2009 USTA/Mid-Atlantic Sectional Senior Champions and Finalists: 11 Winners Advance to Nationals

 

 

 

 

 

2009 USTA/Mid-Atlantic Sectional

Senior Champions and Finalists

11 Winners Advance to Nationals

NEWPORT NEWS, VA—USTA/Mid-Atlantic Sectional Senior League Champions are 3.0 Men (Captain Hidolfo Nepomuceno), 3.0 Women (Captain Carolyn Mitchell), 3.5 Men (Captain Doug Bretz), 3.5 Women (Captain Barbara Hobbie), 4.0 Men (Captain Lowell Hill), 4.0 Women (Captain Jane Lowry), 4.5 Men (Captain Bennett Sweren), 4.5 Women (captain Wynn Cooper), 6.0 Mixed (Captains Jon Smith and James Dorf), 7.0 Mixed (Captain David Pilkins), and 8.0 Mixed (Captains Tony Acosta and Wendy Burnley).  

 

3.0 Men’s Champion: VA-Richmond

Front, L-R: Captain Hidolfo Nepomuceno, David Eggerding, Jeff Beall, Aurelio David, Ned Daly. Back: John Old, David Simmons, Randy Phillips, Rocky Brecht. Not pictured: Robert Partington, Jim Wetzel, Mark Pinsker, Glenn Gilbreath.

 

3.0 Men’s Finalist: MD-Carroll

Front, L-R: Dave Paulson, Kirti Bhavsar, Larry Olsen, Chuck Semich. Back: Jim Alvey, Vin Grabill, John Ringstad, captain Dave Thompson. Not pictured: Jerry Berkow, Phil Eichmiller, Jim Biedron, Jeff Laub, Peter Van Berkum, George Simmons.

 

3.0 Women’s Champion: MD-Howard

Front, L-R: Mike Mitchell, Sharon Davis, Sheila Farrell, Linda Stelly, Karen Laforme, Angela Young, Cyndi Mullen, Leslie MacFarlane. Back: Linda Geisler, Mary Bielelfeld, Marie Kerins, captain Carolyn Mitchell. Not pictured: Sarah Rennie, Arianne Monroe, Nanette Thomas, Eileen Dewey, Wendy Matthews, Karen Lackler, Bonnie Wylie.

 

3.0 Women’s Finalist: VA-Shenandoah

Front, L-R: Wanda Bensenhaver, Sandy Vess, Jean King, Linda Rudy. Back: Captain Lynn Welsh, Penny Haag, Tracy Anderson. Not pictured: BJ Fawcett.

 

3.5 Men’s Champion: VA-Richmond

Front, L-R: Charlie Verdery, Rick Bohrer, Jeff Begin, Tom Robertson. Back: Jack Berry, Steve Rosser, Brian Monbouquette. Not pictured: Joe Hutchison, captain Doug Bretz, Bob Adelaar, Bill Patten.

 

3.5 Men’s Finalist: MD-Baltimore

L-R:  Captain Steve Hill, Jack Ramey, Randy Martin, Andy Mullins, captain Pete Levy. Not pictured: Joe Hayward, Dennis Herman, Larry Collins, Scott Coury, Chris Beyrer, Mike Stevens, Bob Gisriel.

 

3.5 Women’s Champion: VA-NOVA

 

3.5 Women’s Finalist: VA-Virginia Beach

 

Front, L-R: Captain Donna Topham, Karen Scott, Linda Mixner, Susan Leslie, Billie Kasmark, Lynn Utecht, Michele Fischer. Back: Linda Sidone, Linda Cedo, Sharron Woods, Sarah McKown, Rosie Oneill. Not pictured: Sharon Gore.

 

4.0 Men’s Champion: VA-Roanoke

 Front, L-R: Bill Haynie, Randy Dickey, Skip Hamilton. Back: captain Lowell Hill, Tracy Sledd, John Bernard, Alan Bartley. Not pictured: David McCray, William Nicholas, Earl Dodson.

 

4.0 Men’s Finalist: MD-Howard

Front, L-R: Howard Staley, Rick Tyng, captain Ben Sandler, Jordan Schlick, Frank Ziegler. Back: Brian Stephens, Steve McCoy, Jim Hobart, Ed Stone. Not pictured: Randy Grobaker, Richard Smith.

 

4.0 Women’s Champion: VA-Richmond

L-R: Jane Taft, Norma Kimbrel, Cheryl Law, captain Jane Lowry, Pam Walsh, Beth Motley, Denise Moore. Not pictured: Barbara Warnick, Linda Battle, Valerie Caldwell, Robin Hatcher, Debbie Kelley.

 

4.5 Men’s Champion: MD-Anne Arundel

Front, L-R: Rieck Foelber, captain Bennett Sweren, Brackie Mitchell, Randy Langis. Back: Tad Stellmann, George Grose, Harold Burgin. Not pictured: George Duncan, Tom Keigler, Lee Gaines, Mike Barnes.

4.5 Men’s Finalist: MD-Montgomery

Not pictured: Captain Thomas Langenderfer, Gordon Mikkelson, John Theis, Richard Minor, John Chin, John Houghton, William Schmidt, David Shefsky, Gary Lyst Sr., David Wendt.

 

4.5 Women’s Champion: VA-NOVA

Front, L-R: Lisa McGillis, Shelley Fu, Bev Vayhinger, Ann Grubbs, Chung Bell, Roxana Schwenk. Back: Clover Arthur-Ellis, Jill Fitzgerald, Joni Coleman. Not pictured: Anne Topp, captain Wynn Cooper, Debby Broadus, Lin Borcherding, Yvonne Smart, Deborah Jones, Teresa Nyberg-Grim, Laurie Stien, Christine Gericke, Sue Kansteiner.

 

4.5 Women’s Finalist: VA-Virginia Beach

Front, L-R: Nancy Hammond, Diane Deaton. Back: Captain Molly Nissman, True Caprio, Sylvia Deaton, Laura Stone. Not pictured: Brenda Winstead, Diana Kitt, Russie Snyder.

6.0 Champion: MD-Howard

Front, L-R: Mike Mitchell, Linda Stelly, Sheila Farrell, Dottie Zurnedden, Shanna Hayward, Susanne Clawson, co-captain James Dorf. Back: Co-captain Jon Smith, Steve Ring, Doug Almeida, Dana Plude, Jim Alvey. Not pictured: Roger Chouinard, Julie Copty, Dave Epstein, Judy Cappello, Donna Considine, John Hsu.

6.0 Finalist: MD-Montgomery

Not pictured: Captain Barbara Rosen, Michele Cimbala, Barbara Rosen, Kevin Webb, Selma Hall, Sharon Helms, Robert Helms, Greg Crider, John Harrington, David Finlay, Susan Greenwood, Patti Wiemers, Levi Malangyaon, Julie McConnell.

 

7.0 Champion: VA-NOVA

Front, L-R: Brian Truong, Tracy Mooney, Mazie Efinger, Heather Glynn. Back: Captain David Pilkins, Doug Rice, Walt Bohrer. Not pictured: Crystal Pilkins, Charlene Berry, Dave Creek, Mary Schmitt, Andrew Patterson, Jennifer Draves, Karen Creek, Stephanie Almeida, Karen Rice, Skip Redman, Ruth Molnar, Norris Middleton, Wil Creech, Charles Redman, Steve Mooney.

 

7.0 Finalist: MD-Montgomery

Front, L-R: Denise Ferrenz, Terri Fepelstein, Teresa Wallendjack, captain Bob Medbery, Maria Marques, Paula Caswell, Mary Roth. Back: Captain Mark Wallendjack, Kevin O’Reilly, Al Laich, James Roth. Not pictured: Jeffery Roth, Roy Gordon, Al McCoubrey, Elizabeth Baker.

8.0 Champion: VA-NOVA

Front, L-R: Tammy Damizo, Missy Topp, Shelley Fu, Jocelyn Berube, captain Wendy Burnley, captain Tony Acosta, Yvonne Acosta, Bev Vayhinger, Tim Alford, Steve Flurry. Back: George Christoforatos, Geider Chen, Bruce Cooke, Fouzi Hajinur. Not pictured: Rodney Payne, Linda Trippett, Steve Tees, Anne Topp, Tamara D’Amico, Lisa Rieve, Teresa Nyberg-Grim, Ben Moss.

8.0 Finalist: MD-Montgomery

Front, L-R: Captain Paula Schlosser, Sharon Tennyson, Walt Bohrer, Janet Kramer. Back: Randy Scott, Susan Dolinka, Dave Porter. Not pictured: Patti Hagemann, Don Hicks, Anne Hicks, Joe Beitz, Dave Procida, Gary Lyst Sr., Debbie Humphries.

		Cyndi Mullen congratulates Howard County, MD 3.0 women's captain Carolyn Mitchell on their victory as Angela Young looks on. (Kathryn Barrett photo)

Superlative Senior Tennis

at Mid-Atlantic Sectional Championships

11 Teams Win Titles & Will Advance to Nationals

By Kathryn Barrett

But don’t let the word "senior" tennis fool you. Senior league tennis is just as enthusiastic and as competitive as any other age group.

"Come on!" could be heard coming from many courts. Applause rang out as spouses and teammates cheered on their fellow teammates.

"Competition is just as tough," said Dave Eggerding of Midlothian, Virginia, of the difference between senior and adult league tennis. " At the 3.0 level, seniors is not easy."

Eggerding and teammates from the Atlantic Coast Athletic Club, representing Richmond, Virginia, celebrated their victory in the 3.0 men’s sectional championship.

Team captain Dolphy Nepomuceno, also of Midlothian, said the competition was tight. His team won 2-1 the first day, 3-0 on the second day and the final day’s matches included two 10-point tiebreaks.

"It was pretty close,’ Nepomuceno emphasized. The Richmond team won each of its three final matches and will head to nationals.

Of tennis competition after age 50, Eggerding added, "No question about it. You get a little more skill; a little less athleticism."

"They’re crafty and smart and experienced," agreed Molly Nissman, captain of the "Mo’ Tennis" team representing Virginia Beach, Virginia. Nissman’s 4.5 senior women’s team went to nationals last year and finished as a finalist this year. "What we (seniors) lack in physical agility we make up for in mental ability," she exclaimed, and her team cheered her comments.

Bill Fitzgibbon, USTA league administrator for Virginia, pointed out that many senior tennis players are even smarter players than they were earlier on.

As he volunteered at the tournament desk, he explained, "Seniors know how to construct a point." He added, "They’re not out there just to keep the point going."

Seniors are versatile, too. In fact, Nissman’s team included members who play in super seniors and adult leagues, too. Even their team name is versatile. The team name Mo’ Tennis stands for More tennis, Molly’s tennis or even, Nissman joked, Mojito tennis. "Take your pick," she laughed.

The senior league tennis tournament wasn’t without drama. "Hectic. Filled with anticipation and anxiety." That’s how Angela Young of Baltimore County, Maryland, described her team’s tournament experience.

Her team, under captain Carolyn Mitchell, is the first 3.0 senior women’s team representing Howard County, Maryland, to go to districts, sectionals and, soon, to nationals.

"We’re the ‘Columbia Senior Dream Team,’" proclaimed Marie Kerins of Columbia, Maryland. How so? She explained that the team just "came together" and teammate Leslie Macfarlane added, "Everything just fell into place."

 Moments after receiving their trophies, Mitchell placed a call to Brendon Travis, their tennis coach back in Maryland.

"We won!" they shouted in unison, as they circled around her cell phone and told him to pack his bags for their trip to the national championships in Tucson, Arizona.

The 3.0 women’s finalists representing the Shenandoah, Virginia, league also exuded enthusiasm. "Senior spirit is alive and well," exclaimed Sandy Vess of Winchester, Virginia.

Shenandoah captain Lynn Welsh of Summit Point, West Virginia, summed up senior tennis as being "scary but wonderful." She’s already planning to return with her team next year.

Team member Penny Haag of Winchester, Virginia, said younger tennis players at her club can’t wait to turn 50, so they will be eligible to play in the senior league. "They count down the days…. because they know we have so much fun!"

  Tournament Director Pam Leibfreid stated that the weather was great, tennis was excellent, and the tournament ran smoothly. "A good time was had by all," she added.

The 3.0 Women's Sectional Championship team awaits the trophy presentation. From left: Carolyn Mitchell, Karen Laforme, Angela Young, Linda Geisler, Marie Kerins, Mary Bielefeld, Leslie Macfarlane, Sharon Davis, and Cyndi Mullen. (Kathryn Barrett photo)

 

 

 

Mid-Atlantic Leagues Assistant Hayley Hughes arranges the 3.0 Men's Champions' team portrait. (Kathryn Barrett photo)

Tournament Director Pam Leibfreid helps 3.0 men's captain Dolphy Nepomuceno sign the winner's paperwork. (Kathryn Barrett photo)

The 3.0 women's champions captain Carolyn Mitchell, Linda Geisler and Marie Kerins phone home to team tennis pro Brendon Travis with news of their victory. (Kathryn Barrett photo)

Hayley Hughes prepares for a trophy presentation at the winner's table. (Kathryn Barrett photo)

The 3.0 women's champions representing Howard County, MD, are all smiles. (Kathryn Barrett photo)

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