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The winning Missouri Valley women's 2.5 adult team.
© Juan Ocampo
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The women’s team from Des Moines, Iowa, representing the USTA Missouri Valley Section, captured the national title at the USTA League 2.5 Adult National Championships held at the Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif. from Sept. 23 to Sept. 25.
The Des Moines team defeated a team from Rogers, Arkansas, 2-1, in the Championship match. Earlier in the day, Des Moines defeated a team from Fort Worth, Texas, 2-1 in the semifinals. They advanced this far by winning their round-robin flight contested Friday and Saturday.
The team is captained by Andi Laine and features Peggy Ann Krueger, Kristin R. Johnson, Jennifer Michelle Corkrean, Natalie Cataldo, Julie Hempel, Siri J. Long, Mary Beth Goeser and Stephanie Burnett and plays at the Aspen Athletic Club in Des Moines.
The top four sectional teams in order of finish are: Missouri Valley, Southern, Pacific Northwest and Texas.
This year’s USTA League 2.5 Adult National Championship has drawn the top 10 men’s and 16 women’s teams from throughout the nation.
USTA League is celebrating its 31st anniversary this year. Established in 1980, it has grown from 13,000 participants in a few parts of the country in its first year, to over 779,000 players across the nation today, making it the world’s largest recreational tennis program.
The USTA League was established to provide adult recreational tennis players throughout the country with the opportunity to compete against players of similar ability levels. Players participate on teams in a league format, which is administered by the USTA through its 17 Sections. The league groups players by using six National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP) levels, ranging from 2.5 (entry) to 5.0 (advanced). USTA League is open to any USTA member 19 years of age or older. It features Adult and Mixed Doubles divisions, as well as a Senior Division (age 50) and a Super Senior Division (age 60).
Head Penn Racquet Sports is in its 24th year as official ball of USTA League.