After three days of tournament action, only one team would come out on top at the 2017 WTT Junior Nationals Championship on Wednesday at the George E. Barnes Tennis Center In San Diego. In their final matchup, local team On The Rise outlasted instate rival California Coast Crushers in a 46-27 victory to claim the title.
The WTT Junior Nationals, which is hosted by WTT co-founder Billie Jean King and is now in its 22nd year, is a national junior invitational event featuring 16 coed teams from 13 states. The teams, representing juniors ages 14-18, play the World TeamTennis format during their three days of non-elimination draw competition culminating with the Finals on the last day of the event.
In round robin play, On The Rise set the tone early with three convincing wins against the teams in their group. However, they would have to make it past the undefeated Team Intermountain, with players from Colorado, Utah and Nevada, to advance. In their semi-final match, On The Rise prevailed 44-23 to secure a matchup in the Finals against the California Coast Crushers, who defeated Midwest RCC 39-34 in extended play in the second semi-final.
Team members of On The Rise include: Gabriela Armas, Chula Vista, Calif.; Carolyn Brooner, Poway, Calif.; Frances Cornwall, Poway, Calif.; Robert Lui, San Diego, Calif.; Nik Speshilov, San Diego, Calif.; and Patrik Trhac, San Diego, Calif.
The Finals matches proved to be a competitive round with at least two of the matches ending in Super Tiebreakers. On The Rise held off a last minute surge by the California Coast Crushers in extended play 36-27 to take the title. Midwest took the Supertiebreaker and 3rd place over Intermountain 37-36 while Team Eastern came from behind to take 5th place in the Supertiebreaker 44-43.
2017 WTT JUNIOR NATIONALS – Final results
CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL: On The Rise def. California Coast Crushers 46-27
3rd place: Midwest RCC def. Intermountain 37-36
5th place: Team Eastern def. Bay Area Aces 44-43
7th place: Middle States Super Stars def. San Diego Attackers 40-27
9th place: Northern Lights def. Hawaii 41-34
11th place: Ballers with Attitudes def. Southwest Scorpions 41-23
13th place: OC Breakers def. Team Defiant 39-21
15th place: Stars and Stripes def. Purple Tennis Nation 40-36
TEAM (COACH)
Ballers With Attitude (Niko Karnopp)
Bay Area Aces (Jim Whelpley)
California Coast Crushers (Bill Dunkle)
Middle States Super Stars (Ann Koger)
Northern Lights (Gordon Reid)
One The Rise (Brandon Sieh)
Orange County Breakers (A.G. Longoria)
Purple Tennis Nation (Jim Bodor)
Midwest Racquet Club of Columbus ÔÇô RCC (Gabe Higgs)
San Diego Attackers (Huong Nguyen)
Southwest Scorpions (Larry LIneberry)
Stars and Stripes (Jay Diaz)
Team Defiant (Nancy Ansboury)
Team Eastern (Andres Sanchez)
Team Hawaii (Mimi Kennell)
Team Intermountain (Josh Cossitt)
2017 World TeamTennis Junior Nationals participants ÔÇô July 24-26 – Barnes Tennis Center – San Diego, Calif.
TEAM NAME – PLAYER, HOMETOWN, STATE
Ballers With Attitude
Paulina Ferrari, San Diego, Calif.
Eric Kats, Chula Vista, Calif.
Carlos Robles, Chula Vista, Calif.
Thelma Sepulveda, San Ysidro, Calif.
Kevin Thai, Poway, Calif.
Bay Area Aces
Justin Pau, San Francisco, Calif.
Hannah Highsmith, Folsom, Calif.
Sheldon On, San Francisco, Calif.
Kristine Pau, San Francisco, Calif.
Devon Whelpley, Larkspur, Calif.
Yunchieh Janabelle, Wu, San Jose, Calif.
California Coast Crushers
Emily Ackerman, Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Kai Brady, Redondo Beach, Calif.
Bill Dunkle, Arroyo Grande, Calif.
Delanie Dunkle, Arroyo Grande, Calif.
Peyton Dunkle, Arroyo Grande, Calif.
Adil Khan, Rolling Hills Estates, Calif.
Mikael Purne, RPV, Calif.
Middle States
Frank Yanni, Landsale, Pa.
Payton Bradley, Downingtown, Pa.
Jordyn King, Eagleville, Pa,
Meredith Lee, Pottstown, Pa.
Jonah Rebert, Millersville, Pa.
Cole Tecce, Medford, N.J.
Northern Lights
Jack Barker, Minneapolis, Minn.
Izabella Edin, Staples, Minn.
Tristan Fjelstad, Bloomington, Minn.
Yelena Hallman, Minnetonka, Minn.
Conner Olsen, Maple Plain, Minn.
Anna Stuttz, Dellwood, Minn.
On The Rise
Gabriela Armas, Chula Vista, Calif.
Carolyn Brooner, Poway, Calif.
Frances Cornwall, Poway, Calif.
Robert Lui, San Diego, Calif.
Nik Speshilov, San Diego, Calif.
Patrik Trhac, San Diego, Calif.
Orange County Breakers
Grace Dodd, Farmers Branch, Texas
Sean Holt, Rolling Hills Estates, Calif.
Nabil Khan, Rolling Hills Estates, Calif.
Julian Lee, Albuquerque, N.M.
Roxanne MacKenzie, Newport Coast, Calif.
Rachel Wittington, Carrollton, Calif.
Purple Tennis Nation
Jim Bodor, Santee, Calif.
Kailyn Channing, Santee, Calif.
Mariah Cook, Santee, Calif.
Spencer Ikeda, San Diego, Calif.
Joseph Marquez, Lakeside, Calif.
Allie Noon, Santee, Calif.
Midwest RCC
Stuart Brdicka, Galena, Ohio
Alexandra Cash, New Albany, Ohio
Colten Clark, Lancaster, Ohio
Kathleen Jones, Lewis Center, Ohio
Paige Kompa, Columbus, Ohio
Jonathan Zhuravel, Westerville, Ohio
San Diego Attackers
Marcella Archambeault, San Diego, Calif.
Patrick Maguire, San Diego, Calif.
Cameron Mofid, La Jolla, Calif.
Jessica Nakamoto, San Diego, Calif.
Britney Pellouchoud, San Diego, Calif.
Michael Savides, Del Mar, Calif.
Southwest Scorpions
Gabriela Aguilar Lawlor, Litchfield Park, Az.
Maximo Aguilar Lawlor, Litchfield Park, Az.
Brooke Belitz, Scottsdale, Az.
Erica Stutz, Scottsdale, Az.
Jack Swenson, Scottsdale, Az.
Maxwell Geiger, Scottsdale, Az.
Stars and Stripes
Max Solano, La Mesa, Calif.
Josh Khan, El Cajon, Calif.
Abraham Montiel, Spring Valley, Calif.
Kasey Castro, La Mesa, Calif.
Alyssa Williams, El Cajon, Calif.
Kristin Williams, El Cajon, Calif.
Team Defiant
Connor Barnett, Beaverton, Ore.
Spencer Barnett, Beaverton, Ore.
Parker Fry, Rolling Hills, Calif.
Emmett Moore, Lake Oswego, Ore.
Ashley Thorshov, San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Cydney Yamamoto, Palos Verdes Peninsula, Calif.
Team Eastern
Ignazio Ammendola, Massapequa, N.Y.
Martine Fierro, Greenwich, Conn.
Alexa Gotez, Greenlawn, N.Y.
Isabella Hartman, New York, N.Y.
Justin Speaker, Greenwich, Conn.
Sam Vagner, Staten Island, N.Y.
Team Hawaii
Brent Bersola, Wahiawa, Hawaii
Tristen Bryant-Otake, Kailua, Hawaii
Seann Easki, Honolulu, Hawaii
Taryn Fujimori, Mililani, Hawaii
Erin Jyo, Mililani, Hawaii
Dylan Woo, Pearl City, Hawaii
Team Intermountain
Seraphin Castelino, Superior, Colo.
Eliza Hafen, Farmington, Utah
Soh Kuyama, Las Vegas, Nev.
Ryan Neale, Parker, Colo.
Nicholas Lorenz, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Jasmine Rich, Salt Lake City, Utah
