YORK MEN’S TENNIS TEAM FINISH SECOND AT
USTA LEAGUE 4.0 SENIOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
INDIAN WELLS, CALIF., OCTOBER 28, 2012 – The men’s tennis team from York, Pa., representing the USTA Middle States Section, finished second at the USTA League 4.0 Senior National Championships held at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, Calif.
The York team lost to a team from San Juan, P.R., 2-1 in the Championship match. Earlier in the day, the York team defeated a team from Melbourne, Fla., 2-1 in the semifinals. They advanced this far by winning their round-robin flight contested Friday and Saturday.
The team is captained by Randy Harbaugh and features Gerry Russell, Jerry Beck, Keith Cunningham, Russell Morgan, Robert Rittase, Dennis Ohme, Cliff Bernstein, Bradley Andrews and plays at the Wisehaven Tennis Center.
The top four teams in order of finish are: Caribbean, Middle States, Florida and Missouri Valley.
This year’s USTA League 4.0 Senior National Championship has drawn the top 34 teams (17 men’s and 17 women’s) from throughout the nation.
This year marks the 32nd anniversary of USTA League. Since its inception in 1980, it has grown from 13,000 participants in its first year, to over 835,000 players across the nation today, making it the world’s largest recreational tennis league.
USTA League was established to provide adult recreational tennis players throughout the country with the opportunity to compete against players of similar ability levels. Players participate on teams in a league format, which is administered by the USTA through its 17 Sections. The league groups players by using six National Tennis Rating Program (NTRP) levels, ranging from 2.5 (entry) to 5.0 (advanced). USTA League is open to any USTA member 18 years of age or older. It features Adult and Mixed Doubles divisions, as well as a Senior Division (age 50 or older) and a Super Senior Division (age 60 or older).
For the 2013 National Championship season, USTA League is changing its structure and format. The change will allow USTA League participants among three age categories (Adult 18 & Over, Adult 40 & Over and Adult 55 & Over and Mixed 18 & Over) to better align participants with players their own age. The restructuring guarantees more frequency of play opportunities at more appropriate age divisions.
—S. Pratt
Tennis Atlantic 