Iowa Wins Mixed National Championship    

The mixed doubles tennis team from Des Moines, Iowa, representing the USTA Missouri Valley Section, captured the national title at the USTA League Mixed 40 & Over 8.0 National Championships held at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla.

The Des Moines team defeated a team from Whittier, Calif., 2-1, in the Championship match.  Earlier in the day, the Des Moines team defeated a team from Benton, Ark., 2-1, in the semifinals.

The team is captained by Cindy Rovner and features: Dennis Lonzarich, Jennifer Smith, Benjamin Lehnen, Brandon Willett, Laura Shannon, Linda Despotovich, Kathryn Lindsey, Dawn Ver Steeg, Mark Blume, Victor Tonelli, Leslie Shipp, Bob Peterson, and Justin Despotovich, and plays at the Aspen Athletic Club.

Established in 1980, USTA League has grown from 13,000 players in a few parts of the country in its first year to more than 310,000 players across the nation today, making it the world’s largest recreational tennis league.

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 18 years of age or older.

Head Penn Racquet Sports is in its 31st year as official ball and adidas is in its second year as an official sponsor of USTA League.

For more information about USTA League or the USTA, visit www.usta.com.