greene, Alvida Groom, Christine Jablonski, Lori Barrett, Cherie DePriest, and Lynn Piper.
The women’s 5.0+ national finalists, left to right: Lisa Balsera, Suzanne Flament-Smith, Kara Kucin, Aly Peterson, Kara Jo Wietrzykowski, Alexandra Gade, Andrea Lord, Lilivette Arroyo
The 18 & Over women’s 5.0+ team out of Tampa finished second at the USTA Adult 18 & Over 5.0+ League National Championships in Indian Wells, Calif., in the final falling to the USTA Southern Section (Hilton Head, S.C.) 2-1.
Earlier in the day the Tampa team defeated a team from Laguna Hills, Calif., 2-1 in the semifinals. They advanced to the semifinals by winning their round-robin flight contested Friday and Saturday.
The Tampa women, who play out of Harbour Island Athletic Club, had a season roster comprised of Chris Allen (captain), Lilivette Arroyo, Alexandra Gade, Natalie Paiva, Suzanne Flament-Smith, Andrea Lord, Kara Jo Wietrzykowski, Lisa Haidermota, Kara Kucin, Tisha Kilburn, Aly Peterson, and Lisa Balsera.
The 18 & Over women’s 4.0 team out of Oakland Park finished fourth at the USTA Adult 18 & Over 4.0 League National Championships in Rancho Mirage, Calif., in the 3rd/4th place match losing to a team from the USTA Midwest Section (Ann Arbor, Mich.) 3-2.
The women’s 4.0 national 4th place finishers, left to right, front: Myong Ok Kim, Richelle Tankersley, Caprice Sade Thomas, Colleen Deprima, Penny Arnst, Patricia Walbornn; back: Helga Immerfall, Jodi Lee, Theresa Caruso (captain), Brittany Koptis
The Oakland Park women, who play out of the Dillon Tennis Center, had a regular-season roster comprised of Theresa Caruso (captain), Patricia Walbornn, Helga Immerfall, Cynthia Cervantes, Carolina Gorman, Maria Miro, Brittany Koptis, Tommie Deprima, Robin Dreyfuss, Richelle Tankersley, Myong Ok Kim, Elaine Arnst, Caprice Thomas, Jodi Lee, and Ann Spalding.
Established in 1980, USTA League has grown from 13,000 participants in a few parts of the country in its first year to more than 865,000 players across the nation today, making it the world’s largest recreational tennis league. Players participate on teams administered by the USTA and its 17 sections across the U.S. 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.
The 2015 USTA League season will be the third season with the updated structure and format which offers four age categories (Adult 18 & Over, Adult 40 & Over and Adult 55 & Over and Mixed 18 & Over) to better align participants with players their own age. A fifth age division, the Mixed 40 & Over division, was added last year. The restructuring guarantees more frequency of play opportunities at more appropriate age groups.
For more information about USTA League or the USTA visit www.usta.com.
