The USTA Northern New Mexico Tennis Association hosted its 20th Anniversary Middle School Tennis Tournament on October 22 and 23. Teams from Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Santa Fe, Belen, Los Lunas, Las Cruces and Los Alamos competed for the Statewide Championship Title. Five flights of team competition were scheduled that reflected and accommodated the wide range of playing abilities. Yellow ball compeition and green ball competition was offered. A total of 50 teams competed, bringing approximately 660 players to the event.
The tournament is a culmination of the NNMTA Fall Middle School League. The fall league provides every middle school player that tries out a chance to engage in a healthy after school activity, learning what is truly a sport for a lifetime. It provides an opportunity for each player to represent and identify with their school. The program emphasizes participation, sportsmanship, adherence to the rules, and team spirit.
SPORTSMANSHIP
New this year, the tournament accepted sportsmanship nominations for the inaugural "Sue Jollensten Middle School Tennis Sportsmanship Award". Coaches, parents, players, and coordinators nominated players for the prestigious new award. Boys and girls were selected to represent each flight. Sportsmanship stories were written. A committee reviewed the stories and selected the winners. Here they are:
Flight 1 FF Yellow: Tanner Dils, Jefferson MS and Olivia Koo, Los Alamos MS
Tanner's Story: "Tanner is unfailingly positive and classy whether he is winning or losing. Tanner is supportive of his prtner an the whole team. Tanner is always friendly and kind to his opponents. Tanner alwsy tries his hardest and never ups up. Tanner epitomizes sportsmanship!"
Flight 2 FF Combo: Avionis Griego, Taft MS and Ruby Godsey, Desert Ridge MS
Ruby's Story: "When Taft played Desert Ridge, the Taft coach asked for a Desert Ridge player to volunteer to play a special needs player. Ruby was kind and played to a level accommodating the Taft player."
Flight 3 MM Yellow: Keagan Caton, Lincoln MS and Caroline Klein, Albuquerque Academy
Caroline's Story: "She sacrificed herself or the first tournament match so tht everyone else on the team would have the opportunity to play."
Flight 4 MM Combo: Sean Goodyear, Assumption Catholic School and Simrat Chsuhan, Madison 2
Simrat's Story: " Simrat showed great sportsmanship when she called her own ball out when it was in quetion - Giving her opponent the game."
Flight 5 MM Green: Malachi Hill, 21st Century Public Academy and Ava Hoisington, Tony Hillerman MS
Malachi's Story: "The score was 6-5, 40 all. Malachi called the serve 'out', but then changed it to 'in'. The opposing player explained that she thought it was out and that a tie breaker should be played. Malachi said he couldn't make a certain call, so he was keeping his call as 'in', causing the opposing player to win 7-5."
The City of Albuquerque Parks and Recreation and the Jerry Cline Tennis Center, along with the Albuquerque Academy, partnered with the USTA NNMTA to provide this quality event.
FLIGHT WINNERS
On Sunday afternoon, the championship rounds were played at the Albuquerque Academy. Here are the resuls:
Flight 1 Full Format Yellow Ball OnlyDesert Ridge MS #1 Def LBJ #1
Connor Thompson DR def Sam Abadie LBJ 7-5
Tanin Ramnath DR def John Nguyen LBJ 6-1
Ryan Chandler DR def Corbyn Pierce LBJ 6-4
Christine Bui LBJ def Alyssa Martinez DR 6-0
Katie Lyons DR def Bernadette Nguyen LBJ 7-6
Janie Xiong DR def Brooke Pate LBJ 6-4
Thompson/Ramnath DR def Abadie/Nguyen LBJ 6-1
JC Calhoun/Zach Pirkle DR def Matt Mulder/Elijah Nix LBJ 6-4
Pierce/Tyler Nord LBJ def Luke Xue/Luke Honegger DR 7-5
Bui/Nguyen LBJ def Callie Gordon/Yana Outkin DR 6-3
Pate/Amanda Hernandez LBJ def Amberlyn Aguilar/Ashley Aguilar DR 6-4
Alyssa Yoon/Lauren Apodaca DR def Emma Lucero/Kiera Wester LBJ 6-3
Flight 2 Full Format Combination of Yellow and Green BallTaft def Desert Ridge #2 6-6 (52-48)
Connor Leonard T def Hasan Tutor DR 6-3
Matthew Voelkel DR def Nathaniel Allain T 6-4
Albert Pacheco T def Carlos Suecedo DR 6-1
Ella Lundahl DR def Cheyenne Nez T 6-2
Sarah Grenemyer DR def Cindy Sandoval T 6-1
Emily Field DR def Emily Martinez T 6-4
Leonard/Allain T def Josiah Stearns/Christian Buzzard DR 6-3
Pacheco/Lucas Marquez T def Suecedo/Collin Donovan DR 6-2
Avionis Griego/Jesus Miranda T def Kareem El-Kady DR 6-0
Nez/Sandoval T def Field/Grenemyer DR 6-3
Lundahl/Katie Ely DR def Martinez/Sohia Nunez T 6-2
Lily Cardwell/Sophia Colfack DR def Leslie Aguilar/Angelica Baca T 6-3
Flight 1 Mix and Match Yellow Ball OnlyAnnunciation 1 def Santa Fe Prep 8-1
Nic Scheller A def Isabel Voinescu SFP 6-1
Chris Ulibarri A def Ethan Grabel SFP 7-6
Grace Vivian SFP def Robert Hanisee A 6-0
Gavin Richards A def Leo Carter-Smith SFP 7-5
Monty Taylor A def Jack Veenstra SFP 6-3
Sam Jones A def Ian Terell SFP 7-6
Scheller/Richards A def Voinescu/Vivian SFP 6-1
R. Hanisee/Ulibarri A def Grabel/Carter-Smith SFP 6-4
Julia Hanisee/Chris Coash A def Veenstra/Terell SFP 7-5
Flight 2 Mix and Match Combination Yellow/Green BallLos Lunas Two Cats United 1 def Hope Christian 7-2
Xavier Castillo LL def Sean McGuirk HC 6-4
Isaiah Castillo LL def Aden Taylor HC 7-6
Ryan Rindels LL def Marissa Pattison HC 6-3
Patrick Baca HC def Ryan Friday LL 7-6
Mark Martinez LL def Ashley McWilliams HC 6-1
Keltie Hewitt HC def Kyra Ortega LL 6-4
X. Castillo/Conner Matthews LL def McGuirk/McWilliams 6-3
I. Castillo/Dominic Para LL def Pattison/Caitlyn Doyle HC 6-2
Rindels/Kenny Matthews LL def Seth Monde/Elliot Harner HC 6-2
Flight 3 Mix and Math Green Ball Only Jackson def Eastern Hills Christian Academy 5-4
Jason Sims J def Jagger Martin EH 6-0
Ashley Renteria J def Reagan Knoner EH 6-4
Shelby Miller J def Emily Crook EH 6-4
Garrett Bryson EH def Cameron Buckner J 7-6
Jacob Crook EH def Xander Cauldillo J 6-0
Jason Tinlin EH def Jason Perez J 6-0
Sims/Renteria J def Martin/Knoner EH 6-0
Miller/Buckner J def E.Crook/Bryson EH 7-6
J.Crook/Tinlin EH def Thea Miller/Abigail Daniels J 6-2