CORONADO JR TEAM TENNIS WINS
Left to right top row: Sue Hites, Caroline Wood, Hana Granillo, Sam McNeal &Amanda Ursitti. Bottom row left to right: Federico Jimenez, Paola Sanchez, & Gunnar Dutch
USTA Jr. Team Tennis Sectional Championships were held January 12 & 13 at several locations in the desert, including Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Teams selected to go won their sectional division. Coronado’s 14 & under intermediate Team Smash was one of them. The team consisted of Gunnar Dutch, Hana Granillo, Sam McNeal, Carolyn Wood, Federico Jimenez, Amanda Ursitti and Paola Sanchez all from Coronado. They won their pool beating teams from Irvine, Westlake and Toluca Lake with a win of 95 games won and 58 lost. Team Smash then played the all boy team from Corona in the Championship match and lost 29-14. On Saturday Team Smash played at the JW Marriott in Palm Desert and on Sunday played at Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Parents and family members accompanied the players and a great camaraderie was had by all. During the season the talented Oscar Otanez coached Team Smash. For the Championship, Sue Hites, Tennis Coordinator with the City of Coronado stepped in for Oscar who was injured and unable to attend. Hites said “this was a wonderful experience for players and family members. I am so proud of these kids! They played their hearts out representing our Coronado Community with outstanding sportsmanship and grace.”
On Sunday Coronado players and their families toured the Indian Wells Tennis Garden where the BNP Paribas Professional Tennis Tournament will be held in March.
Ryan Seggerman also from Coronado played on a 14-advanced team from Rancho Penasquitos and that team easily walked away with the Championship winning 92 games and losing only 10. Hites stated, “This is another example of how tennis in Coronado is filled with junior talent”.
