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© St. Petersburg Times, published May 29, 2002
Competition heats up Friday in the USA Tennis Florida Super Senior Sectional Championships for players 60 and older.
Local teams have an edge this weekend. The host sites are in Pinellas County at East Lake Woodlands and Countryside Country Club.
Representing the area are the Phil Green Tennis Academy's 3.5 men's team and women's teams from Spring Hill (3.0), Westin Innisbrook Resort (3.5) and Treasure Island Tennis and Yacht Club (4.0).
There are 25 women's teams among the 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0 levels and 22 men's teams.
"We're ready to defend our title in the 3.5, and it helps to be so close to home," PGTA team captain Joe Gari said.
Gari, Richard Hough, John Kuhn, Dick Lashley, David Wisotsky, Fred Elflein and Willie Coquelet participated on last year's 3.5 state championship team -- then based at Innisbrook -- and are on this year's as well.
Rounding out the 13-player team is Bill Schieman, Glenn Merrer, Woody Woodbury, Bill Hill, Bob Berkstresser and Bob Anderson.
PGTA, based at Safety Harbor Spa, is made up of players from Pasco and Pinellas counties. The team was unbeaten in the regular season and defeated the St. Petersburg Tennis Center 3-0 in a playoff to qualify for the sectional.
The Innisbrook women's 3.5 team is also made up of Pasco and Pinellas players.
With Maureen Sternberg the captain, Innisbrook won its local league with a 5-1 record. Members include Phyllis Gary, Joan Holland, Judy Murphy, Midge Spaulding, Sue Luidens, Nancy Kraemer, Jean McKenzie, Kathie Roberts, Marilyn Linker and Anne Hammond.
In Flight I, PGTA plays Tallahassee on Friday at Countryside, followed by a match with Rockledge. Saturday's matches at East Lake include Vero Beach and Lakeland. The team with the best record among the five advances to Sunday's final at Countryside with the best team from Flight II.
Innisbrook plays a round-robin format with Satellite Beach and Jacksonville on Friday at East Lake, Ocala and Sarasota on Saturday at Countryside and Naples on Sunday at East Lake. The team with the best record among the six will be the state champion.
PLAYERS FOR CHARITY: Participating in the Morton Plant Mease Memorial Day Tournament at East Lake Woodlands last weekend were Pasco's Kerri Goldberg, Sternberg, Larry and Sue Gray, Mike Longworth and Neil Barnes.
Goldberg paired with Crescent Oaks teaching professional Matt Kleber to win the mixed doubles open in five straight-sets matches. Sternberg teamed with Carolyn Speckman to reach the semifinal round in the 3.5 women's doubles. The Grays lost in the first round of the 3.5 mixed division. Longworth and Gray fell to the eventual men's 3.5 doubles champions but won the consolation draw. Barnes and Steve Hueholt of Trinity fell to one of the finalists in the 4.0 men's doubles.
MEMORIES IN CLEARWATER: Lorinda Boothman of Wesley Chapel upset the girls 18 No. 2 seed, as did Wesley Chapel's Sarah Svoboda the No. 1 seed, to reach the final in the state-sanctioned junior singles event. Boothman won 6-2, 6-1. No. 2 seed Yuri Kurashima won the consolation.
Wesley Chapel's Jose Luis Muguruza beat Clearwater's Patrick Gleason for the boys 18 title.
COMING UP: Train Smart Junior Championships are this weekend at the Arbor Greene Fitness and Athletic Club in Tampa. Call Alan Williams, (813) 991-9741, today.