Super Senior 6.0 Women Results

Binghamton's Super Senior Women's 6.0 team traveled to New Jersey over the September 8-10 weekend to compete in the USTA/Eastern Sectional Championships at Van Saun Park in Paramus. They are, from left: Alison Cosham, Arline Kutz, Genet Meers, Betty Carruthers (captain), Marilyn Stine, and Mini Daub. The team beat Westchester, but lost to New Jersey and Long Island. The team lead the field in fewest games lost, losing only 80 games in their three matches. The winning team, Long Island, lost 83 games total.

Mixed Doubles Teams Advance to Regionals

Binghamton has teams at the 6.0 and 7.0 level representing District 13 at the Western Regional Championships to be held in Rochester Saturday, June 3. There they will compete against District 14 (Rochester) and District 15 (Buffalo).

The Hanzes 6.0 Mixed Doubles team advanced directly to Regionals since Syracuse was unable to send a team to districts. They will face off against a team from Buffalo for the right to advance to Sectionals.

Bill Mirch is talking his 7.0 Mixed Doubles team to Rochester to compete against teams from Buffalo and Rochester after beating the DeWitt team from Syracuse. It was a very sweet 2-1 win since it was the same team Mirch narrowly lost to last year 1-2.

Go Binghamton! We are cheering for you to do your best!

8 Teams Compete at Districts

In Syracuse on Saturday competititon was fierce.

The McNamara/Salmon team started the day with a 3-2 win for Binghamton 3.0 women. Go BCATS! Next Sunday they will compete against teams from Rochester and Buffalo in Buffalo at the Western Regional Championships.

The 3.0 men also won their match in Syracuse. The O'Connor team had to default #3 doubles, but won the match in an exciting 3rd set super tie-break featuring Bing Rauber and Walt Davis. Leo O'Connor will also be taking his team to Buffalo next Sunday, but they will only have one match against Buffalo because Rochester has no team to send.

The 3.5 Senior Women's team representing Binghamton was the Rauber team. They are veterans at competing in District Championships and showed it with a clean sweep, winning all three of their matches. They too will play in Buffalo next week with matches against Buffalo and Rochester.

Three Binghamton area teams came extremely close to advancing. The Wright(Owego) team representing the 3.5 men, the Fischer/Powers team representing the 3.5 women and the Garbade/Bramante team repesenting the 4.0 women all were tied 2-2 with one match out. All of the deciding matches went to 3rd set tie-breaks, but none ended with Binghamton's teams the winners--must have been home court advantage for the Syracuse teams.

The 3.0 senior women were represented by the Stine team. They had good matches but not their best results day. To be fair, they competed when the sun was the hottest. Next year, ladies.

The deVente team representing the 4.0 men were the only team facing two matches on Saturday. They played a team from Syracuse and a team from Ithaca. They played well, but didn't come out the winner in either match.

Here is an observation---the teams that did best were from leagues with the most matches played. We need more match play at the local level to send on strong teams. Please contact us if you want to be a captain for next year. We are starting our list today.

2005 Adult Leagues

Teams are forming for 2005 USA League Tennis. We will start the leagues mid-May. We hope to have the following leagues:
3.0, 3.5 and 4.0 Adult Men
3.5 Senior Men
6.0 and 7.0 (Combo Leagues) Super Senior Men
2.5, 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0 Adult Women
3.0 and 3.5 Senior Women
6.0 and 7.0 (Combo Leagues) Super Senior Women

Call Reeta 722-3491 if you are looking for a team, or want to be a captain for a team. There are openings for both.

In particular we haven't heard from the 2.5 women. It is a great startup league, where you can gain experience and confidence. Matches consist of 1 singles, and 2 doubles matches so the size of teams can be smaller.

Mixed Doubles 2005 Final Standings

6.0 Mixed Doubles Ends Season with Deciding Match

Binghamton's mixed doubles 6.0 local leagues ended the season on Friday April 8 with a 2-1 win for the Hanzes team over the Rauber team. Standing, from left: Lillian Krebbeks, Dave Hanzes, Don Krebbeks, Leo O'Connor and Jeremy Krebbeks. Kneeling, Debi Karst, Colleen Hanzes (captain) and Laurie Salmon. The Hanzes team will now play Buffalo in June.

The Rauber runners-up are, from left: Alison Cosham Winchell, Alan Winchell, Kathy MacClary, John Crosby, Lauren Bowen and Brian "Bing" Rauber.

Awards will be presented to the mixed doubles leagues champions at a party at the Tennis Center on April 23 from 7 to 10 p.m. The party will include a round robin tally tennis, prizes and food. Also a raffle ticket will go to every player who responds by April 21. RSVP to BTC at 722-3491 or e-mail dbs13790@stny,rr.com

6.0 Mixed Doubles

Mixed Doubles 6.0 USTA teams battle it out on Friday, February 11, at the Binghamton Tennis Center. Bing Rauber's (home) team are pictured socializing with Gerry West's (visiting) team after a close 2-1 Rauber victory. Rauber team members are, standing, from left: Bing Rauber (captain), John Crosby, Mark Gorgos, seated: Kathy MacClary, Alison Cosham Winchell, Cindy Gorgos. The West team members are, standing from fourth from left: Chris Corbett, Wendy Lounsberry, Gerry West (captain), Gary Williams, Annette Fairlire, Joe Morabito, and Vickie Morabito. Captain West came to cheer on his team.

USTA League Wrap UP

Leo O'Connor & Bill Mirch receiving captain awards from Adult League Co-ordinator Dickey Sopchak. I think they captained 3 different teams. Laurie Bowen, tournament director of the Binghamton Professional Tournament looks on with a nod of approval. Tim Saunders lurks in the background.

Now that all of our USTA leagues are finished, below is a recap of league play.
Adult League winners:
Women 2.5 Brenda Story
Women 3.0 Sue McNamara Men 3.0 Gary Crowley
Women 3.5 Jones/Starke Men 3.5 Orville Wright
Women 4.0 Babs Hoesel Men 4.0 Bob deVente

Senior Winners
Women 3.0 Arline Kutz
Womens 3.5 Lou Ann Rauber Men 3.5 Dick Hoesel

Super Senior Winners
Women 6.0 Marilyn Stine
Women 7.0 Kay Bertrand Men 7.0 Dick Pastore

The regional level of play proved difficult for our adult league teams. The only team to advance to Buffalo for the Sectionals was Orville Wright's 3.5 team. In super senior competition, Marlyin Stine's team once again advanced to the sectionals held in New Rochelle at the prestigious New Rochelle Tennis Club, where they ran into some "young chics" who were barnstormers.

Under the tent was the happening place at our season end USTA party this past July

All in all, over 400 players participated in the Mixed, Adult, Senior & Super Senior leagues. The league hopes to build on this strong base, and field even more competitive teams next year. It is never to early to start planning and practicing for next year.

Mixed Doubles leagues will begin right after the 1st of the year. We will use the month of December to form and set up leagues. If you are not currently on a team, you may sign up at the desk, or call Reeta. We will attempt to run leagues in the 6.0, 7.0 and 8.0 divisions. Leauges will run January through early April. Matches will be Friday night, Sat night and Sunday afternoon. Start planning now on getting ready for winter Mixed Doubles!

Special thanks to our USTA league committee Tim Saunders, Reeta Hayes and Dickey Sopchak for doing a great job. This was the best year ever for USTA leagues. USTA Adult league tennis is thriving in Binghamton.

Marilyn Stine takes her 2nd Super Senior Team to Sectionals

For the second year in a row Marilyn Stine took a Women’s 6.0 Super Senior Team to sectionals. Pictured below are Dickey Sopchak, Chic Reeves, Mini Daub, Alison Winchell, Betty Carruthers, Pat Moses and Marilyn Stine. Missing from the picture is Arline Kutz. At the New Rochelle Racquet Club on Saturday, August 18, 2004, they played other women 60 and older (who also looked much younger) from New Jersey representing the Southern Region and lost in a very close match 2-1. The Southern and Western Regions were the only regions represented at the Sectional Championships.

Southern/Harmony (Home Team): 2 Wins  Western/Stine (Visiting Team): 1 Win
#1 Doubles Southern Elfie Somers and Alma Cook-Dash
Def. Western Mini L Daub and Marilyn Stine  6-0, 6-4
#2 Doubles Southern Eileen Boyle and Charlotte C Rupakus
Def. Western Alison Winchell and Betty Carruthers  1-6, 6-4, 1-0 (9)
#3 Doubles Western Patricia Moses and Dickey B Sopchak
Def. Southern Leslie J Harmony and Jacqueline Martin 6-3,  6-7(7-3), 1-0 (11)

Binghamton Mixed Doubles Team at Regionals

This Binghamton Mixed Doubles Team represented District 13 at the Regional Championships at BTC. Meet the 6.0 Hanzes Team featuring Don and Lillian Krebbeks, Brenda Story and Dave and Colleen Hanzes, the captain!

USTA Adult Leagues

Believe it or not, adult league play is nearing completion. In my estimation, the 2004 season has been a great one. Thanks to the efforts of Dicky Sopchak and the adult league committee, Reeta Hayes and Tim Saunders, the league has run very smoothly. I have never wtinessed so many close matches, nor so many 3rd set tiebreakers. Comraderie among opposing teams is at an all time high. The leagues have been a pleasure to host this year.

Even at this late date, ony a few leagues have been decided so far. The Jones/Starke team has clinched the Women's 3.5 divsision. In Women's 2.5, Brenda Story's team holds a2-0 record while Gregory is 2-1. In the Women's 4.0 division, it appears the Hoesel team is headed for the title with a 7-0 record, but still have two matches to play. Winning just one of those matches would secure the title. The most competitive women's leagus thus far is the 3.0. While the McNamara team leads with a 7-1 record, both Gregory/Kutz & the Patti Christie team are 6-2 and nipping at their heels. Christie still has both the McNamara & Kutz team to play. Stay tuned on this one.

Bob deVente's team has won the Men's 4.0. Dick Hoesel's 3.5 Men's team is 4-1, and Orville Wright's team is 3-1. They will play each other in a classic showdown July 15 to decide the league winner. The Men's 3.0 league is in their closest race ever. With only two teams in the division, Crowley is currently 4-3, O'Connor 3-4 and they will play each other one more time. If the O'Connor team wins, the decision will come down to the tiebreak rule!

The much anticipated year end USTA players party will take place Wednesday, July 28 from 6-8pm. Festitivies include tennis, refreshments, buffet dinner, cash bar and awards. Organized by Tim Saunders, there has been some rumor he might be providing addtional entertainment with table top dancing. Either way, count me in for attending!

We will once again announce Team Warrior Awards at the party. This award will be given to the player who most exemplifies the team spirit and fits your definition of warrior. Each team votes thier own warrior. Your captain will then forward all winner to Dickey Sopchak. So please get your votes to your captain!

One can rsvp if they will be attending the party by contacting your captain and/or placing your name on the sign-up sheet at the desk. See you then.

We are now forming Super senior teams at 6.0 & 7.0 levels. Supers senior leagues combine the ratings of both players. They tell me that you must be 60 or over to qualify for this league....I define a super senior as a senior with a little extra kick left in the engine. In any event, to sign-up, please contact Dickey at dbs13790@stny.rr.com.

USTA weekly update 6/7

Action really heated up in league play this past week. A lot of matches were played in spite of the rain and some league races are beginning to take shape.

Cindy Moore displaying fine clay court form in her match vs Teri Ruhl. The Gregory team has raced to a 3-0 record in the women's 3.0 division, but has yet to play the McNamara team, which also is undefeated at 2-0. The Kelly team is still dominating in the women's 3-5 division while the Hoesel team has pulled off back-to-back 3-2 wins to take 1st place in the Women's 4.0.

On the men's side, Gary Crowley's 3.0 team is 2-0 against the O'Connor team, a team they know well. These two teams are the only 3.0 teams in our league the past three years. The Men's 3.5 and 4.0 leagues are just getting underway.

There were two highlight matches of the week, both occuring Thursday evening. The 4.0 Women's Hoesel team narrowly defeated arch rival Ithaca 3-2. Four of the five matches went to a 3rd set tiebreaker.

In the Men's 3.5 league, Orville Wright's 3.5 team defeated a familiar foe, Dick Hoesel's team 4-1, winning all four of their matches in a 3rd set tiebreak to clinch the match. That is what I call living on the edge. Mike Faulkner defeated captain Dick Hoesel 10-8 in one tiebreak, and the new kids on the block, Joe Mirabito & Chris Simpson, won their tiebreak 12-10 at #1 doubles, defeating the veterans Andy Awylard & Ed Farrell. Joe & Chris are former basketball standouts who have just recently taken to the tennis courts. Perhaps we should be conducting team recruiting on the basketball courts! According to Gerad West, team member of the Wright team, these two teams have developed a "friendly rivalry". "The Hoesel team had won the league three years in a row before our team won it last year. I think youth may have played a factor in the super tiebreaks as we wore them down". It's interesting to note that Orville Wright was a team member of the Hoesel team until two years ago, when he formed his team, comprised mostly of Owego residents. These two teams will play two more times this season. I think I will be watching the next match!

Yesterday we hosted the Western Regional Mixed Doubles at the 6.0, 7.0 & 8.0 levels. It was a great day of tennis with teams from Buffalo, Syracuse and Rochester competing, as well as Colleen Hanzes local 6.0 team.

To view all league results, go to National USTA. A reminder that our 24th Annual BTC Clay Court will take place this weekend. Entries are still open until Tuesday. I hope to continue to gain player quotes for the weekly update. If you have any news or matches of interest to report, feel free to e-mail me at mstarke@tennisctr.com.

USTA League update wk 5/24

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Adult leagues have now officially started, with most divisions playing this week. On the womens side, we have two 2.5 teams, six 3.0 teams, five 3.5 teams and four 4.0 teams. The men have two 3.0 teams, three 3.5 teams, and two 4.0 teams.

The Kelly team The week's highlight match was the women's 3.5 match, Rauber/Kelly vs Jones/Starke, on Monday night. Two evenly matched teams battled for 2 1/2 hours. 4 of the 5 matches went to 3rd set tiebreaks. LouAnn Rauber/Lisa Kelly won the deciding match over Kris Starke/Barb Jones 13-11 in the tiebreak after saving 3 match points! Lisa & LouAnn win the player of the week award.

The USTA has now made its site very simple (at least simpler) to navigate. Go to National USTA

Once there, you find your league standings by plugging in your team name, gender and level under the Search option. For that matter, any of those search options work. Once you pull up your team league, you can click on the "Add to My Teams" icon located near the top right hand portion of the page under "League", just below your "2004 Binghamton". Next time you log on, you will find My Teams on your home page! You can add as many teams/leagues as you want here. This is best way to find standings and match information. I think this page has other neat options, but Dickey Sopchak, our USTA computer guru, has opted to show me one neat feature per week, which fits perfectly with my pace.

On Sunday, June 6 from 9am - 2 pm BTC will be hosting the USTA Mixed Doubles Regional Championships. We have one local team, Hanzes 6.0, competing ....Come up and check out the competition from Buffalo and Rochester. Our local team can use all the spectators and support possible. You also get a chance to see just how good the top teams from our region are. Often you see the same players in other adult leagues.

Oh yes....all USTA match schedules will be posted on the board as you walk in the club lounge. The board will tell you which match is being played on which courts. This is especially helpful when there are two matches at the same time or we are on a rain schedule.

7.0 Mixed Doubles Season End Party

Mixed Doubles - 6.0 team

USA 6.0 Mixed Doubles League - Recruiting players for teams. Captains will receive complimentary registration. You can play. Ask a friend. Need a partner? We can help.

Play will begin in February. If you have a child care problem for match time, let us know. We can help you.

For information, call Reeta 722-3491

7.0 Mixed Doubles Schedule

Administrative Match Schedule Report

League: USTA/EASTERN - WESTERN REGION - BINGHAMTON - 2004 Binghamton Mixed
Flight: 7.0 Mixed Binghamton
Schedule Status: The match schedule has been published
Report Date: 12/31/2003 7:37 pm EST

Played Match # Facility Rnd Date     Time    Home Team Visiting Team
972890 Binghamton Tennis Center 1 1/17/2004 7:00 PM Bowen Saunders/Sopchak
972891 Binghamton Tennis Center 1 1/17/2004 7:00 PM Mirch O'Connor
972895 Binghamton Tennis Center 1 1/30/2004 8:00 PM Bowen Mirch
972894 Binghamton Tennis Center 1 2/1/2004 8:00 PM O'Connor Saunders/Sopchak
972892 Binghamton Tennis Center 1 2/7/2004 8:30 PM Saunders/Sopchak Mirch
972893 Binghamton Tennis Center 1 2/7/2004 8:30 PM O'Connor Bowen
972900 Binghamton Tennis Center 2 2/20/2004 8:00 PM Saunders/Sopchak O'Connor
972901 Binghamton Tennis Center 2 2/22/2004 8:00 PM Mirch Bowen
972896 Binghamton Tennis Center 2 2/27/2004 8:00 PM Saunders/Sopchak Bowen
972897 Binghamton Tennis Center 2 2/29/2004 8:00 PM O'Connor Mirch
972898 Binghamton Tennis Center 2 3/13/2004 7:00 PM Mirch Saunders/Sopchak
972899 Binghamton Tennis Center 2 3/13/2004 7:00 PM Bowen O'Connor
972902 Binghamton Tennis Center 3 3/27/2004 7:00 PM Bowen Saunders/Sopchak
972903 Binghamton Tennis Center 3 3/27/2004 7:00 PM Mirch O'Connor
972907 Binghamton Tennis Center 3 4/2/2004 8:00 PM Bowen Mirch
972906 Binghamton Tennis Center 3 4/4/2004 8:00 PM O'Connor Saunders/Sopchak
972904 Binghamton Tennis Center 3 4/24/2004 7:00 PM Saunders/Sopchak Mirch
972905 Binghamton Tennis Center 3 4/24/2004 7:00 PM O'Connor Bowen

USTA Mixed Doubles Leagues

It is that time of year to get ready for USTA Mixed Doubles. BTC will once again run USTA Mixed Doubles leagues at the 7.0 and 8.0 levels. We will offer a 6.0 level if we get 15 or more players. Leagues will start the weekend of January 16 and run through the end of March. Matches will be played Firday night, Sat night, Sunday day and Sunday evening. All league winners advance to the Regional playoffs in May.

You do not need a partner to sign up. Simply put your name on the players sign up sheet at the desk, or call or e-mail us. If you are a captain and plan to once again field a team, please put your name and league leve on the captain sign up sheet at the counter. Sign up period for teams is Dec 1- Dec 24. Schedules will be out in early January. The way a team runs is as follows:
Each match consists of 3 doubles matches.
Matches are best of 3 sets, 10 pt tie break for 3rd set. 1 1/2 hours
Teams usually have 8-10 players
The rating of you and your partner cannot exceed the level of play ex:
If you are in a 7.0 league, a 3.0 can play with a 4.0 or two 3.5 players
You will not have to play every match
The league is a lot of fun
For further information, contact Reeta at 722-3491. New this year is a USTA local league commmittee which will govern our Adult leagues. Comittee members include Patti Margherio, Reeta Hayes, Dickey Sopchak and Tim Saunders. The committee will convene in early December. After the meeting we will have a better idea of how the committee will operate and who will be in charge of the Mixed Doubles Leagues

USTA Nationals

Jeff Kopolow's Men's 4.5 teamtraveled west to Tuscon Arizona to compete in the USTA Adult League 4.5 Nationals October 10-12. While the team trained hard in preparation for the event, the competition the national level was considerably stronger than at the regional level and the team went 0-3 in round robin play.

While the team found the competition difficult, they fared far better off the court, taking the various social gatherings and Tuscon's imediate surroundings in stride. The event itself was very well run, with 34 teams (17 men and 17 women) representiing every section in the country. There were hundreds of players, all of whom tried their best to represent their team and section as well as possible. Teams dislayed a lot of spirit, enthusiasm, and passion for the game. It was exciting to be a part of such a class tennis event. Our sport is clearly alive and well in many communities trhoughout the country.

Of note was how much energy and time each player put into their tennis game and team advancement. Many teams played in leagues that competed year round. Others played tournaments on the side, and most teams practiced on a regular basis. Their level of committment was strong. And for the most part, the competition was fair and played in what I term the spirit of the game. Good line calls, sportsmanship and lots of smiles and conversation after the match was finished. This was a very worthwhile experience and I hope that more teams from our area get to qualify in the future

USA League Post Season

Another great year for USA League play. Between the Mixed, Seniors and Adult leagues, we had over 350 participants, a record for our local league. Several teams (more than I can ever recall) qualified for post season play. It appears our teams are becoming more competitive than ever.

The accomplishments of a few teams deserve special recognition. Marilyn Stine's Super Senior (a senior to be reckoned with) women's 3.0 team, by virtue of their win over the Westchester team on Sept. 14, have qualifed for the nationals held in Scottsdale Arizona this November. Team members include Mary DeMarco, Gail Clobridge, Eleanor Johnson, Mini Daub, Arline Kutz & Betty Carruthers.
Ann Engle's 2.5 women's team, which went all the way to the sectionals (state level of playoff competition), only one level away from nationals. This is quite a feat for relatively new competitiors. Team members include Ann, Donna Koffman, Amy Fischer, Tony LaSorte, Wendy Lounsberry, Laurie Salmon, Ann Engle, Deborah Hewison, Nancy Combs, Monique Dekleermaeker and Cholly Kashou .

And a special plaudit to Jeff Kopolow's 4.5 men's team, which qualified for the Nationals, October 9-12 in Tuscon, Arizona. Barely surviving a strong district league run out of Syracuse, this team was victorious in regional and sectional playoffs. Team members include Jeff, Jamey Savitch, Jordy Asher, Scott Smith, Larry Garrard, Frank Goroleski, Dan Santelli, Mason Sopchak, Keith Krech, Parker Gennett, Collin Crawford & Michael Starke.

Again, a big thanks to Joanne Raffa, our local league coordinator for going the extra mile and taking our tennis efforts to heart. Kudos to Reeta Hayes, who always manages to find each "stray" a happy home, and each league enough teams to compete. Please stay tuned on our website for USTA updates posted by Joanne, who will keep us all in the loop.