6.0 65 & Over Men Place Second At Nationals

Congratulations to the Twin Cities men’s 65 & Over 6.0 team, captained by Eric Narvaez, who earned finalists honors May 5-7 at the USTA League National Championships in Surprise, Ariz.
 

Northern finished tied for first in its flight with Pacific Northwest with a 2-1 record. In round-robin play, Northern defeated Southern 3-0, before falling to Northern California 2-1. They then rallied to defeat Pacific Northwest 2-1, eventually winning the flight in the matches-won tiebreaker 6-5. Northern then faced Southern in the semifinals, defeating them 3-0.

In the championship match, Northern took the first set at the #1 and #3 doubles position against a tough Southern California team, but could not win the second set, sending both matches into a third-set tie breaker. Northern came out on the short end of both matches and lost at the #2 doubles position for a 3-0 defeat. Members of the team included Narvaez, John Goulett, Greg Headrick, Patrick Ledray, Kenneth Cram, Gary Bilbrey, Michael Schneider, Allen Miller and Kenneth Borle.

The men’s 8.0 team, captained by Rodney Smith, finished 2-1 in its flight, defeating Hawaii 2-1 and Missouri Valley 2-1 and losing to eventual champion Pacific Northwest 2-1 in a third-set tiebreaker at the #2 position. Members of the team included Smith, John Weddle, Scott Bracke, Rick Schultz, Brian Mahin, Robert Mahoney, Dave Spilseth, Merle Bryan and Ric Yates.

The men’s 7.0 team, captained by Narvaez, finished 1-2 May 12-14 in Surprise, Ariz. Northern lost to Florida 3-0 (losing two third set tiebreakers), defeated Northern California 2-1 (winning a third-set tiebrekaer in the deciding match) and fell to Mid-Atlantic 2-1 (coming up short in the deciding third-set tiebreaker). Members of the team included Narvaez, Schneider, Steven Jackson, Leigh Carlson, Tom Galvin, Leon Narvaez, Jeffrey London, Roger Stevens, Bill Robertson, Goulett, Gary Simpson, Bill Jamieson, Miller, Ledray, Bob Busch and Brad Struve. Southern defeated Florida 2-1 for the title.

Carol Thies’ 7.0 women’s team from the Twin Cities also finished 1-2 in Surprise, defeating Intermountain 2-1 and falling to Hawaii 3-0 and New England 3-0. Members of the team included Thies, Paige Winebarger, Michele Weddle, Fran Zisman, Diane Gordon, Molly McShane, Janice Mahoney, Teena Hatch, Lois Sweeney, Marilyn Randall, Cynthia Schultz and Ann Leming. Southern California beat Mid-Atlantic for the title 2-1.