BILLIE JEAN KING RETURNS TO SAN DIEGO NEXT WEEK
WITH WORLD TEAMTENNIS JUNIOR NATIONALS
New York, N.Y. (July 30, 2010) --- Sixteen coed junior tennis teams from across the U.S. will compete for a national title at the 2010 World TeamTennis Junior Nationals hosted by Billie Jean King, August 3-5, at the George E. Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego, Calif. The event which was created by King and is now in its 15th year, is a showcase for many of the nation’s most promising junior tennis players.
The WTT Junior Nationals is a national junior invitational event featuring 16 coed teams that will use the World TeamTennis format during their three days of non-elimination draw competition. King, who calls the tournament one of her “favorite moments of the year”, will also spend time with the teens and provide educational seminars on leadership and college.
Action begins on Tuesday at 9 a.m. at the Barnes Tennis Center with the second round set for 1:30 p.m. that afternoon. There are two rounds of action on Wednesday at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The Finals are scheduled for Thursday at 9 a.m. All matches are open to the public.
Team members, ages 14-18, are selected based on their sectional and national rankings, but are not eligible if they attain a ranking of 1-150 on the USTA Seed Selection List as of May of this year. The 16 teams receive grants of $500 each from WTT Charities, Inc. to help bring a coach to assist them.
The tournament follows the WTT non-elimination draw format with the 16 teams divided into four groups. Each team is comprised of three boys, three girls and a coach. Team matches consist of eight events; with two sets each of boys’ singles, girls’ singles, one set of boys’ and girls’ doubles, and two sets of mixed doubles. The first team to reach six games wins each set. A nine-point tiebreaker is played if a set reaches five all. One point is awarded for each game won. If necessary, Overtime and a Supertiebreaker are played to determine the outright winner of the match.
Teamwork, leadership and sportsmanship are key areas of focus for the three-day event. One team will be awarded $1,000 from the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation and the Maureen Connolly Brinker Team Spirit Award which is voted on by coaches, players and tournament officials for a team’s outstanding sportsmanship and camaraderie.
In 2009, World TeamTennis started a new scholarship program to recognize Katherine Willette, who has helped run the event since its’ inception. The Katherine Willette Leadership Scholarship annually awards $300 to one male and one female attendee of WTT Junior Nationals. Winners are chosen based on essays that they submit which demonstrate a variety of lessons learned, friendships made, and the impact of the co-ed team format on the individual player and his or her team.
MEDIA CONTACT: Rosie Crews, WTT PH: 817.684.0366 email: rcrews@wtt.com
Schedule and team rosters to follow.
2010 WTT JUNIOR NATIONALS hosted by Billie Jean King
TEAM COACH
The Crushers (Cal Central Coast Jr. Development) .......................... Bill Dunkle
KCTA Bakersfield Heat (Kern Community Tennis Association) ........ Mark Windes
OC Lightning (Orange County Tennis Association) .......................... A.G. Longoria
SD Attackers (SD Attackers Jr. Team Tennis).................................... Huong Nguyen
Smooth Strokes Academy ................................................................. Alyce Meadors
Southwest Sweetness (USTA Southwest) .......................................... Eric Mitchell
The Waves (Pacific Athletic Club) .................................................... Jim Ault
USTA Eastern ................................................................................... Dan Mansmann
USTA Intermountain ......................................................................... Sue Burke
USTA Middle States .......................................................................... James Phipps
USTA Midwest ................................................................................... Shelly Wild
USTA Northern .................................................................................. Gordon Reid
USTA Pacific Northwest .................................................................... Nancy Ansboury
USTA Southern .................................................................................. Susannah Cook
Team Texas (USTA Texas) ................................................................ Chad Loup
Riptide (Youth Tennis San Diego)...................................................... Eric Mann
CAL CENTRAL COAST CRUSHERS (Cal Central Coast Jr. Development)
Sean Hollister, Arroyo Grande, Calif.
Joshua Milla, San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Victoria Troesch, San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Abigail Will, San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Amber Petersen, Atascadero, Calif.
Eli Whittle, Nipomo, Calif.
COACH: Bill Dunkle
KCTA BAKERSFIELD HEAT
Daymon Johnson, Bakersfield, Calif.
Tyler Thoms, Bakersfield, Calif.
Levi Niavez, Bakersfield, Calif.
Grace Jacobs, Bakersfield, Calif.
Carolyn Stevens, Bakersfield, Calif.
Lily Schuler, Bakersfield, Calif.
COACH: Mark Windes
OC Lightning (Orange County Tennis Association)
Robbe Simon
Tracie Beblie
Andrew Kurzwell
Tiffany Cheng, Laguna Hills, Calif.
Jordyn Kearney
Zoe Odekerk, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
COACH: A.G. Longoria
SD ATTACKERS (SAN DIEGO ATTACKERS JR. TEAMTENNIS)
Rozel Hernandez, San Diego, Calif.
Team TBD
COACH: Huong Nyugen
SMOOTH STROKES ACADEMY
Kyle Burton, Madison, Tenn.
Jordan Harrell, Lithonia, Ga.
Anthony Larue, Louisville, Ky.
Brandi Nelson, Jonesboro, Ga.
Ja'Haun Freeman-Clark, Atlanta, Ga.
Rankin Anderson, Stone Mountain, Ga.
COACH: Alyce Meadors
SOUTHWEST SWEETNESS (USTA Southwest)
Ari Richman, Phoenix, Ariz.
Emilio Gomez, Las Vegas, N.M.
Christopher Krimbill, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Aleeza Kanner, Phoenix, Ariz.
Marissa Baca, Oro Valley, Ariz.
Emily Serrano, Phoenix, Ariz.
COACH: Eric Mitchell
TEAM TEXAS (USTA Texas)
Robin Chou, Austin, Texas
Greg Haugen, Austin, Texas
Eliot Blatt, Austin, Texas
Farris Cunningham, Houston, Texas
Casey Sutton, Austin, Texas
Emily Olivier, Spring, Texas
COACH: Bobby Reeves
THE WAVES (PACIFIC ATHLETIC CLUB)
Connor Nicol, Maui, Hawaii
Charlie Frishberg, San Diego, Calif.
Robert Alexander, San Diego, Calif.
Nastiya Nicol, Maui, Hawaii
Missy Barwin, San Diego, Calif.
Lee Johnson, San Diego, Calif.
COACH: Jim Ault
USTA EASTERN
Steven Koulouris, Long Island City, N.Y.
Jeramy Solema, Briarwood, N.Y.
Ryan Schmitz, Scotia, N.Y.
Katie McKay Holmdel, N.J.
Maya Vasser, New Rochelle, N.Y.
Olivia Messineo, Fayetteville, N.Y.
COACH: Dan Mansmann
USTA INTERMOUNTAIN
Jake Malman, Denver, Colo.
Aaron Lapkin, Cheyenne, Wyo.
Mark Miller, Englewood, Colo.
Ashley Tanner, Sandy, Utah
Alexis Garrett, Las Vegas, Nev.
Morgan Anderson, St George, Utah
COACH: Sue Burke
USTA MIDDLE STATES
Darren Mast, Lancaster, Pa.
Blaise Casselbury, Lititz, Pa.
Norman Patten, Holland, Pa.
Abigail McCormick, Bethel Park, Pa.
Jacqueline Lane, Kennett Square, Pa.
Natalie Savage, Port Murray, N.J.
COACH: James Phipps
USTA MIDWEST
Daniel Garcia, San Diego, Calif.
Jared Thompkins, San Diego, Calif.
Romar Hernandez, San Diego, Calif.
Courtney Wild, Indianapolis, Ind.
Stephanie Fox, Huntington, W.V.
Katie Klyczek, Munster, Ind.
COACH: Shelly Wild
USTA NORTHERN
Eric Zishka, Owatonna, Minn.
Bradley Entwistle, Sioux Falls, S.D.
Patrick Sinha, Eden Prairie, Minn.
Emily Alper, Minneapolis, Minn.
Sophia Whittle, NiPomo,CA
Heather Sullivan, Mankato, Minn.
COACH: Gordon Reid
USTA PACIFIC NORTHWEST
Lukas Kleinman, Vancouver, Wash.
Triton Pitassi, Camas, Wash.
Nigel Lyons, Vancouver, Wash.
Brittany Ellingsen, Vancouver, Wash.
Victoria Tam, Camas, Wash.
Julie Christen, Vancouver, Wash.
COACH: Nancy Ansboury, Sarah Ansboury
USTA SOUTHERN
Chase Baker, Suwannee, Ga.
Parker Chang, Winston Salem, N.C.
Roberto Hennis, Raleigh, N.C.
Abigail Owens, Duluth, Ga.
Clare Mendell, Canton, Ga.
Ashley Kitchen, Hilton Head Island, S.C.
COACH: Susannah Cook
RIPTIDE (YOUTH TENNIS SAN DIEGO)
Corey Smith, San Diego, Calif.
Sam Todd, Encinitas, Calif.
Bryce Bettwy, San Diego, Calif.
Maika Adair, San Diego,Calif.
Morgan McCray, Oceanside, Calif.
Megan McCray, Oceanside, Calif.
COACH: Eric Mann
15th Annual WTT Junior Nationals hosted by Billie Jean King
- Schedule of Activities -
MONDAY, AUGUST 2
4:00-5:30pm Coaches Check-In: Sports Science Room
4:00-6:00pm Practice Courts available, sign up at the Reception Desk
5:30-6:00pm Coaches Meeting: Sports Science Room
6:00-7:00pm Reception: Banquet Room
TUESDAY, AUGUST 3
8:00-8:30am Team Pictures: Stadium Court
8:30am Opening Ceremonies
9:00am Tournament Play begins: Round I
11:30am Lunch
12:00-1:00pm Educational Seminar
1:30pm Round II
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4
9:00am Round III
11:30am Lunch
12:00-1:00pm Educational Seminar: College Coaches Seminar
1:30pm Playoff round
THURSDAY, AUGUST 5
9:00am Finals/Final playoff round
11/11:30am Awards ceremony