Georgia Teams Dominate in 2015 USTA Southern
Junior Team Tennis Section Championships
MANDEVILLE/COVINGTON HAS THREE CHAMPS, FOUR FINALISTS
ATLANTA – Aug. 25, 2015 – Teams from Georgia took the most championships and also reached the most finals among the nine states represented at the 2015 USTA Southern Junior Team Tennis Section Championships.
Georgia teams from Athens, Atlanta and Woodstock were crowned champions at the tournament played Aug. 21-23. Four other Georgia teams reached finals.
USTA’s junior team program supports coed and single gender teams in four age levels. The teams, which represented various clubs, parks, recreational departments and organizations, finished at the top of their local leagues played in 10 and under, 12 and under, 14 and under, and 18 and under levels. Within each age level, teams also played in two different skill levels: intermediate and advanced.
Matches were played at the Lexington County Tennis Complex and the Cayce Tennis & Fitness Center in Lexington County, South Carolina. All teams at the championships were coed.
Champions and finalist were:
|
Level
|
Champion (with captain/coach)
|
Finalist (with captain/coach)
|
Score in final
* round robin
|
|
10 & Under
Advanced
|
Wilmington, North Carolina
Kate Synder (Simpson)
|
Pawleys Island, South Carolina
Wendy Mercardo
|
103-47*
|
|
10 & Under
Intermediate
|
Athens, Georgia
Amy Byrnes
|
Oxford, Mississippi
Lynda Ratliff
|
208-200*
|
|
12 & Under
Advanced
|
Greenville, South Carolina
DeLinda Bittner
|
Atlanta, Georgia
Kelly Sloan
|
149-68*
|
|
12 & Under
Intermediate
|
Charlotte, North Carolina
John Trimp
|
Athens, Georgia
Heather Chadwick
|
28-26
|
|
14 & Under
Advanced
|
Atlanta, Georgia
Eman Tanjuatco
|
Atlanta, Georgia
Shannan Gaudette
|
30-24
|
|
14 & Under
Intermediate
|
Knoxville, Tennessee
Dana Forsyth (Stultz)
|
Atlanta, Georgia
Timothy Baxter
|
29-23
|
|
18 & Under
Advanced
|
Bristol, Tennessee
David Poole
|
Lexington, South Carolina
Eric Jackson
|
169-95*
|
|
18 & Under
Intermediate
|
Woodstock, Georgia
Stacey Tuchmann
|
Louisville, Kentucky
Thad Keal
|
35-14
|
This year’s event drew the top coed 59 teams from throughout Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. A team match consists of boys’ and girls’ singles, boys’ and girls’ doubles, and mixed doubles.
Champions in 14 and under and 18 and under levels have the opportunity to advance to the USTA Junior Team Tennis Championships to be played at the same two sites. The 14s Championships are Oct. 15-18. The 18s Championships are Oct. 22-25.