3.5, 4.0, 4.5 Oh My!

Last weekend, November 10^th – 11^th, several current Jammers and former Jammers and their teammates went to Belleville, IL to compete in the USTA Tri-Level Sectional Championships.  Among the Jammers are:  Teresa Emerson, Hee-Sun Kim, Kelly Kramer, Nancy Winters who represented the 3.5 NTRP level.  Former Jammers, Huong Doan and Debbie O’Reilly, along with teammates, Allison Steiner, and Nancy Rahmeyer who represented the 4.0 NTRP level.   Former Jammer, Sharon Bennett, and teammate, Lisa Matthess made up our 4.5 NTRP level.

2012 is our first year in having a Tri-Level team.  This is the second year there is a Sectionals for a Tri-Level League.  We all were very excited about going to compete.  There were a total of 4 teams, including our team; St. Louis, Iowa, Kansas, and of course us.  Since there were 4 teams, we were going to play a round robin format, so we knew we would have to play all the teams.

Our first match didn’t take place until Saturday at noon, so the team didn’t leave Springfield until Friday afternoon.  We didn’t travel as a team since everyone’s schedule was not the same; we decided to just meet everyone at the hotel.  I traveled with Debbie O’Reilly and Nancy Winters.  It was a pretty easy drive there, until we stopped into Sonic in Cuba, MO for a bite to eat.  We were leaving Cuba and continued our journey when Nancy’s car decided not to start.  Good thing there were a couple of guys that were there that saw that we couldn’t start our car, and one of the guy offered to jump our car for us.  There are still nice people out there.  A super KUDOS goes out to the nice gentleman and his girlfriend/wife.  Thank you Lord for watching over us!

The first match on Saturday was against the team from Iowa.  Sharon teamed up with Lisa to play against the Iowa’s 4.5 team of Teresa Racette and Cathy Mayer.  Sharon and Lisa played hard but couldn’t pull out a win.  They lost in two straight sets 6-4, 6-1.

Debbie and I teamed up to play against our opponents 4.0 players of Julie Bruntz and Rhonda McCoy.  I think both of us were nervous so we lost the first set 2-6.  We worked hard in the second set and nothing seems to be working for us.  We were down 2-5 when I told Debbie; hey we got nothing to lose.  We came back and fought hard, the next thing we knew, we were up at 6-5, my serve for the set.  First serve into Julie’s body and she couldn’t return the serve back.  Next thing I know, I served up 3 aces in a row and we took the second set, 7-5.  Wow, unbelievable!  We were down at 2-5, and came back to win the set at 7-5 was incredible.  We fought hard in the match tie-break, but it didn’t go our way, Debbie and I lost in the match tie-break 5-10.  That was a tough lost for us; I usually don’t lose in a tie break, especially coming back from winning a set that we were so far behind.  Tough lost!  Still licking my wounds for sure!

Our only win against Iowa comes from our 3.5 court, Kelly Kramer and Hee-Sun Kim.  They teamed up together to play against Punky Conway and Patricia Blodi.  Kelly and Hee-Sun  won the first set 6-3.  They lost in the second set 3-6.  They hung in there to win the match tie-break 10-8 to win their match.

 Our second match of the day was at 2:00 PM against the St. Louis team.  Our 3.5 team of Teresa Emerson and Nancy Winters teamed up to play against St. Louis team Marianne Offholter and Danielle Brewer.  It looked like it was going to be a great match, but three games into the match, Teresa put up a lob against St. Louis, one of them went back to get it and fell.  She heard a crack to her knee, and wasn’t able to recover so they had to retired the match in our favor.  It was ashamed; we never really want to see that happened on the court.

In the meantime, our 4.0 court between Allison Steiner and Nancy Rahmeyer against St. Louis’s players Lisa Lamb and Sherry Taylor; it was a great match as well.  Allison and Nancy played hard but they couldn’t pull out a win, they lost in two straight sets, 7-5, and 6-2.

Our doubles team of Lisa Matthess and Sharon Bennett had a very interesting match against St. Louis’s players, Kristine Gesme and Laura Dunaway.  They lost the first set 4-6, but fought hard to win the second set 6-4.  Lisa and Sharon won in the match tie-break 12-10.  It was a very great match; both teams were incredible, great tennis to watch.

By the end of Saturday, everyone win 1 match and lost 1 match.  St. Louis lost to Springfield; Springfield lost to Iowa, and Iowa lost to Kansas.  So it would all depend how we all do on Sunday.  Matchup on Sunday would be St. Louis against Iowa, and Springfield’s team against Kansas.

As always, it was hard for me to sleep the night before an important match.  We definitely need to win all 3 courts and St. Louis needs to lose or if they win, they need to win 2-1 and not 3-0.

Sunday came and our 4.5 team of Lisa and Sharon had an easy match against Kansas doubles team of Karen Fox and Convallaria Wong.  Lisa and Sharon won in two straight sets 6-3, 6-2.

 I teamed up with Nancy Rahmeyer for the 4.0 court.  I figured Nancy and I both have good net game and I hope with that, it would help us win the match.  It didn’t work out our way.  The Kansas team of Tahnee Maples and Melanie Joseph defeated us in two sets 6-2, 6-3.

The 3.5 court of Teresa Emerson teamed up once again with Nancy Winters.  It was one of the longest match I’ve ever seen the two of them play.  Teresa and Nancy lost the first set in a tie-break against their Kansas’s opponents Jane Windholz and Mitzi Hackney 7-6 (4-7).  I believe Teresa and Nancy played against Mitzi Hackney and beat her and her partner at Sectionals in Oklahoma City a month ago.  I’m sure she wanted to seek revenge against Teresa and Nancy this time. 

On the second set, the Kansas team was ahead 5-3 and they thought they have the match for sure.  Teresa and Nancy hung in there, fought hard, came back to win the second set 7-5 to bring the match to a match tie break.  Teresa and Nancy didn’t come this far to lose in a tie-break, they won the match tie break at 10-5.  This also gave the team a match wins against Kansas.

Even though, we won against Kansas, St. Louis also won on Sunday against their match with Iowa.  But St. Louis won all 3 of their courts, so it put them ahead of us in Team Standings.  So our team comes in second behind them.  This is really weird, considering that we beat St. Louis.  That’s how it goes when you do a round robin format.  We both won 2 matches and lose 1.  But St. Louis won 2 individual wins more than us. 

  

Team Standings By Championship Report  As of Today's Date: 11/14/2012 4:56 PM

Section

USTA/MISSOURI VALLEY

Championship	Level	Div/NTRP/Gender
USTA/MISSOURI VALLEY Tri-Level Invitational	Section	Combo / 9.0 / F

Team ID	Team Name	Team Score		Indiv. Score		Sets Lost	Games Lost
		Wins	Losses	Wins	Losses
*****	Gesme	2	1	7	2	5	62
*****	Short Hops	2	1	5	4	11	87
*****	Wong-Wichita	1	2	3	6	12	87
*****	Bruntz-DMG	1	2	3	6	13	93

It was a very competitive weekend.  We all had fun, and we all glad that we had a chance to compete in a Tri-Level League.  It was a perfect ending to our 2012 USTA League.  Way to go Short Hops!  We are all looking forward to 2013 season.  Perhaps the Tri-Level Championship Title will be ours next year.



Short Hops - Front Row:  Debbie O'Reilly, Teresa Emerson, Nancy Rahmeyer; Middle Row:  Huong Doan, Allison Steiner, Hee-Sun Kim, Kelly Kramer; Back Row:  Sharon Bennett, Lisa Matthess, Nancy Winters

Racquetheads Being Honored

November 3rd was the USTA Missouri District Annual Luncheon/Meeting.  During the meeting, The Racquetheads were being honored for their outstanding accomplishment this year in making it all the way to the National Championships in the 3.5 Senior Divisions.  There were several individual wards that were giving out, among them; I was giving the 2012 Volunteer of the Year Award.  Yahooo!!!!

 

Racquetheads with their award

Our little crystal like tennis ball award

It was way too cool to received this award...YAY!!!

WOW! OMG! Indian Wells! National Championships!

On October 11 - 15, 2012 several of our Senior Jammers aka Racquetheads along with their teammates traveled to Indian Wells CA to compete in the 2012 USTA 3.5 Senior National Championships.  The weekend in Indian Wells was one of the first times ever for the girls and the most memorable experience for the team.

 

The team left Springfield MO on Thursday, October 11 for a 9:20 AM flight to Forth Worth/Dallas TX and connects a flight there to Palm Springs CA.  All the team members were eager and excited about our trip.  The plane trip went smoothly and we got to Palm Springs with no problem.  We landed at Palm Springs Municipal Airport around 1:40 PM.  Coach/Co-Captain Huong has already made arrangement for a team practice at 3:00 pm at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.  No chance of goofing off for the team, have to get in our last practice before the first match on Friday.

At the Springfield Airport

 

 

 

The Indian Wells Tennis Garden was AMAZING!  The only thing the team could say when we walked into the tennis center was ‘WOW’…’OMG’.  This tennis facility in Indian Wells, CA, in the Coachella Valley, it is the home of the Indian Wells masters tournament, a.k.a. the BNP Paribas open (previously the Pacific Life Open), a joint event of the ATP World Tour and the WTA tour which constitutes the fifth largest tournament in the world.  The $77 million facility was built in March 2000, and was designed by Rossetti Associates Architects.  It includes a 16,100-seat stadium court.   WOW!  The stadium court is the second largest tennis-specific stadium in the world.  WOW!  The largest stadium court would be the one in New York, the Arthur Ashe Stadium.  That one has a 22,547-seat stadium court.   Beside the stadium court at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, there are also 24 hard courts that are match courts and practice courts.  Yes, this is where the pros play.  The Racquetheads had a hard time concentrating during the practice session, since there are beautiful mountains in the background.  WOW!

The team manages to practice for about 2 hours before we had to head to the Miramonte Resort & Spa, where the team would be staying while they are playing.  While the team were busy checking into their rooms.  Kelly and I had to go to the Team Captain’s Registration and Captain’s Meeting.  Nothing really new at the meeting, it was the same stuff we hear at the Captain’s Meeting at Sectionals.  By the time the meeting was over, it was time for the Players’ party.

 

Nancy & Albie - Practice Session
 

Teresa & Carol - Practice Session
 



Kelly & Beth - Practice Session

 

Lisa - Practice Session
 



Mary Ann & Julie - Practice Session

 

 

Miramonte Resort & Spa

 

 

 

It was a great Players’ party, much better than the one we had at Sectionals.  Great foods, music, dancing, and door prizes give away.  Kelly managed to win a Penn USTA back pack as well as Nancy.  It was at the players’ party that Nancy finally found her husband’s picture.  During our get together at Nancy’s house, the week before we left for Indian Wells; Beth manage to borrowed a picture of Nancy’s husband and have taken it with her to Indian Wells.  For days, Nancy has no idea what could have happened to her husband’s picture that was on her mantel at home.  While we were at the players’ party, Beth took the picture that were all wrapped up in a nice box, and talked to the DJ and asked him if he would call Nancy’s number so she could come up to claim her prize.  When she does, he would hand her the box.  It was great, in front of a whole group of people; Nancy opened the box and found her husband’s picture.     The things we do to our teammates.

Albie, Nancy, Mary Ann - Players Party


 

Nancy, Mary Ann, Lisa - Players Party

 

Beth, Carol, Teresa - Players Party
 

Huong, Kelly, Teresa - Players Party

 

Nancy is about to find a big surprise!
 

Nancy finally found her husband!

 

Friday morning came; our first match for the day was at 9:00 AM against the Texas Section, a team from Fort Worth-RTC Driver.  We all were very eager to play our first match at Nationals.  Lisa Powell teamed up with Julie Skinner to play against their opponents, Deena Nutt and Linda Gilson.  Lisa and Julie did great together; it was a very tight first set.  They had to go to a set tie break.  I can tell Lisa’s arm was hurting her close toward the end of the set.  Both Lisa and Julie fought hard, but couldn’t win that set tie break.  I thought they could come back on the second set.  It wasn’t their day, Lisa and Julie lost the match with the scores 7-6, 6-3.

Lisa & Julie - Match against Texas
 

 

Lisa - Texas match
 

Lisa & Julie - Texas match
 

Julie - Texas match

 

Our second doubles team of Teresa Emerson and Nancy Winters were playing against Texas’ players Marilyn Trevathan and Gina Tallent.  Teresa and Nancy lost in the first set 2-6, they fought hard and come back to win the second set 6-3.  In the match tie-break, all the players played hard, points by points.  It wasn’t our day; we lost 8-10 in the match tie-break.  Yes, two lousy points. 
 

Teresa - Texas match
 

Nancy & Teresa - Texas match
 

Nancy - Texas match
 

Nancy & Teresa
 

 

Captain of the Racquetheads, Kelly Kramer, teamed up with Beth Wilson for our third doubles.  They played against Gayle Hale and Susie Gilinsky.  Kelly and Beth had a great match.  They took the first match win for the team in two straight sets 6-3, 6-3.

 

Kelly & Beth - Texas match
 

Beth - Texas match
 

Kelly - Texas match
 

 

It was a hard lost for Teresa and Nancy, if they would have won the match tie-break; we could have won our first match as a team.  It could have gone either way, why couldn’t it have gone our way?

Our second match for the day was at 2:00 PM against the Intermountain Section, a team from Idaho-Senioritas.  Yes, the potatoes people.  Since their lost in the morning was a little bit hard to swallow.  Teresa and Nancy were ready for the second match of the day.  They teamed up once again to go against the Idaho’s doubles team of Lori Ewing and Ramona Hildebran.  They didn’t have any problem at all in the first set; they dominate the Idaho’s team with the score of 6-1.  On the second set, it wasn’t that easy, but they hung in there to win it at 6-4.  Our second match win for the day.

 

Kelly Kramer teamed up this time with Carol Rollins to play against Kara Hoge and Rochelle Cullum.  They played a great match but couldn’t come up with a win.  Kelly and Carol lost in straight sets 7-5, 6-3.

 

Carol & Kelly - Idaho match
 

Kelly going for a lob.
 

Carol going for a winner.

 

 Julie Skinner and Mary Ann Daum teamed up for our third doubles.  It was a tough afternoon for the girls.  Nothing seems to be working for them.  The shots that they usually make weren’t there for them.  They also lost in straight sets 6-2, 6-2.

Mary Ann - Idaho match

 

Mary Ann & Julie - Idaho match

 

 Two matches down for the day, the girls were ready for a drink at the pool.  Wish they could have won the matches, but they didn’t.  We just have to move on.

 

Saturday morning come, another match day for the Racquetheads.  The match wasn’t until 10:30 AM against the New England Section, a team from Maine-Shades of Gray/Robidoux.  Such an interesting team name, don’t you think?  I should have asked the captain of the team if they got their team name from the famous book, ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’.  Hmmm, interesting indeed.

 

For this match, Beth Wilson teamed up with Mary Ann Daum to play against Cindi Howard and Anne Gibson.  Mary Ann played much better in this match, she made some incredible shots.  But it wasn’t our day again, Mary Ann and Beth lost in two sets with the scores of 6-3, 6-4.

 

Beth - New England match

 

Mary Ann - New England match
 

Beth & Marcy Ann - New England match
 

Mary Ann - New England match
 

Beth - New England match

 

 

Carol Rollins and Julie Skinner played together against the doubles team of Tacy Ridlon and Melissa Hale.    Carol and Julie played well together and won the first set 6-4.  They were ahead on the second set 4-1.  I thought for sure they would win the match.  But their opponents fought back and won 5 games in a row to win the second set 6-4.  Carol and Julie couldn’t seem to recover.  They lost in the match tie break 10-7 to the Idaho’s team.

 

Julie - New England match
 

Carol & Julie - New England match
 

Carol & Julie - New England match
 

Julie - New England match
 

Julie & Carol - New England match
 

Julie - New England match
 

 Our 77-year old teammate, Albie Nacke, teamed up with Nancy Winters for our 3^rd doubles.  They played against the doubles team of Kathy Hughes and Sue Loustaunau.  Albie and Nancy started out great; they won the first 3 games.  Again, I thought we would win this match for sure.  For the next game, it went to the Maine’s team.  Then Albie and Nancy won the next game and the score was at 4-1.  The match got tougher and tougher after that.  Albie played great, Nancy was yelling for her to go get all the shots that were going her way and Albie were getting to all the shots.  They played well together.  But the odds weren’t in their favor.  Albie and Nancy ended up losing in two straight sets 7-5, 6-3.

 

Albie - New England match
 

Nancy - New England match

 

Albie - New England match
 

Nancy & Albie - New England match

 

Nancy & Albie - New England match
 

 

The team didn’t make it to the Finals, but they didn’t get blown away on the courts.  It was the team first National Championships.  There will be more Nationals in these players future, I will guarantee that.  I love the quote that Teresa got from Lisa Fernandez, the star pitcher for the US Olympic softball team. 

“The team with the best athletes doesn’t usually win.  It’s the team with the athletes who play best together.”

That’s what the Racquetheads are all about.  There will never be another team like the Racquetheads; we are one of a kind.  We are friends on and off the courts.  We will always have each other back.  We are the dream team.

 

This last week, all of us had a chance to do something that many people don’t have a chance to do.  We were at the place where the pros played.  The team had a chance to step out into the stadium court at Indian Wells.  Now how cool is that?  (Yes, I went and lay in the middle of the court. )  We got a chance to tour the stadium, see where the pros hang out before their matches.  It was an awesome 5 days we had together.  No, we didn’t make it to the Finals, but the team had the best time ever.  The team played the best tennis and saw a lot of great tennis.  We’ve made some new friends, players from Idaho and North Da-Ko-Ta.   Who can ever forget George Anich, a nice gentleman who gave us the tour of the stadium, and who was nice enough to let us see the stadium court up close.  Thank you George! 

Years from now, we will still be talking about the first time we ever played at Indian Wells-where the pros play.  WOW!  So in the year 2016, when I will turn 50, we all will make a trip back to Indian Wells to play in the Senior Cup.  But between now and then, we hope to make it to Indian Wells once again for another USTA National Championships.

 

OUR PHOTO GALLERY:

 

Stadium Court

 

Yes - that's me in the middle of center court

1-2-3-Jump

Again

 

Our Friend - George Anich
Tournament Director - BNP Paribas Open Senior Cup

 

 

- Our Last Morning Before Heading Home -

 

 

  

- Last Look At  Indian Wells -

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

RACQUETHEADS - THE DREAM TEAM

"There Will Never Be Another Team Like This"

 

Front:  Huong  Doan / Lisa Powell / Carol Rollins / Albie Nacke
Back:  Beth Wilson / Mary Ann Daum / Nancy Winters / Kelly Kramer / Teresa Emerson / Julie Skinner
 

 

Coaches & Captains -  Huong & Kelly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WE'RE JUST SAYIN...