Claremont, a youth tennis team with players from Northern California and Hawaii, defeated California Central Coast Crushers from San Louis Obispo in a tight match in the finals of the 2016 WTT Junior Nationals Championship on Thursday at the George E. Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego.
The Crushers were trailing 36-33 at the end of regulation but rallied to win the designated set 6-4 to take the match into overtime where they won three 3-all games to extend the match to a Supertiebreaker. Claremont held off the Crushers for a 37-36 victory and their first WTT Junior Nationals title.
The WTT Junior Nationals, which is hosted by WTT co-founder Billie Jean King and is now in its 21st year, is a national junior invitational event featuring 16 coed teams from 13 states. The teams, representing juniors ages 14-18, play the World TeamTennis format during their three days of non-elimination draw competition. The teams got a special visitor when former world No. 4 James Blake, came out to greet the teams on opening day. Blake plays Mylan WTT for the San Diego Aviators‘ professional team.
Claremont led the pack with an easy win in the first round of play. In round two, Claremont moved past Barnes Grinders with a win of 38-30 to make it into the championship match.
Team members of Claremont include: Casey Cummings of Kailua, Hawaii; Haley Fujimori of Mililani, Hawaii; Kyle Everly of Lafayette, Calif.; Cali Fuller of Richmond, Calif.; Winston Yu of San Ramon, Calif.; and Max Yun of Walnut Creek, Calif.
California Central Coast Crushers made a notable run for the win by forcing overtime in the final mixed doubles match. The California Central Coast Crushers are coached by Bill Dunkle. Team members include: Emily Ackerman of Thousand Oaks, Calif.; Dean Dellovade of Rolling Hills, Calif.; Delanie Dunkle of Arroyo Grande, Calif.; Miles Hale of Santa Barbara, Calif.; Lindsay Hung of San Clemente, Calif.; and Noah Morrow, Stevenson Ranch, Calif.
Ohio Buckeyes defeated Team Texas 36-26 in the third place match.
One player this past weekend will be presented the Novo Nordisk Donnelly Award at an upcoming World TeamTennis match in New York. This award provides a scholarship to young tennis players with diabetes. Izabella Edin will accept the award this Sunday from King. She played for Northern Lights team and is from Staples, Minn.
For more on Mylan WTT, visit www.WTT.com
2016 WTT JUNIOR NATIONALS – Final results
CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL: Claremont def. CA Central Coast Crushers 37-36
3rd place: Ohio Buckeyes def. Team Texas 36-26
5th place: Ansboury/PNW def. Southwest 38-31
7th place: OC Breakers def. B-Town Heat 34-29
9th place: Northern Lights def. Intermountain 37-32
11th place: San Diego Attackers def. Barnes Grinders 43-30
13th place: Lanakila Hawaii def. Eastern Empire 37-36
15th place: Spin Burgh def. Stars and Stripes 48-14
TEAM COACH
Ansboury/Pacific Northwest…………………………………………. Nancy Ansboury
B-Town Heat (Kern County Community Tennis)………………….. Rob Limpias
Northern Lights (USTA Northern)…………………………………… Gordon Reid
Team Intermountain (USTA Intermountain)………………………. Josh Cossitt
Buckeyes (USTA Midwest)…………………………………………… Bryan Nibert
Team Southwest (USTA Southwest)……………………………….. Nicole Fintell
Eastern Empire (USTA Eastern)…………………………………….. Ari Roberts
Barnes Grinders (Youth Tennis San Diego)……………………….. Jake Worseldine
Team Texas (USTA Texas)………………………………………….. Bobby Reese
Lanakila Hawaii (USTA Hawaii)………………………………………. Mimi Kennell
San Diego Attackers…………………………………………………. Huong Nguyen
Spin Burgh (USTA Middle States)…………………………………… Hank Hughes
Stars and Stripes (Team Diaz Tennis USA)……………………….. Jay Diaz
CA Central Coast Crushers………………………………………….. Bill Dunkle
Claremont (USTA Northern California)…………………………….. Rosie Bareis
Orange County Breakers…………………………………………….. A.G. Longoria
2016 World TeamTennis Junior Nationals participants ÔÇô
July 26-28 – Barnes Tennis Center – San Diego, Calif.
TEAM NAME – PLAYER, HOMETOWN, STATE
Nancy Ansboury Association/Pacific Northwest
Tommy Kallgren, Portland, Ore.
Anna Lowy, Lake Oswego, Ore.
Emmett Moore, Lake Oswego, Ore.
Lauren Skelly, Vancouver, Wash.
Jonah Wafula, Corvallis, Ore.
Phoebe Wu, Portland, Ore.
Barnes Grinders (Youth Tennis San Diego)
Emily Dush, Chula Vista, Calif.
Eric Kats, Chula Vista, Calif.
Dylan Leff, San Diego, Calif.
Nikita Marchenko, San Diego, Calif.
Nicole Wakeland, El Cajon, Calif.
Isabelle Marie Termulo, El Cajon, Calif.
B-Town Heat
Peter Clemente, Palm Springs, Calif.
Kaleb Johnson, Bakersfield, Calif.
Erica Paradise, Bakersfield, Calif.
Dylan Simonsen, Bakersfield, Calif.
Arianna Tilbury, Bakersfield, Calif.
Madison Swaney, Bakersfield, Calif.
Buckeyes
Robert Michael Cash, New Albany, Ohio
Jack Dabek, Dublin, Ohio
Paige Kompa, Columbus, Ohio
Zoey Weil, Columbus, Ohio
Jonathan Joshua Zhuravel, Westerville, Ohio
Alexandra Cash, New Albany, Ohio
CA Central Coast Crushers
Emily Ackerman, Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Dean Dellovade, Rolling Hills, Calif.
Delanie Dunkle, Arroyo Grande, Calif.
Miles Hale, Santa Barbara, Calif.
Lindsay Hung, San Clemente, Calif.
Noah Morrow, Stevenson Ranch, Calif.
Claremont
Casey Cummings, Kailua, Hawaii
Kyle Everly, Lafayette, Calif.
Haley Fujimori, Mililani, Hawaii
Cali Fuller, Richmond, Calif.
Winston Yu, San Ramon, Calif.
Max Yun, Walnut Creek, Calif.
Hawaii Lanakila
Sean Balignasay, Mililani, Hawaii
Tristen Bryant-Otake, Kailua, Hawaii
Erin Jyo, Mililani, Hawaii
Robert Lau, Honolulu, Hawaii
Larry Johnvert Magalsin, Pago Pago American Samoa, Hawaii
Alexis Matsunaga, Aiea, Hawaii
USTA Northern
Sidney Brower, Sioux Falls, S.D.
Izabella Edin, Staples, Minn.
Elliot Hartwig, Sioux Falls, S.D.
Taylor Jackson, Minneapolis, Minn.
Sean Kelly, Lakeville, Minn.
Sahil Chhugani, Rochester, Minn.
OC Breakers
Marek Michulka, Laguna Niguel, Calif.
Peyton Dunkle, Arroyo Grande, Calif.
Luke Ilaurado, Arroyo Grande, Calif.
Grace Dodd, Farmers Branch, Texas
San Diego Attackers
Erica Letzring, San Diego, Calif.
Jessica Nakamoto, San Diego, Calif.
Michael Savides, Del Mar, Calif.
Eshan Tallui, San Diego, Calif.
Spin Burgh
Tristan Bradley, Chadds Ford, Pa.
Sarah Capoferri, Lancaster, Pa.
Kyle Carskadden, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Ryan Estatico, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Golda Gershanok, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Katherine Izzo, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Stars and Stripes
Venous Ghazi, La Mesa, Calif.
Ken Okuma, San Diego, Calif.
Kenndy Stance, La Mesa, Calif.
Kyndall Stance, La Mesa, Calif.
Carson Tabor, Lakeside, Calif.
Senay Woldeab, La Mesa, Calif.
Team Eastern
Lucas Arora, Cornwall, N.Y.
Madeline Clinton, Manhasset, N.Y.
Cynthia Huang, Montville, N.J.
Arielle Nealy, Buffalo, N.Y.
Oliver Rodriguez, Jersey City, N.J.
Akash Verma, Rumson, N.J.
Team Intermountain
Ben Antonsen, Highlands Ranch, Colo.
Morgan Bullen, Lakewood, Colo.
Eliza Hafen, Farmington, Utah
Morgan Hall, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Ryan James, Denver, Colo.
Keith McMullin, Ogden, Utah
Team Southwest
Alexandra Brown, El Paso, Texas
Cameron Krimbill, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Nicholas Spurbeck, El Paso, Texas
Lena Sweiss, Phoenix, Ariz.
Gabriela Lawlor, Litchfield Park, Ariz.
Maximo Lawlor, Litchfield Park, Ariz.
USTA Team Texas
Andrew Esses, Houston, Texas
Paulina Loredo, Addison, Texas
Jacy Smith, Bryan, Texas
Tashawn Treadwell, San Antonio, Texas
Adrienne Vesely, Plano Texas
Jesse Wikso, Cedar Park, Texas
