USTA Middle States League Section Championships
August 17-19
New Jersey wins four titles on home courts.
Photo Gallery I Championship Teams
The best of the best competed this weekend at the 2007 USTA Middle States Adult League Section Championship. Ten teams were crowned Section Champions, securing their trip to represent Middle States at the 2007 USTA League Tennis - Adult National Championship Presented by Chrysler.
The event, which featured more than 600 tennis players at three locations – Mercer County Park, Veterans’ Park and The Hun School – in New Jersey, went off without a hitch despite some scattered showers throughout the weekend.
In addition to the stellar competition, the festivities included a Coaches Meeting on Thursday and the annual Section Championship banquet on Friday evening. The banquet was highlighted by a congratulatory speech by USTA Middle States President Malcolm Riley as well as dinner and dancing. Middle States’ own “Aunt Sally,” Sally Baird’s efforts were one-of-a-kind and were the impetus for the successful weekend.
And the winner is…
The New Jersey District (NJD) racked in four winning teams, including a men’s and women’s sweep in the 4.5 division. Following New Jersey’s dominance was the Philadelphia Area Tennis District (PATD) with three winners. Central Pennsylvania District (CPD) boasted two winners and Eastern Pennsylvania District (EPD) notched one.
2.5 Women – Winning Touch (EPD): Ann Jeanette Peiffer, Jennifer Marie Maruscak, Maryann Miller, Elaine J. Conner, Julia Chan, Eileen Moore, Kelly A. McDonald, Betsy Greer
3.0 Women – Charlestown Smash Girls (PATD): Michelle M. Kesti, Chris Holden, Kaari B. Davies, Shirley M. Mateyk, Christine Marie Fitzpatrick, Michelle T. Duran, Kim Collett, Eileen Holmboe, Gaye Jablonski, Meg Rosecky, Kelley Keefrider, Gail K. Osborne, Bryn Smythe, Margaret S. Murphy
3.0 Men – Mercer (NJD): David Kalmus, Heriberto A. Vasquez, Jaskaran S. Randhawa, Michael Segev, Harch Gill, Albert F. Offredo, Stephen H Ca, Rajeev A. Sharma, Mark Chmielowski, Surinder P. Sharma, Sanjeev K. Sharma, Asante Brooks
3.5 Women – Hempfield-Fissella (CPD): Lori Dorwart, Catherine Shaak, Bonnie A. Fissella, Nicole Nikolaus, Joanne Hess, Linda Strange, Mary R. Alspach, Ruth Roulston, Joy Riley, Jayne Snyder, Lori R. Rudy, Rebecca Shettel
3.5 Men – Pennsbury Lightning (PATD): Terry L. Schneider, John Sisti, Keith Philip Radbill, Sean F. Lowery, Lee Frank, Thad M. Gelsinger, Fenton Martin, Jorge Ramirez, Zion H. Chen, Lawrence Brilliant, Barry Schwartz, David Epstein, Steven F. Olson, Michael A. Klein, Dennis Leggoe, Edward A. Frankel, Ralph Bencivengo, Jim Peiffer, Victor Kasacavage
4.0 Women – Northeast (PATD): Ellen Gittleman, Linda M. Miller, Nancy Kovler, Sharon Thornton, Susan Sobolewski, Kim Vernick, Cindy Bienenfeld, Kum Davidson, Susan M. Robus, Susan B. Debbs, Karen Tecce, Marge R. Eggie, Robin Kaufman, Murella Blatt, Amanda Postorivo, Michelle A. Golden, Robin Smith
4.0 Men – EB Smash (NJD): Thomas B. Bishop, Jaroslaw Chorazykiewicz, Oleg Kouznetsov, Ryan E. Greer, Philippe Nguyen-Tan, Gary L. Taylor, Jan Mark Henderson, Tom Wozniak, Rehan Iqbal, Herlie Velez, David R. Crichton, Carlos Camacho, Dorell M. Wood, Benjamin S. Greenfield, Juan Jose Martinez, Michael Wexler, James Scott, Norris B. McLean, Marc Mayer
4.5 Women – Shore Thing (NJD): Patricia Kinghorn, Christine Hetzler, Debi Cantor, Collette M. Gepp, Christa Gloge, Ellen Caruso-Garland, Maria G. Manley, Stacy R. Schiffman, Amanda R. Doetsch, Alison S. Knefely, Carolyn T. Werner, Stacie E. Stephens, Laura J. Faulkner, Cristina Hastings Newsome, Michelle Chalmers, Jennifer S. Binns
4.5 Men – Cherry Hill (NJD): Richard P. D'Alessandro, Jay Nistad, Joseph R. Fisicaro, Wayne Streibich, Frank Struchen, Jeffrey Robert Hoffmann, Joe D. Kramer, Dave Prendergast, James C. Koss, William B. Seward, George S. Loesch, George E. Ned Rahn, Kenneth M. Leese, Richard Hoffmann, Omar A. Gonzalez, John A. Anderson, Lloyd N. Pearson, Jason P. Eckles
5.0 Women – Team Clark (CPD): Ann M. Clark, Carrie S. Trimmer, Kristine M. Kopan, Laura L. Athey, Tamaron S. Nicklas, Jennifer D. Grove, Kerri Bacha
Road to Nationals
The ten winning teams will represent USTA Middle States at the 2007 USTA League Tennis - Adult National Championship Presented by Chrysler. The National Championships span a period of time and are hosted by division at a number of locations.
5.0 Adult Sept. 28-30, Indian Wells
4.5 Adult Sept. 28-30, Tucson
4.0 Adult Oct. 26-28, Tucson
3.5 Adult Oct. 5-7, Las Vegas
3.0 Adult Oct. 12-14, Las Vegas
2.5 Adult Oct. 5-7, Indian Wells
Adult League Format
The match format for USTA Adult League Tennis is two singles and three doubles matches, except the 2.5 and 5.0 levels, which are one singles and two doubles matches. Teams consist of either all women or all men. Play progresses through local, area and section competition and culminates at a national championship.
Requirements for participation in the League Program are:
• Participants must be 19 years or older
• USTA membership is required
• Players must accurately self-rate themselves or have a valid computer rating
o Levels of play are: 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5 and 5.0
Background
Established in 1980, USTA League Tennis has grown from 13,000 participants in its first few years to more than 585,000 players across the nation. Presently Middle States offers five programs, including adult, senior, mixed doubles, senior mixed doubles and super senior. In each division, there are opportunities for both men and women to compete. The program, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2005, is the world’s largest recreational tennis league.