Preview: 2014 USTA Florida Combo 50 & Over League Championships

Forty-six Florida local league champion teams will meet in Daytona Beach this weekend to determine state winners at the 2014 USTA Florida Combo 50 & Over League Sectional Championships, held at the Florida Tennis Center on Dec. 12-14.

All five divisional champions from 2013 return to the Florida Tennis Center in an attempt to successfully defend their titles from last year. Winning teams making a return trip are Escambia County (Men’s 6.5 Division), Hillsborough County (Women’s 8.5), Marion County (Men’s 7.5), and Pinellas County (Women’s 6.5 and 7.5).

Other teams competing represent Alachua, Brevard, Collier, Duval, Indian River/St. Lucie/Martin counties, Lee-Charlotte, Leon, North Palm Beach, Sarasota/Manatee, South Miami-Dade, and Volusia/Flagler counties.

The competing teams represented various clubs, parks, recreational departments and organizations, and finished at the top of their local leagues during the 2014 season in the state of Florida to advance to the USTA Florida Combo 50 & Over Sectional Championships.

For Combo 50 & Over 6.5-8.5 doubles-only division play, the combined NTRP (National Tennis Rating Program) ratings of each doubles team may not exceed the level in which they are competing, and the NTRP rating difference between members of an individual doubles pair may not exceed 0.5. For more information on NTRP levels go to www.usta.com/Adult-Tennis/USTA-League/Information/About_NTRP.

Participating teams:

MEN’S PARTICIPATING TEAMS

Men’s 6.5 Division
Alachua County (captain: Richard Menendez)
Escambia County (David Del Gallo)

Men’s 7.5 Division — Flight 1
Alachua County (captain: Tim Bottcher)
Hillsborough County (Joe Obusek)
Leon County (Anthony Cammarata)
Pinellas County (David King)
South Miami-Dade County (Raul Moskovitz)
Flight 2
Collier County (Randie Fischel)
Duval County (Ladson Montgomery)
Lee/Charlotte counties (Kevin Bouffard)
Marion County (Efren Vasquez)
Sarasota/Manatee counties (Matt Kluding)

Men’s 8.5 Division
Escambia County (captain: Rick Cuny)
Hillsborough County (Barney Bailey)
Pinellas County (David King)

WOMEN’S PARTICIPATING TEAMS

Women’s 6.5 Division — Flight 1
Collier County (captain: Karen Lewis)
Lee/Charlotte counties (Cindy Stevens)
Pinellas County (Leslie Vann)
Flight 2
Duval County (Karen Sayre)
Hillsborough County (Erin Vickers)
Leon County (Debbie Hall)
South Miami-Dade County (Jackie Thayer)
Flight 3
Alachua County (Erin Vickers)
Escambia County (Jacqueline Wallace)
Indian River/St. Lucie/Martin counties (Mary Shing)
Marion County (Roseann Fusco)

Women’s 7.5 Division — Flight 1
Alachua County (captain: Libby Smith)
Brevard County (Aparna Kopuri)
Leon County (Wanda Peterson)
North Palm Beach County (Regina Goss)
Flight 2
Escambia County (Constant Change)
Indian River/St. Lucie/Martin counties (Pamela Rucks)
Pinellas County (Janet Matthews)
South Miami-Dade County (Rosy Bild)
Flight 3
Collier County (Minok Allen)
Hillsborough County (Hannah Gabora)
Lee/Charlotte counties (Kristy Brooks)
Marion County (April Manley)
Sarasota/Manatee counties (Ruth Harshman)

Women’s 8.5 Division — Flight 1
Pinellas County (captain: Valerie Schaefer)
Sarasota/Manatee counties (Lorraine Varone)
Volusia/Flagler counties (Melinda Alexander)
Flight 2
Duval County (Margaret Hatfield)
Hillsborough County (Emily Signoracci)
Marion County (Valerie Elvin)
South Miami-Dade County (Rose Haney)