CALIFORNIA REIGNS AT 14U JUNIOR TEAM TENNIS NATIONALS

For the 2017 edition of the  USTA Junior Team Tennis 14U National Championships, the west coast was the best coast.

The tournament concluded Sunday at the USTA National Campus at Lake Nona in Orlando, Fla., with teams from California sweeping the first-place trophies in both the Advanced and Intermediate divisions.

The OC Dream Team from USTA Southern California (pictured above) won the Advanced title and the Cal Tennis Club from USTA Northern California took home the hardware in the Intermediate division.

Both teams clinched the victories before the usually decisive mixed doubles match, as Southern California won, 54-38, and Northern California prevailed, 55-36.

Southern California defeated the ATA Dream Team from USTA Texas and Northern California took down the BC Legends from USTA Southern.

The OC Dream Team is coached by Bill Thompson and features team members: Avery Hopkey (Laguna Niguel), Colin Kang (Fullerton), Kyle Kang (Fullerton), Kayla Meraz (Brea), Andrew Salu (Racho Santa Fe), Chase Thompson (Mission Viejo), Cindy Ung (Eastvale), and Kaia Wolfe (San Clemente).

The Cal Tennis Club team is is coached by JT Sundling and features team members: Katie Bulger (Mill Valley), Marcus Kawaja (San Francisco), Cassia McTamaney (San Francisco), Emma Pell (San Rafael), Jack Rende (San Francisco), and Eric Roberts (San Francisco).

In the third-place matches, the Missouri Athletic Club team from USTA Missouri Valley defeated the Tuckahoe Eagles from USTA Mid-Atlantic, 50-41, in the Advanced division. The Sunshine Aces G7 from USTA Southern California defeated the ATA Devastators from USTA Texas, 42-38, in a thriller to clinch third place in the Intermediate division.

Also honored at the awards ceremony following the conclusion of play were winners of the Sportsmanship Awards, Team Spirit Award and Best Banner Award.

The Sportsmanship Awards went to a boy and girl from both Advanced and Intermediate that received the most votes from their opponents throughout the tournament for displaying good sportsmanship. Hector Diaz from USTA Caribbean’s Torrimar and Lily Aranyus from USTA Mid-Atlantic’s Tuckahoe Eagles earned the honors from the Advanced division. They were joined by Andrew Leonard from USTA Midwest’s West Indy Aces and Leah Walter from USTA Middle States’ Radley Run in the Intermediate division.

The Best Banner Award was a tie, going to USTA Northern California’s YTA McLaren Park and USTA Texas’ Dallas Select.

The Team Spirit award went to USTA Hawaii’s Waialae Iki 5 White Stars.