Southern Nevada club tennis teams net various division titles

By TODD DEWEY

VIEW STAFF WRITER

USA League Tennis is the largest recreational tennis program in the country. It is comprised of more than 360,000 members of the United States Tennis Association, which is split into 17 sections across the nation.

Five teams from Southern Nevada recently won their respective division championships in the Intermountain Section, which is comprised of the top players from Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming and Nevada.

The Red Rock Rocks -- a women's team from the Red Rock Country Club -- and the Sports Club-Las Vegas -- a men's team based in Henderson -- dominated their senior 3.0 divisions at the sectional championships in Boise, Idaho to advance to the national championships.

Both beginning teams, made up of players ages 49-72, went undefeated en route to their respective titles.

The Red Rock Rocks beat Montana, Utah, Colorado, Idaho and Wyoming, while the Sports Club-Las Vegas defeated Montana, Colorado and Idaho.

The Red Rock Rocks are comprised of Irene Aguilar, Dixie Cartwright, Carol Chamberlain, Eleanor Howard, Susan McFarland, Margaret Orchipinti, Judy Rosenberg and Rita Spurgin.

"We love our tennis," Aguilar, the team captain, said. "We had lots of fun (at the tournament) and got to know each other pretty well."

The Red Rock Rocks may have had a little help on their way to the title. Each player carries a "tennis angel" in her bag.

The Sports Club-Las Vegas squad was made up of Stanley Ames, Ross Benson, Michael Bernstein, John Curtis, Gerald Detwiler, Robert Hoving, John McCandless, Leroy Perfect, John Ward and Ronald Williams.

Ward, the team captain, said his squad was happy to leave the event unscathed.

"We are all old and decrepit," he said. "(The highlight was) we completed our season and nobody died."

More than 300 players on 39 teams competed in the sectional event. All the teams qualified for the tournament by placing at the top of their local league and state playoffs.

Three other teams from Southern Nevada rolled to titles in the adult (ages 18 and older) division at the USA League Tennis Intermountain Sectional championships at Salt Lake City to advance to the national championships.

The Red Rock 3.5 women's team, the Desert Palm 3.5 men's team and Summerlin's Las Vegas 4.5 men's team all captured crowns (the adult division is split into six levels, from 2.5 (beginner) to 5.0 (advanced)).

The Red Rock team, which was comprised of players ages 31-61, featured Madonna Alberts, Irene Arambula, Teresa Bowman, Mary Clifford, Anne Evans, Betty Hale, Gretchen Hau, Eileen Marasco, Cherry Marshall, Lynne Miller, Vickie Monroe, Allison Prues, Melissa Santoli, Shari Spencer, Susan Tighi, Patricia Throwbridge and Anita Wilbur.

The Desert Palm squad, made up of players ages 30-56 from the Desert Palm Tennis Club, featured Michael Bubbins, Victor Cardoza, Ray Eccleston, Mike Garvin, John Harrigan, Scott Howard, Erik Krischner, Alan Long, Chris Miller, Pete Mueller, Brian Parker, Kris Penny, Keith Pickford, Vincent Pizzi, Howard Tubin and Bryan Yeager.

"Team tennis is a fun release and great fun," said Tubin, the team captain.

The Summerlin squad, with players ages 30-50, featured Mike Arnau, Jeff Barber, Dave Cox, Rod Dunnett, Richard Haskins, Joe Higgins, Mark Hoesel, Kevin Janison, Bryan Kyle, Dan Martinsen, Jim Peterson and Robert Strimling.

"We like the competition," Dunnett said.

More than 600 players on 60 teams competed at the adult sectional tournament. More than 32,000 USTA members compete in the Intermountain Section, overall. The section uses its funds to train and encourage tennis players of all ages, backgrounds and skill levels.

Those interested in Intermountain tennis can call the Nevada Tennis Association at 792-8384 or call the Intermountain office at 303-695-4117.