Lee County Women in USTA Playoffs
Six Lee Teams Played in Forida's Southwest Regional Championships
Although none of the Lee County women's tennis teams advanced to sectional competition in Daytona Beach, it wasn't for lack of effort on the courts at Naples Tennis Club.
The women of Lee County gave a good account of themselves in the USTA/Florida Southwest Regional Championship in Naples this past weekend. From 3.0 to 4.5, members (men and women) of the Lee County Community Tennis Association (LCCTA) left it all on the courts.
Women's 3.0 Battle Hard
Lee County fielded two teams in the Women’s 3.0 division: Peggy Voss’ team from Mid Cape Racquet and Health Club in Cape Coral, and Diane Welter’s team based at Rutenberg Park in Fort Myers. While Welter’s team came up one set short against Naples, Voss’s team lost all but one match, and still had a great time.
Match of the Day on Day-Two
In a thriller on day two, Diane Welter and Cindy Cokel beat Dale Shaughnessy and Sharon Slozil of Naples (the eventual regional champions) 0-6, 7-6, 1-0 (11-9). Down 8-2 and two points away from defeat, Welter and Cokel toughed it out and thrilled the onlookers, including husband Mike Welter.
Tough on the Husbands
Asked for a response to the dramatic comeback, Mike exclaimed above the noisy crowd, “They were down 6-0 and it was looking bad, and they hung in there. I’m just so proud! And I’ll tell you this; it’s a whole lot more pressure on the husbands watching than the ladies playing. For a CTA public parks team, they do really well!” As one of the coaches provided by the LCCTA and Lee County Parks and Recreation Department, Mike Welter has reason to be proud.
Lee's 3.0s Come Up a Little Short
Welter’s team came up one match short (2-3) of going to Daytona Beach for Sectionals, when Chris Leedy and Rena Gezzar suffered heartbreak in a tiebreak to Terri Ann Funigiello and Vivienne Day of Naples 4-6, 6-1, 0-1 (10-3). There was obviously no shortage of talent or fight on this team.
No.1 singles player Lisa Masquelier, in her second season after coming off a 28-year layoff, lost only four games in the three matches she played. When asked if she was enjoying the experience of league play, she replied, “loving it, loving it!” With her record during the season and playoffs, look for Lisa in 3.5 next season.
Mid Cape 3.5s Suffer Heartbreak
Debra White’s 3.5 team out of Mid Cape may be Lee County’s heartbreak team of the Championships, losing all three matches they played by 2-3 scores. Lee County’s other team in Women’s 3.5, Jami Hallman’s Heritage Palms team, finished third to Mid Cape’s fourth. Sarasota, with a 3-0 record, is off to Daytona, and Naples was second.
Ramsey Leads 4.0
Lee fielded one Women’s 4.0 team from Fort Myers Racquet Club. Katrina Ramsey led the team that finished fourth, despite sharing a 1-2 record with Sarasota. Margaret Elmore’s Charlotte team, which plays out of Seminole Lakes Country Club, was the winner, but they fielded players such as Kathleen Shimp and Linda Wheeler from Lee County to help them win the division.
Fox's 4.5s Battles Bad Breaks
The women’s 4.5 team captained by Connie Fox just couldn’t make any headway over the weekend with key player Sibongile Kangwa ill and unable to play with partner Carla Murray, and top singles player Carolyn Lawver hobbled with a hamstring injury. The team had several matches decided by tiebreaks that didn’t go their way. An official’s refusal to re-start a match after a rain delay on day-two, as they had with all other matches, didn’t help their cause. Needless to say, neither Captain Fox nor her players were thrilled.
We'll be Back!
Despite the heat-related ailments and match disappointments suffered by the Lee’s women’s teams, most players will be seeking to survive the heated battles of next season, and working to return to the scorching competition next summer. And why wouldn't they? In Diane Welter's assessment, "This has been real nice to come down to. There are beautiful courts, it's been well organized, and we've had a great time!"
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