Adult Combo Doubles League competition concluded for 23 women's teams with three collecting local league championships to advance to state competition in January. Men's teams in 6.5 and 7.5 finish this weekend and the 8.5 begins its season Saturday.
St. Petersburg Country Club won the 8.5 among five teams, Safety Harbor Spa the 7.5 among six and Countryside Country Club the 6.5 with four teams. In a second 6.5 division, eight teams competed in a night league with another Countryside team winning. The night league will not advance to the state tournament.
"We didn't even know we would go on to state," said SPCC 8.5 captain Liz Schroeder. "We just knew we wanted to play. I found that playing just one time a week was getting harder to find a group to play. I wanted to play more than just once in a while."
Turtle Burton suggested Schroeder play in the Combo League and soon thereafter Schroeder was the team captain and calling her friends to play.
"Every Tuesday we played it was like a homecoming," Schroeder said. "I had played at SPJC with Paula Castora, and Sharon Cowan and I played doubles together on a team that went to 4.5 league nationals in the 80s."
Soon, Schroeder had a team of 11 players, including 4.5 NTRP rated players Schroeder, Castora, Maria Drew and Margaret Roset joined by seven rated 4.0 - Burton, Cowan, Lyn Ballinger, Ann Worthington, Susan Hobbs, Norma Rizzo and Sherri Ebelke.
Schroeder's team lost its opening match to St. Petersburg Tennis Center, then won five consecutive before Shipwatch Tennis Club handed them its second loss. With a 5-2 record, a playoff was set up with SPTC to determine the local champion.
Against SPTC, SPCC's No. 2 Roset and Ballinger won 6-4, 6-4 and SPTC's No. 3 Jackie Keller and Joanne Valone answered with a 6-3, 7-5 win. Schroeder and Cowan won a third-set tiebreaker in No. 1 to assure the league win for SPCC.
For about 12 years, Schroeder has worked with the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour and is its IT manager of ranking and statistics. Her job, along with family responsibilities, limit the former teaching professional's opportunity to play. The combo league, she said, answered that void.
The Spa 7.5 squad also entered a playoff to determine the league winner. The Spa, who collected a 7-3 season record, beat Royal Racquet Club 2-1 to advance to the state level.
Countryside was the outright winner with an 8-1 record in the 6.5.
In the second 6.5 division held in the evening, Countryside was unbeaten in four matches and will participate in a playoff with a second Countryside team.
In men's Adult Combo Doubles League action, Feather Sound Country Club added a fifth win in the 6.5 division with a 3-0 win last weekend over the Renaissance Vinoy. A win Saturday over McMullen will clinch the division.
McMullen's 7.5 squad is 6-0 and closely followed by Largo 5-1. Saturday, the division concludes.
This weekend, the four-team 8.5 division opens.
Local winners advance to the state tournament in January at Daytona Beach.
TENNIS RETURNS TO SPC: Women's tennis is returning to St. Petersburg College this fall. SPC is reviving its women's tennis team that last competed intercollegiately during the early 1980s.
SPC's return to competition raises the number of Florida community colleges offering the women's program to five. The others include Broward, Hillsborough, Central Florida and Florida community colleges.
Last year, Broward defeated Hillsborough for the national title.
Nine player scholarships are available and the school is searching for a head coach.
NET SHOTS: Danielle Collins, 12, claimed the girls 12-and-under No. 1 singles spot in the nation. Collins of St. Petersburg raised her ranking to No. 1 after winning the national clay court championships, the Florida State Closed and finishing second in the national hard courts. Collins has accrued a 70-8 match record.
- More than 60 participants attended last weekend's USTA Florida Recreational Coach Workshop at the St. Petersburg Tennis Center.
Attending were teaching professionals and volunteers from Pinellas public and private tennis clubs, as well as those from the Bradenton and Tampa areas. Attendees experienced hands-on grassroots program training under the direction of USTA national trainers Jeff Davis and Rita Gladstone. Julie Panton hosted the training.
- Girls 12 top seed Yasmin Franco and boys 12 No. 3 Andrew Roy collected singles titles in Largo's Hot, Hot, Hot Rookie Tournament. Finalists included Jackson Kettell in the boys 14, Cameron Lothridge 16, Aaron Carey 10 and Erica Scaglione girls 14.
Claiming consolation wins were Alexis Franco in girls 10, Jessica Stephens 12, Samantha Stearns 14 and Steven Bruzek boys 12.
COMING UP: A Meet-the-Club Labor Day Weekend Round Robin is planned Sept. 2 at the St. Petersburg Tennis Center. Cost is $20 per player and there is a 40-player limit. For details, contact Motez Robinson, 823-2225. ...The SPTC hosts its Junior Super Series Tournament beginning Saturday. Call 823-2225.
News for this column may be faxed to Nancy Morgan, 445-4119; e-mailed to namorgan@tampabay.rr.com or sent to 710 Court St., Clearwater, FL 33756. Please include phone number.
