USA Adult League Tennis is off and running in Pinellas with 40 women's teams and 34 men's squads.
Teams are divided into six levels for the women and four for the men. Levels 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5 include two singles positions and three doubles per squad, and 5.0 consists of one singles slot and two doubles.
The largest level in both leagues is 3.5, with 15 for the women divided into three sub-divisions and 16 in the men's divided similarly. Veteran coordinators Carol Levin (for the women) and Clark Higgs (men) scheduled opening matches last month.
"Our team last year was a first-year team, with a lot of the players moving up from 3.0," said Judy Dunne, McMullen's 3.5 Pelican captain. "We kept playing after the season, and that helped us for this year.
"We've played the other three teams in our division and won them all, so we're feeling confident, but we don't want to get careless," she said. "We play each team three times, so we have a ways to go."
Countryside Country Club 3.0 captain Rachel Mayhew is positive about her squad, which raced to a 4-0 record.
"We're off to a good start, and we're working hard trying to get it together," Mayhew said.
"Our goal is to get to Longboat Key for regionals. This is our second year together as basically the same team as last. We've got a great group of girls, all with the same goal." The first season Mayhew played, Countryside won no matches. The second year, it posted one victory. Last season's team was one match out of third place, so the players' hopes are high.
"We have some tough challenges yet, and three especially tough matches yet to play, so we need to stay focused," Mayhew said. "A lot of it is strategy and getting the right mix."
New to the women's league is the 2.5 level with three squads and the 5.0 with two. There are two teams in 4.5 and 11 in 4.0.
On the men's side, the 3.0 level increased to seven squads, 4.0 to seven and 4.5 to four.
"We're a brand new team that was put together just a couple of weeks before the season began," said Mark Mazo, Royal Racquet Club's 4.5 captain. "Some of the players are from different teams from last year, others haven't played in a while, and some are from the K-Swiss league."
There's a combination of older and younger Royal Racquet players. Several are on the winning team in the senior 4.5 league, for members at least 50.
"We play each of the other three teams three times and feel we have a good shot," Mazo said. "We looked at the Treasure Bay team as the team to beat. We played them our first match and edged them out 3-2."
Competition continues through the end of June.Winners advance to regional playoffs in July, with champions qualifying for the state tournament. State champs will battle for national titles.
NET SHOTS: Mark Wagner defended his top seed with a straight-set victory in the men's 40-and-over division of the Hunter's Green Adult Challenge.
Finalists were Alex Deeb (50 singles) and Michael Halisky (open). Gerry Barna won the 50 consolation crown.
Top-seeded Caitlin Jammo captured the girls 16-and-under singles title in Sarmiento's Annual Championships. Other champs were Alyssa Bellini (12) and Robert Perry (boys 10). Consolation winners included Margeaux Sowell (girls 12), Agatha Ambrozy (10) and Matt Herrock (boys 14).
Kirk Kucin was runnerup in the boys 14 singles in the Clearwater Spring Classic. Among the consolation winners were Macey Cook (girls 12), Amy Lowther (10), Julian Matusewicz (boys 14) and Robert Dvorak (10).
STF CORNER: The Suncoast Tennis Foundation invites local enthusiasts to learn about the U.S. Tennis Association's new initiative at www.TennisWelcomeCenter.com It includes public and private facilities that join in partnership with the industry to help the sport grow. There are 14 Pinellas facilities registered and on the website. Other facilities are encouraged to join the initiative.
SUPER SENIORS: Westin Innisbrook Resort's 3.5 women's team continued its winning ways with a 3-0 victory over East Lake on Monday, boosting its record to 7-0. Two weeks of matches remain.
In men's 3.5 competition, Phil Green Tennis Academy has clinched the North division. The squad enters a four-team playoff with second-place St. Pete Tennis Center and South champion Shipwatch Tennis Club and runnerup Countryside.
The men's and women's winners advance to the state championship, April 30-May 2 in Daytona Beach.
SUPER 70 DOUBLES: The PGTA 3.5 men's team, with Joe Gari as captain, won the inaugural USA Tennis Florida League. The squad advances to the state tournament, April 16-18 in Daytona Beach, along with Bardmoor Golf and Tennis Club's 3.5 women. PGTA-Gari was 8-0 among five teams and includes Dick Lashley, Bob Anderson, Hugh Swift, Bill West, Frank Ingram, Richard Lambert and Tim Szazynski.
THE GOOD LIFE: Women's singles winners in the Good Life Games at Largo's Southwest Complex included Donna Ketchum (50-54), Maureen Sternberg (60-64), Ruth Fellmuth (70-74), Millie Steckman (75-79) and Joan Malone (80-84). Men's champions were Dennis Sweeney (50-54), Lew Kennedy (60-64), Dennis McDaniel (65-69), Ray Nygen (70-74), Johnie Howard (75-79), Oscar Steckman (80-84) and Walter Janowski (85-89). In mixed doubles, Maureen and Ron Sternberg won the 60-64 division, Eileen Kitzmiller and Phil Bayly 65-69, Dee and Johnie Howard 70-74, the Steckmans 75-79 and Malone and Leo Holland 80-84.
Bayly teamed with John Miller to capture the 60-64 doubles, Sternberg and Bill Speckman topped 65-69 and Arthur Davis and William Eldred took 85-89. John Cronin paired with Lou DeBee to win 75-79 and with Bill Ketterer to claim 80-84. Myrna Reich and Marilyn Spicer won the women's 60-64 title.
Winners qualify for the Florida Senior Games, Dec. 4-12 at The Villages in Polk County. The top two finishers there advance to the National Senior Games, scheduled for 2005 in Pittsburgh, Pa. THIS WEEKEND: Bardmoor plays host to the inaugural Climb for Cancer Foundation Golf and Tennis Pro-Am beginning Friday with a clinic. Activities continue through Sunday. Among the pros scheduled to participate are Kathy Rinaldi, Katrina Adams, Tom Gullickson, Brian Gottfried and MaliVai Washington. For information, call 391-2205.
COMING UP: The East Lake Spring Junior Rookie begins Saturday. For information, call (727) 785-2212. ... The Safety Harbor Spring Classic is April 16-18. The tournament is for adult singles players in the 35-and-older, 45, 55, 65, 75 and open divisions. Call (727) 724-7729.
