Jamming With the Jammers: "Why Not Us"

On August 23 – 26, 2012 several of our Senior Jammers aka Racquetheads along with their teammates traveled to Oklahoma City, OK to compete in the 2012 USTA Sectionals Championship. Among those Senior Jammers are: Teresa Emerson, Kelly Kramer, Lisa Powell, Carol Rollins, Beth Wilson, and Nancy Winters. Along with their teammates: Mary Ann Daum, Albie Nacke, and Julie Skinner. The weekend in Oklahoma City was one of the best one ever for the girls and I was there to share it all with them.

We started out early Friday morning, meeting at 6:00 AM in the hotel lobby to drive together as a team over to the Oklahoma City Tennis Center for the team first match against Kansas at 7:00 AM. It was still dark out, but the team was ready to play.

The Racquetheads at 6:00 AM on the first day of Sectionals

Smiley faces at 6:00 AM

Teresa Emerson team up with Nancy Winters to defeat Kansas doubles team of Mitzi A Hackney and Mary Barnes 6-3, 6-1. Kelly Kramer and Beth Wilson had an easy time against their opponents Tammy Dillon and Anne K Sellers with the scores of 6-2, 6-0. Albie Nacke and Carol Rollins had a tough time against their opponents Janet L Brinton and Fawn A McDonough, they lost to the Kansas team 6-2, 6-2.

Nancy Winters during the moring match against Kansas

Beth Wilson & Kelly Kramer - early morning match agaisnt Kansas

The Racquetheads had a tougher time in their 12:00 PM match that afternoon. They took the match against Nebraska with the match score of 3-0, but it wasn’t that easy for them.

Once again Teresa Emerson and Nancy Winters teamed up together and they lost in the first set to their opponents Betty Brooks and Vicki L Shaner 4-6. They come back and won the second set 6-4. Fought hard in the tie-break and won it 1-0 (10-8).

Teresa Emerson during the match against Nebraska

Kelly Kramer teamed up with Lisa Powell in the afternoon. They also lost the first set to their opponents Sharon K Wiese and Mary K Doghman 3-6. Kelly and Lisa hung in there to win their second set easily at 6-1. They also won in the tie-break 1-0 (10-8).

Lisa Powell during the match against Nebraska

Our third doubles for the afternoon were Julie Skinner and Mary Ann Daum. Everyone must have a slow starter since Julie and Mary Ann also lost in the first set 5-7 against their opponents Diana Meiergerd and Judy T Gitt. They fought back and won the second set 6-4 as well as the tie-break 1-0 (10-8).

Julie Skinner, Mary Ann Daum, and Lisa Powell - Nebraska match

The Racquetheads were ecstatic to have won both their matches on the first day of competition. They knew for sure they will definitely be playing Saturday afternoon.

Saturday morning, the Racquetheads also had a 7:00 AM match. This time against an Oklahoma City team. It was a very tough match for the Racquetheads. Teresa Emerson and Nancy Winters were the only victorious doubles team that morning. They won the first set against their opponents Debbie A Bray and Vickie Gorton 6-3. Lost in the second set 3-6, and hung in there to won the tie-break 1-0 (11-9).

Kelly Kramer and Beth Wilson didn’t do so well Saturday morning, they lost to the doubles team of Diane Pound and Eva A Summers 6-0, 6-3. No such luck for Julie Skinner nor Mary Ann Daum, they lost to their opponents Loree Jackon and Diane Cline with the scores of 7-5, 6-1.

It wasn’t one of the best matches the Racquetheads played. Their opponents didn’t help either. Oklahoma wasn’t one of the friendliest people on the courts. With the loss to Oklahoma, the Racquetheads were in second place after pool play. They are still in it, it just mean, they didn’t get a bye in the Quarter- Finals; they had to play in the afternoon.

Saturday afternoon was the Quarter- Finals in which four teams battled it out in which two teams will get the remaining spots in the Semi-Finals. Missouri Racquetheads playing against Heart of America, while St. Louis battled it out against Nebraska. Oklahoma City and Oklahoma City Wildcard are automatically in the Semi-Finals since they won pool play.

It was a great Saturday afternoon for the Racquetheads; they took Heart of America team with 3 matches win. Teresa Emerson and Nancy Winters beat their opponents Marianne McGrath and Pam H Kerr in a match tie-break. They lost in the first set 3-6, won the second set 6-3, and won the tie-break 1-0 (10-7).

Kelly Kramer and Beth Wilson once again did great together. They defeated their opponents Janet K Beasing and Eiko Wise in straight two sets 6-2, 6-4. While Julie Skinner and Mary Ann Daum had a little tougher time beating their opponents Chris K Haden and Lesley K Gagnon. Julie and Mary Ann lost in the first set 3-6, come back and won the second set 6-2, and then hung in there to win the match tie-break 1-0.

Beth Wilson & Kelly Kramer during the Heart of America match

A win against Heart of America guaranteed the Racquetheads to move on to the Semi-Finals on Sunday which they would face Oklahoma City Wildcard. In the other Semi-Finals, it was Oklahoma City versus Nebraska. Nebraska upset St. Louis in the Quarter-Finals to earn a spot in the Semi-Finals.

The Racquetheads really wanted to be in the Finals Sunday. If Oklahoma City made it to the Finals, it would be the Racquetheads turn to seek revenge. So it was back to the drawing board for me and Kelly. How do we want to do our lineups in the morning match to get us to the Finals? I told Kelly that the Oklahoma City Wildcard team was watching our afternoon match and taking notes. I know they are ready for us. We have to do something different with our lineups.

So after we got back from dinner Saturday evening I looked over all the matches that Oklahoma City Wildcard and Oklahoma City teams played during their regular season and studied how they do their lineups. I looked at them over and over again; I looked at how they did their lineups so far during Sectionals. I couldn’t even sleep Saturday night; I just wanted Sunday to get here already.

The team went out to dinner Friday night

Celebrating Albie's 77th birthday

Sunday morning came; it rained the night before, so when we arrived, the courts were a little wet. Our match was once again at 7:00 AM, waiting for the match to start were nerve wrecking. We were about ½ hour delay due to the wet courts. Sitting around waiting for our team to be call was not fun at all. The whole time, I kept thinking, did we do the lineups right? Will it get us to the Finals? I told Kelly before we turned it in, I have a very good feeling about our lineups, and I believe it’s a winner!

It was a winner indeed! The Racquetheads defeated the Oklahoma City Wildcard 2-1 and earn a spot in the Finals. We played against the doubles teams that I hope we would. Julie Skinner teamed up with Mary Ann Daum one more time to defeat their opponents Carolyn K Hammon and Sara Schwarts in a match tie-break. Julie and Mary Ann lost in the first set 7-6, come back and breeze through the second set win 6-1, and hung in there to win a match tie-break 1-0.

Teresa Emerson and Nancy Winters had a tough match against their opponents Pam Meimerstorf and Kerry D Elias. They won the first set 7-5 but only to lose in the second set 5-7, and couldn’t hold off in the tie-break, they lost in the match tie-break 1-0.

Kelly Kramer and Beth Wilson also had a tough match against their opponents Brenda K Lewis and Lezlie Colwell. Kelly and Beth won the first set 6-4, but lost in the second set 3-6. They hung in there to win it in a match tie-break 1-0.

Sunday afternoon was a time for the Racquetheads to seek revenge against the Oklahoma City team in the Finals. We were definitely ready for them. We lost to them once in pool play; we were not going to let them defeat us again.

For our match against Oklahoma City, this time we have Julie Skinner teamed up with Lisa Powell. They beat their opponents Donna K Brown and Vickie Gorton in two sets 6-2, 7-6 (10-8). Teresa Emerson and Nancy Winters teamed up together one last time in hope for a 5^th win for the weekend. The luck was not in their favor, Teresa and Nancy lost to their opponents, Eva A Summers and Diane Pound in two straight sets 6-4, 6-2. Our doubles team of Kelly Kramer and Beth Wilson brought in a win for the team. They defeated their opponents Loree Jackson and Diane Cline in straight sets 6-4, 6-0.

The Racquetheads take down Oklahoma City 2-1 in the Finals so they are the 2012 USTA 3.5 Senior Women Sectional Champions. Captain Kelly Kramer said it from the beginning of the season. There are 8 teams at Sectionals, only one team is the winner, ‘Why Not Us’.

Every player on the Racquetheads team went to Oklahoma City with one thing in mind. They want to play to win. They prove that if they work hard together, anything can happen. Their dreams to win Sectional becomes a reality. They all got each other back, they work as a TEAM. There is definitely no ‘I’ in TEAM with the Racquetheads. We all had a wonderful weekend in Oklahoma City, winning Sectional is one thing, but doing it by beating Oklahoma City team was icing on the cake.

The Racquetheads aka Senior Jammers will be heading out to Indian Wells, CA in October 12-14 for the USTA League National Championships. They will be representing the Missouri Valley competing against 16 other teams. If you ask the Racquetheads if they would come home as National Champions? All of them would probably say ‘Why Not Us.’

So stay tune as I will share with you next time about their adventure at Nationals. Best wishes for a safe trip to Indian Wells, may the aces be with all of you Racquetheads.