Adult Squads Secure District Titles, Advance to Section Championships

Several USTA Missouri teams have recently captured their respective adult league titles to earn automatic advancement to the forthcoming USTA Missouri Valley Section Championships. The 2022 section championships take place at a variety of locations throughout the month of August.

Here’s a list of district-winning teams that have booked a ticket to section championship action:

— Lori Hunt’s 18 & Over 3.0 women’s team

— Katie Clouse’s 18 & Over 3.5 women’s team

— Katie Clouse’s 40 & Over 3.5 women’s team

— Lucy Stein’s 18 & Over 4.0 women’s team

— Huong Doan’s 40 & Over 4.0 women’s team

— Lori Young’s 55 & Over 7.0 women’s team

— Tracy Nicholas’s 55 & Over 8.0 women’s team

— Juan Cabrera’s 40 & Over 3.5 men’s team

USTA Missouri Executive Director Leslie Echols participated in districts and watched several postseason matches. She said the caliber of play was high with tight matches littered throughout the divisions.

“It was really competitive and great tennis,” Echols said. “The teams that prevailed played great, but all the matches were really close. It’s nice to see the level of competition. Between Columbia and Springfield and Joplin, we’ve got so many great players. Many of the matches could have gone either way, as court after court went to tiebreak. To me, that just means there is good tennis being played.”

Hunt’s 18 & Over 3.0 team competes in the section championship in St. Louis on August 5-7, as will Stein’s 18 & Over 4.0 squad. Clouse’s 18+ 3.5 team heads to Oklahoma City on August 19-21. Her 40+ 3.5 group plays its sectional in Topeka on August 26-28.

Doan’s 40 & Over 4.0 team travels to Tulsa on August 26-28, while Young’s 55+ team battles in St. Louis on August 5-7. Nicholas’s 55+ 8.0 squad heads to Oklahoma City on August 19-21. Cabrera’s 40 & Over 3.5 team competes in Topeka on August 26-28.

“We’re really optimistic we’ll make a strong showing at sectionals,” Echols said. “We certainly have some great players on all the teams. Some teams we’re sending to sectionals for the first time in a long time, like our men’s 40 & Over 3.5 team and our women’s 18 & Over 4.0 team. Those teams in particular are really excited for the opportunity to go to sectionals.”

Echols said some teams that just missed out on claiming a district title could still earn selection to sectional championships via a wild-card process.

In addition to district action, teams from USTA Missouri recently represented the district well at invitationals. Tracy Nicholas’s 8.0 women’s team advanced to the finals of the 65 & Over Section Invitational in Overland Park, Kansas in mid-July. Ann Vogel’s 7.0 women’s team had a strong showing as well in Overland Park that weekend.

Still ahead are advancement opportunities for mixed teams at the 18+ and 40+ divisions, as those leagues wrap up in mid-August. Echols said the race for the title is competitive in all those leagues. The 55 & Over mixed leagues, meanwhile, get underway in mid-August and conclude in early October.