SAN JUAN MEN’S & WOMEN’S TENNIS TEAMS CROWNED NATIONAL CHAMPIONS AT
USTA LEAGUE ADULT 18 & OVER 3.0
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS TOURNAMENT
TUCSON, Ariz.
– Both the men’s and women’s tennis teams from San Juan, P.R.,
representing the USTA Caribbean Section, captured the national
titles at the USTA League Adult 18 & Over 3.0 National Championships
held at the Jim Reffkin Tennis Center in Tucson, Ariz. on Sunday, Sept.
29.
Established
in 1980, USTA League has grown from 13,000 participants in a few parts
of the country in its first year, to over 820,000 players across the
nation today,
making it the world’s largest recreational tennis league.
Men’s 18 & Over 3.0
The
San Juan men’s team team defeated the USTA Hawaii Section team from
Honolulu, 5-0, in the Championship match. Earlier in the day, the San
Juan team also defeated the USTA New
England team from Worcester, Mass. 5-0 in the semifinals. They advanced
this far by winning their round-robin flight contested Friday and Saturday.
The
team is captained by Hector Baez-Ramos and features players Gabriel O.
Droz, Gabriel Oscar Hernandez, Carlos Zayas Velez, Carlos Rodriguez,
Hector Luis Losada Colon, Giovanni
Ortiz, Xavier Arnaldo Santos Morales, Fernando Figueroa Lozano, Edwin
Andre Ramos Merced, Fernando Fernandez and Gerardo Silva.
The
top four teams in order of finish are: USTA Caribbean (San Juan, P.R.),
USTA Hawaii (Honolulu, Hawaii), USTA Southwest (Phoenix, Ariz.) and
USTA New England (Worcester, Mass.).
Women’s 18 & Over 3.0
The
San Juan women’s team defeated a team from Seattle, Wash., representing
the USTA Pacific Northwest Section, 3-2, in the Championship match.
Earlier in the day, the San Juan team
defeated the hometown team from Tucson, 4-1, in the semifinals. They
advanced this far by winning their round-robin flight contested Friday and Saturday.
The
team is captained by Adrian Hernandez and features players Zahira Marie
Altieri, Stephanie N. Stoddard, Dulce Maria Cruz, Carel Rosado, Karina
Veronica Baez, Claudia Rivera,
Francine Babilonia, Virgin Casillas Rodriguez, Irmannette Torres-Lugo,
Keissa Acevedo and Gabriela Acevedo.
The
top four teams in order of finish are: USTA Caribbean (San Juan, P.R.),
USTA Pacific Northwest (Seattle, Wash.), USTA Northern California
(Sunnyvale, Calif.) and USTA Southwest
(Tucson, Ariz.).
USTA
League was established to provide adult recreational tennis players
throughout the country with the opportunity to compete against players
of similar ability levels.
Players participate on teams in a league format, which is administered
by the USTA through its 17 Sections. 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.
Beginning
with the 2013 National Championship season, USTA League changed its
structure and format. The change offers USTA League participants three
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.
The restructuring guarantees more frequency of play opportunities at
more appropriate age groups.
Head Penn Racquet Sports is in its 26th year as official ball of USTA League.
# # #
The USTA
is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the United
States and the leader in promoting and developing the growth
of tennis at every level, from local communities to the highest level
of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization with more than
770,000 members, it invests 100 percent of its proceeds in growing the
game. It owns and operates the US Open, the
highest-attended annual sporting event in the world, and launched the
Emirates Airline US Open Series, linking nine summer tournaments to the
US Open. In addition, it owns approximately 90 Pro Circuit events
throughout the U.S. and selects the teams for the
Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. The USTA’s national
charitable foundation, USTA Serves, provides grants and scholarships and
helps underserved youth and people with disabilities. For more
information on the USTA, log on to usta.com, “like”
the official Facebook page, facebook.com/usta, or follow @usta on Twitter.
PHOTOS ATTACHED
Men’s Left to Right –
Gabriel O. Droz, Gabriel Oscar Hernandez, Carlos Zayas Velez, Captain
Hector Baez-Ramos, Carlos Rodriguez, Hector Luis
Losada Colon, Giovanni Ortiz, Xavier Arnaldo Santos Morales, Fernando
Figueroa Lozano, Edwin Andre Ramos Merced, Fernando Fernandez, Gerardo
Silva (Photo Credit: USTA)
Women’s Left to Right – Zahira Marie Altieri, Stephanie N. Stoddard, Dulce Maria Cruz, Carel Rosado, Karina Veronica Baez, Claudia Rivera,
Francine Babilonia, Virgin Casillas Rodriguez, Irmannette Torres-Lugo, Keissa Acevedo, Gabriela Acevedo (Photo Credit: USTA)
For more information, contact:
Sarah Houseknecht, BZA PR on behalf of the USTA – (212) 708-1677 /
sarahh@bzapr.com
