Florida, NorCal Win First Mixed Nationals of 2019 

The first of three mixed USTA League National Championships were decided over the weekend in Orlando, with the Florida and NorCal sections triumphing in the 7.0/9.0 division.

Playing at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Kevin Sims' team triumphed in the 7.0 bracket in its home state. Based out of Oakland Park, Fla., the winning team won a pair of 2-1 decisions in the semifinals and finals to take the national championship.

In the 9.0 bracket, Tiffany Lam's team from the NorCal section raised the trophy, and did not lose a match in the knockout rounds.

The eventual champions beat the representatives from the Pacific Northwest section in the championship, 3-0, and also won their semifinals against the Northern section by the same score. 

Each team went 4-0 prior to the knockout rounds, but Sims' team proved particularly dominant. The Florida team topped the overall standings, winning all four matches by 3-0 scores, and lost just four sets. 

Sims' team was rounded out by the following players: Sue Mitchell-Greig, Eliu Montero, Brandon Cox, Chuck Greig, Frances Cubano, Marie Ferrigno, Michael Stites, Jenna Painter, Natasha Torres, Marcus Pfenninger, Eduardo Noriega, Maria Lanza, Loren Levine, Patricia Vegas, Armando Orozco, Stuart Flanzer, Anthony Phillips and Rene Elvir. 

The winning NorCal roster was made up of Marissa Friedman, Danny Ballesteros, Sean Dizon, Jeremy Lichtmacher, Hiroko Kasuya Roseman, Kevin Wong, Leslie Chan, Stephen Noel, Jeffrey Curtiss, Edwin Zhang, Liza Geary, Edward Grafilo, Emily Chen, Kristen Wong, Shelli Skinner, Pooja Ganesh, Nelson Chen, Craig Sugiyama, Vannessa Lum, Soren Zeliger, Jonas Satuito, Justine Liberato Lim, Jason Park, Tina Desai and Julia Pinces.