The SoCal 45s team, captained by Tracy Hagen and led by Gretchen Magers and Jennifer Lyons, won the first ever 45s title for SoCal November 20th in Boca Raton, Florida. Jarilyn Joseph, Carolyn Nichols and Colleen Ferrell rounded out the SoCal 45s team.
SoCal was seeded second behind Southern, which had an all-star lineup. Elizabeth Brinson, Fran Chandler, Diane Barker, Mariana Hollman, Sue Webb and Rene Tharpe were a tough and deep team. Florida and Texas rounded out the seeds.
SoCal beat Northern section (Minnesota area) in the first round behind the singles play of Magers, Lyons and Ferrell, who between them lost only 1 game in singles. SoCal won 5/0.
In the semis, SoCal faced a tough Texas team, the defending champions. All three singles matches went three sets, with Gretchen and Jennifer pulling out three-setters over Shelly Works and Kathy Vick respectively. Nichols lost a 3.5 hour match at #3 to Vicky Buholz. Gretchen and Jennifer beat Vick/Buholz in straight sets to clinch the win. Heidi Gerger/Works won at #2 doubles over Hagen/Joseph.
The final pitted Southern, a 3/2 winner over Florida against SoCal. The match of the tournament may have been Gretchen’s win over Brinson in three tough, physical sets. Lyons beat Barker and Nichols lost to Hollman. Jennifer and Gretchen clinched the win with a straight set win over Hollman/Webb. Jennifer was everywhere on the court, and Gretchen was deadly with her overhead and volleys…and serve. Southern won the #2 doubles to make the final score 3/2 in favor of SoCal. The conditions were tough…very windy and lots of shadows, but you would hardly have known it was windy by watching Gretchen and Elizabeth play…great tennis from start to finish.
The team voted Jennifer and Gretchen co-MVPs..as Hagen commented, Southern may have had the depth, but SoCal had Jennifer and Gretchen!
Florida placed third with a 3/2 win over Texas. Julie Farina/Susan Boyer clinched the win over Shelly Works/Heidi Gerger. Works had a loooong match at #1 singles…beat Rita Gladstone in three sets. Gladstone noted that you knew it was a long match when you started at 8am and it was the beginning of the third set and the announcement was made that lunch was ready for the players!
The SoCal 35s won too, 4-0. Debbie Spence Nasim had a 4 hour plus match, winning 76 in the third to clinch the win. Jennifer Dawson and Amy Alcini also won singles matches and Tracy Currie/Alcini won the sole doubles match played (some players had planes to catch.)
Florida took the bronze with a win over Intermountain.
Thanks everyone for a terrific week in Boca Raton.
