News

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Teams representing 17 cities/counties throughout Florida will meet this weekend on Oct. 22-24, 2010, to determine which squads will represent USTA Florida at nationals during the 2010 USTA Florida Adult Mixed 8.0/9.0/10.0 Championships at the Florida Tennis Center in Daytona Beach.

Jacksonville will defend its 10.0 state title from 2009 when it finished ahead of second-place Sarasota, which also returns to the Florida Section championship in 2010. The defending champion in the 8.0 division, St. Pete/Clearwater, did not qualify for the Florida Section tournament in 2010, nor did last year’s 9.0 champion South Miami Dade.

“The competition is intense each year to qualify for the Florida Section Championships, and we will see some new championship cities representing the section at nationals after this weekend,” said Jodi Manning, mixed leagues coordinator for USTA Florida. “Ocala and South Miami Dade have been the teams to beat, each winning two Florida Sectional titles so far this fall in the adult and senior mixed divisions.”

The USTA League groups players by six National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP) levels, ranging from 2.5 (beginner) to 5.0 (advanced). Mixed doubles teams are comprised of two players whose combined ratings are no more than a 1.0 differential, and add up to their division limit or less (example: a 9.0 mixed doubles team could be a 4.5 woman and a 4.5 man, or a 4.0 and 5.0).

Teams competing this weekend:

8.0 Division — Brevard County (captain Keith Howard), Broward County (Cindy Zimmerman), Emerald Coast (Michelle Walker), Gainesville/Lake City (Norma Banes), Hillsborough (Raymond Haga), Jacksonville (Russ McGinley), Lee/Charlotte counties (Kenneth Ebersole), Naples (Bruce Rosenblatt), Ocala (Kar Yee Fransham), Orlando (Tina Mundelein), Pinellas County (Pamela Hodges), Polk County (James Whitaker), Sarasota (Janet Sperling), South Miami-Dade (Dawn Schlesinger), Tallahassee (Mitchell Rogers), Treasure Coast (Julie Baker), Volusia/Flagler counties (Michael Sanders).

9.0 Division — Brevard County (captain Ryan McGill), Broward County (Ann Spalding), Gainesville/Lake City (Donald Blair), Hillsborough (Dave Gunn), Jacksonville (Kelly Googe), Lee/Charlotte counties (Carolyn Lawver), Naples (Robert Baker), Ocala (Jason Weiss), Orlando (Terry Montville), Pensacola (Wanda Taylor), Pinellas County (Linda Thomson), Sarasota (Barbara Lancer), Tallahassee (Larry Johnson), Treasure Coast (Ray McNulty).

10.0 Division — Jacksonville (captain Cynthia McGehee), Sarasota (Kristina von Kessel).

The 9.0 winner will represent USTA Florida at the 2010 USTA League 9.0 Mixed National Championships on Nov. 12-14, 2010, at the Hilton El Conquistador Tucson in Tucson, Ariz. The 8.0 and 10.0 winners will compete at the 2010 USTA League 8.0 & 10.0 Mixed National Championships on Nov. 19-21, 2010, at the same location.

USTA Florida Adult Mixed Champions advancing to nationals thus far in 2010:

2.5 Adult Mixed – Ocala (Fort King Tennis Center)

6.0 Adult Mixed — Polk County (Lake Wales Country Club)

6.0 Senior Mixed — Tallahassee

7.0 Adult Mixed — Ocala (Golden Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club)

7.0 Senior Mixed — South Miami-Dade (South Dade YMCA Tennis Center)

8.0 Senior Mixed — South Miami-Dade (South Dade YMCA Tennis Center)

9.0 Senior Mixed – Hillsborough County (Harbour Island Athletic Club/Tampa)