Five California WTT rec tennis teams earn division titles, bid to National Finals

IRVINE, Calif. (October 3, 2012) -- At the second-to-last WTT Rec League National Qualifier of the year, five California-based teams rose above their divisional opponents to earn regional titles and a chance to extend their season with a bid to the WTT National Finals later this year at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, Calif., November 2-4.

During the three-day tournament, which took place September 28-30 at Heritage Park in Irvine, Calif., three teams were first-time division winners. Hometown team True Lies, of Irvine, Calif., took their first 3.5 Division title, while Spin Doctors, of Aliso Viejo, Calif., and Balboa Bombers, of Coronado, Calif., were first-time titlist as well in the 4.5 and 4.0 Senior Divisions, respectively. In the 4.0 Division, it was Survivors, of Encinitas, Calif., that captured their second consecutive bid to Nationals, while the Diehards (pictured to the left), of Long Beach, Calif., scored the 4.5 Senior Division title and a chance to attend the November Finals.

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Through round-robin play in the 3.5 Division, two California teams kept their records clean to reach the semifinals on Sunday. San Diego-based I Saw It Out marched to a 4-0 record by defeating Fresno Tennis Club 34-19 in the semifinal. Meanwhile, True Lies, of Irvine, Calif., captured a double-digit win over Go Getters to advance to the final. In the end, True Lies won the Division with an impressive 31-18 victory over I Saw It Out in the final. This was the first division title for True Lies. Team members include non-playing captain Jose Espiro, Elena Espiro, Marilyn Banta, Jerry Lesser and Greg Mittenhuber, all of Irvine, Calif.; Kari Keese, Tustin, Calif.; Megan Woods, Anaheim, Calif.; Forrest Morrow, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.; Hellen Nguyen, Santa Ana, Calif.; Mike Keese, Mission Viejo, Calif.; and Thor Johnson, Orange, Calif.   

 4.0 DIVISION:

In the 16-team 4.0 Division, the teams battled it out in their round-robin play on Friday and Saturday to try to advance to Sunday’s semifinal and final matches. The undefeated Survivors, of Encinitas, Calif., and Wascally Wacquets, of La Mesa, Calif., faced off in the first semifinal with Survivors dismissing their opponent 36-17 to move on to the final. In the second semifinal, What The Fuzz, of Irvine, Calif., got by the Oregon Overheaders, of Portland, Ore., to advance. With a title on the line, Survivors edged What The Fuzz 32-29 to score a chance to return to the Nationals where they were runner-up in 2011. Team members include captain Allison Sterett, Encinitas, Calif.; Barry Sterett, Rancho Mirage, Calif.; Troy Merrill, Coronado, Calif.; James Boone, La Mesa, Calif.; and Judy Rockland, Deborah Fitzgerald and Joshua Kaye, all of San Diego.

4.5 DIVISION:

With only four teams in pursuit of the 4.5 Division title, each matchup was critical to their odds of winning a bid to the Finals. By the end of the weekend, two teams had gone 2-1, keeping their chance of advancement alive. Both Hot Critical Mess, of Coronado, Calif., and Spin Doctors of Aliso Viejo, Calif., had only lost one match; but in their head-to-head matchup, Spin Doctors prevailed, giving them the title and their first bid to the championships. Led by captain Kenji Bakuya, team members advancing include Tina Mortensen, Bonsall, Calif.; Terry Wong, Tustin, Calif.; Indrani Jackson, Costa Mesa, Calif.; Andy Nguyen, Garden Grove, Calif.; Bryan Fujii, Aliso Viejo, Calif.; and David Lang and Natalie Loria, both of Irvine, Calif.

In the highly-contested Senior 4.0 Division, three of the six teams ended the weekend with only one loss. Balboa Bombers, of Coronado, Calif.; Cheviot Hills, of Playa Vista, Calif.; and Fresno TC, of Fresno, Calif., each lost one match to one of the other 4-1 teams. Since Balboa beat Fresno but lost to Cheviot; and Fresno beat Cheviot but lost to Balboa; and Cheviot beat Balboa but lost to Fresno, it came down to winning percentage, which gave the the Bombers the advantage and the regional title. Championship team members include Beatriz Vega, Coronado, Calif.; Debbie Fitzgerald (captain), Jane Pulliam, Craig Macdonald, Albert Alagata and Brad Hasper, all of San Diego.

A two-match showdown between the Long Beach, California-based Diehards and the PT Kruzers, of Clovis, Calif., made up the competition for the Senior 4.5 Division. With the Diehards’ captain and a few other players returning as former titlists, the team was poised to take on the challenge. In both matches, they defeated PT Kruzers 35-19 to win the regional title and a chance to participate in the year-end Finals. Captain Liz Wood will be joined by Pino Marzola, Fountain Valley, Calif.; Dave Thompson, Huntington Beach, Calif.;  Mike Vieane, Long Beach, Calif.; Mary Meister, Trabuco Canyon, Calif.; Susie Bunzey, Laguna Woods, Calif.; Colleen Scanlon, Newport Beach, Calif.; Mickey Castagna, Irvine, Calif.; and Mark Mihalco and Daren Collins, both of Seal Beach, Calif.

MEDIA CONTACT:  Rosie Crews, WTT (rcrews@wtt.com) PH: 817-684-0366

Full results to follow:

3.5 DIVISION:

CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL: True Lies (Irvine, Calif.) def. I Saw It Out (San Diego) 31-18 to win the 3.5 Division Championship.                                                                                                                  

1) True Lies (defeated I Saw It Out in Championship Final to win Division)

Jose Espiro (non-playing captain), Elena Espiro, Marilyn Banta, Jerry Lesser and Greg Mittenhuber, all of Irvine, Calif.; Kari Keese, Tustin, Calif.; Megan Woods, Anaheim, Calif.; Forrest Morrow, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.; Hellen Nguyen, Santa Ana, Calif.; Mike Keese, Mission Viejo, Calif.; and Thor Johnson, Orange, Calif.

2) I Saw It Out (finished as runner-up, lost in finals to True Lies)

Courtney Hayashi (captain), Maria Almojuela, Min Lee, Chuck Yeaman, Andrew Sellers and Christine Black, all of San Diego; Crystal Tang, Jimmy Tang, Wender Hwang and Krystle Beal, all of La Mesa, Calif.

Go Getters (advanced to the semifinals, lost to True Lies 29-18 in semis)

Maria Kosmetatos (captain), Roberta Kanter, Rochelle Hart, Trevor Baldwin, Conrad Eustis, Hoover Li and Rich Rice, all of Portland, Ore.; Russ Freier and Pam Freier, both of Tigard, Ore.; and Erica Drake, Tualatin, Ore.

Fresno Tennis Club (advance to the semifinals, lost to I Saw It Out 34-19 in semis)

Dave Colby (captain), Roxanne Stephenson, Mary Wingett, Kathy Villarreal, John Deniston and Chan Po, all of Fresno, Calif.

In It To Win It – No Excuses (finished with a 1-2 round-robin record)

Daniel Williford (captain), Lyn McNeely, and Teresa McGoldrick, all of Lancaster, Calif.; Mick Ono, Fabricio Apuy, Aryel Perez and Gricell Dominguez, all of Palmdale, Calif.; and Nancy Triche London, Beverly Hills, Calif.

SDTN (finished with a 0-2 round-robin record)

Joel Bergsman (captain) and Suzanne Spencer, both of San Diego; Helen Tuliback and John Sherritt, both of Carlsbad, Calif.; and Barbara Weinberg, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.

Dancing Bears (finished with a 0-3 round-robin record)

Matthew Gafencu (captain), Shannon Gearing, Sonia Rhee, Matt Killbride and Karyn Ohori, all of San Diego.

4.0 DIVISION:

CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL: Survivors (Encinitas, Calif.) def. What The Fuzz (San Diego) 32-29 to win the 4.0 Division Championship.                                                                                                      

1) Survivors (defeated What The Fuzz in Championship Final to win Division)

Allison Sterett (captain), Encinitas, Calif.; Barry Sterett, Rancho Mirage, Calif.; Troy Merrill, Coronado, Calif.; James Boone, La Mesa, Calif.; and Judy Rockland, Deborah Fitzgerald and Joshua Kaye, all of San Diego.

2) What The Fuzz (finished as runner-up, lost in finals to Survivors)

Joyce Kim (captain), Michael Zhang, Ray Ng, Aya Sakoda and Jenny Hua, all of Irvine, Calif.; Heather Baker, Tustin, Calif.; and Sophie Lam, Orange Calif.

Wascally Wacquets (advanced to the semifinals, lost to Survivors 36-17 in semis)

Wender Hwang (captain), Krystle Beal, Jimmy Tang and Todd Nelms, all of La Mesa, Calif.; Christine Beck, Andrew Sellers, Courtney Hayashi-Osorno, Ashley Hayashi-Osorno and Curt Janka, all of San Diego.

Oregon Overheaders (advanced to the semifinals, lost to What The Fuzz, 32-26 in semis)

Carrie Pelz (captain), Jake Jochem, both of Portland, Oregon; and Masayo Kirlin and Jeff Lewis, both of Beaverton, Oregon.

Austin’s Powers (finished with a 2-1 round-robin record)

Austin Galliguez (captain), Irvine, Calif.; Marcy Metcalf, Orange, Calif.; Sam Phen, Fountain Valley, Calif.; Terri Hoang, Mission Viejo, Calif.; Romi Archer, Tustin, Calif.; and Paul Forrest, Garden Grove, Calif.

Hamburger Patty N Buns (finished with a 2-1 round-robin record)

Jon Vu (captain), Orange, Calif.; Andy Schiller, Tustin, Calif.; and Jenfei Hsieh and Patricia Ou, both of Irvine, Calif.

Balls on the Line (finished with a 2-1 round-robin record)

Dennis Navarro, Chula Vista, Calif.; and John Rodriguez (captain), Ken Pecus, Jennifer Cornelius, Linda Milburn, Valveta Jones and Cherie Hibbs, all of San Diego.

Danger Zone (finished with a 2-1 round-robin record)

Steven Kavy (captain), Ann Kavy and Kimberly Stromberg, all of La Mesa, Calif.; Lee Stark, Santee, Calif.; and Alissa Weiss and Mike Yaldo, both of El Cajon, Calif.

Mason Mashers (finished with 1-2 round-robin record)

Tresa Mason (captain), Marc Garitone, Lisa Roach, Brandi Cornelison, Mary Harrison, Ken Krebs and John Stosich, all of Idaho Falls, Idaho.

School’s Out for Summer (finished with a 1-2 round-robin record)

Tom Fey (non-playing captain), Indian Wells, Calif.; Ruben Martinez and Richard Romero, both of Indio, Calif.; Brooke Shapter, Nancy Wilkinson and Robert Wilkinson, all of La Quinta, Calif.; April Boney and Ro Drenning, both of Rancho Mirage, Calif.; and Zoe Ketchelidis and Jeff Burchell, both of Palm Desert, Calif.

Scarlet Fever (finished with a 1-2 round-robin record)

Donald Hemingway (captain), Lori Martin, Candace Giummo and Floyd Ransom, all of Las Cruces, N.M.

AV Stormers (finished with a 1-2 round-robin record)

Carlos Guarin (captain), David Goldschlag, Miranda Prescott and Jose Guerrero, all of Lancaster, Calif.; Jamie McFarland, Amy McFarland and Sherryl Chaffin, all of Palmdale, Calif.; and Sydney Postal, Llano, Calif.

Serve, Volley and Drink (finished with a 0-3 round-robin record)

Mark Schmucker (captain), Lori Schmucker and Judy Vogt, all of Los Alamitos, Calif.; Matt Pitcher, Long Beach, Calif.; Chris Hutchings, Seal Beach, Calif.; and Frank Coburn, Huntington Beach, Calif.

Dndners (finished with a 0-3 round-robin record)

Robert Nguyen (captain), Teresa Nguyen and Jacqueline Tran, all of Westminster, Calif.; Hien Phan, Huntington Beach, Calif.; Thao Ho, Midway, Calif.; and Faye Vo, Garden Grove, Calif.

Hot Shots (finished with a 0-3 round-robin record)

Karen Anderson (captain), Alfredia Waters, Adam Block and James Grollman, all of Los Angeles; Carolyn McCall, Beverly Hills, Calif.; Lawrence Mortorff, Playa del Rey, Calif.; Stephen Hall, Marina del Rey, Calif.; Lori Andelson, Reseda, Calif.; and Lance August and Jady von der Lieth, both of Santa Monica, Calif.

Tiebreakers (finished with a 0-3 round-robin record)

Ronald Chung (captain) and Jennifer Chung, both of Manhattan Beach, Calif.; Russell Kagohara, Redondo Beach, Calif.; Hisa Watanabe, Torrance, Calif.; and Paulette Mashaka, Carson, Calif.

4.5 DIVISION:

Spin Doctors (Aliso Viejo, Calif.) earns a 2-1 record and defeats Hot Critical Mess head-to-head to win the 4.5 Division.

1) Spin Doctors (finished with 2-1 round-robin record)

Kenji Bakuya (captain) and Bryan Fujii, both of Aliso Viejo, Calif.; Tina Mortensen, Bonsall, Calif.; Terry Wong, Tustin, Calif.; Indrani Jackson, Costa Mesa, Calif.; Andy Nguyen, Garden Grove, Calif.; and David Lang and Natalie Loria, both of Irvine, Calif.

2) Hot Critical Mess (finished with a 2-1 round-robin record)

Alberta Alagata, San Diego; Jon Kula, La Jolla, Calif.; Debbie Fitzgerald (captain), Beatriz Vega, Diane Sosa, Alexia Peters and Scott Crabtree, all of Coronado, Calif.

El Dorado (finished with a 1-2 round-robin record)

Art Chen (captain) and Mariathilde Batoon, both of South Pasadena, Calif.; Beverly Martin, Montebello, Calif.; and John Mano, Seal Beach, Calif.

LA Renegades (finished with a 1-2 round-robin record)

Nancy Closson (captain), Playa del Rey, Calif.; Joan Vento-Hall, Marina del Rey, Calif.; Hans Lavik, Redondo Beach, Calif.; Darcy Simon and Karen Joseph and Renard Johnson, all of Los Angeles; Lisa Thomas, Pasadena, Calif.; Edward Pevzner, Sherman Oaks, Calif.; Dan Garcia, Reseda, Calif.; and Margaret Procter, Playa Vista, Calif.

SENIOR 4.0 DIVISION:

Balboa Bombers (Coronado, Calif.) earns a 4-1 record and earns the highest winning percentage to win the Senior 4.0 Division.

Balboa Bombers (finished with a 4-1 round-robin record)

Beatriz Vega, Coronado, Calif.; Debbie Fitzgerald (captain), Jane Pulliam, Craig Macdonald, Albert Alagata and Brad Hasper, all of San Diego.

Fresno TC (finished with a 4-1 round-robin record)

Jeff Klippert (captain), Allen Greulich, Ted Reynoso, Gayle Merritt, Michiko English and Bill Hancock, all of Fresno, Calif.

Cheviot Hills (finished with a 4-1 round-robin record)

Yayomi Kanai (non-playing captain) and Dwight Liu, both of Playa Vista, Calif.; Efrain Garcia, Matt Lampe, Victor Villegas and Shizu Takayasu, all of Los Angeles; Yoshi Mori, Pasadena, Calif.; Sharon Jimenez, Orange, Calif.; Elena Saydah, La Canada, Calif.; and Stephen Hall, Marina del Rey, Calif.

Donchka Travel (finished with a 2-3 round-robin record)

Donna Wolfe (captain), Steven Davis and Martin Snyder, all of Beverly Hills, Calif.; Elaine Symonds and Fred Rollman, both of Los Angeles, Joyce Rosenbaum, Santa Monica, Calif.; Susan Montgomery, Culver City, Calif.; Richard Petherbridge, Van Nuys, Calif.; and Breck Wilson, Playa del Rey, Calif.

Team Davis (finished with a 1-4 round-robin record)

Cora Davis (captain), Gordon Davis and Tina Clarfield, all of Encino, Calif.; Cheri Ackermann, Moorpark, Calif.; and Eric Book, Woodland Hills, Calif.

AV Sr. Stormers (finished with a 0-5 round-robin record)

John Weathers, Quartz Hill, Calif.; Karen Anderson, Los Angeles; Sherryl Chaffin, Palmdale, Calif.; and Rebecca Reynolds (captain), Randy Walters, Mark Glouner and Jim Doersam, all of Lancaster, Calif.

SENIOR 4.5 DIVISION:

Diehards (Long Beach, Calif.) earns a 2-0 record to win the Senior 4.5 Division.

Diehards (finished with a 2-0 record)

Liz Wood (captain) and Mike Vieane, both of Long Beach, Calif.; Pino Marzola, Fountain Valley, Calif.; Dave Thompson, Huntington Beach, Calif.; Mary Meister, Trabuco Canyon, Calif.; Susie Bunzey, Laguna Woods, Calif.; Colleen Scanlon, Newport Beach, Calif.; Mickey Castagna, Irvine, Calif.; and Mark Mihalco and Daren Collins, both of Seal Beach, Calif.

PT Kruzers (finished with a 0-2 record)

Carole Heinrichs (captain), Clovis, Calif.; Candace Egan, Coarsegold, Calif.; Norma Fernandez, Alfred Cuadros, William English, Marilyn Watts, Camilla Sutherland and Alberto Perez, Fresno, Calif.