ASHBURN WOMEN'S TENNIS TEAM CROWNED NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

FIRST PLACE: 4.0 Mid-Atlantic (Ashburn, Va.) L to R: Sherry Gruden, Carole Walter, Catherine Browning, Stephanie Anderson, Susan Grow, Kathy Scripka, Jennifer Hunter (Captain), Nicole Myers, Lu Ann Rubenstein (Co-Captain), Joy Fletcher, Jill Poretz, Jennifer Snyder, Janise Morgan, Front: Sarita O’Shea, Jennifer Jo Smith.

The women’s tennis team from Ashburn, Va., representing the USTA Mid-Atlantic Section, captured the national title at the USTA League Adult 40 & Over 4.0 National Championships held at the Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort, Rancho Mirage, Calif.

The Ashburn team defeated a team from Gladstone, Ore., 3-2 in the Championship match. Earlier in the day, the Ashburn team defeated a team from Manchester, Mass., 5-0 in the semifinals. They advanced this far by winning their round-robin flight contested Friday and Saturday.

The team is captained by Jennifer Hunter of Ashburn (Captain) and Lu Ann Rubenstein of Ashburn (Co-Captain), and features Sherry Gruden (Leesberg), Carole Walter (McLean), Catherine Browning (Round Hill), Stephanie Anderson (Reston), Susan Grow (Great Falls), Kathy Scripka (Fairfax), Nicole Myers (Falls Church), Joy Fletcher (Leesburg), Jill Poretz (Ashburn), Jennifer Snyder (Ashburn), Janise Morgan (Leesburg), Sarita O’Shea (South Riding) and Jennifer Jo Smith (Winchester) and plays at the Ashburn Village Sports Pavilion.

The top four teams in order of finish are: Mid-Atlantic, Pacific Northwest, Northern California and New England.

Established in 1980, USTA League has grown from 13,000 participants in a few parts of the country in its first year, to over 820,000 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.

Last year USTA League changed its structure and format. The change offers USTA League participant’s two divisions: Adult (18 & Over, 40 & Over and 55 & Over) and Mixed (18 & Over) to better align participants with players their own age. In 2014 a Mixed 40 & Over division was added. The restructuring guarantees more frequency of play opportunities at more appropriate age groups.

Head Penn Racquet Sports is in its 27th year as official ball of USTA League.

For more information about USTA League or the USTA, visit www.usta.com.