June 30, 2008
Two JTT Teams Take Texas Sectional Titles, Dream Team Aims for National Gold
‘Dominant’ is an overused term, especially in the sports world. Last year, the New England Patriots were termed a dominant franchise, though they won several games in the final minutes of play. The Austin Tennis Academy’s 14 and Under Advanced Dream Team truly dominated their Junior Team Tennis sectional playoff in New Braunfel's June 28th-29th, going undefeated and losing only one set on their way to the State JTT Championship. The 14 and Under Dream Team, along with the 14 and Under Intermediate Aces team now advance to the JTT nationals in Mobile, Alabama, Oct. 24-26.
Three Austin Tennis Academy Junior Team Tennis squads traveled to the state championships in New Braunfels, June 21-22. Two teams, the Aces 14 and Under (Intermediate) and the Dream Team 14 and Under (Advanced) won sectional titles, while the 18 and Under Advanced Dream Team earned third place. ATA Coaches Kendall Brooks, Brian Notis and John Schoenmakers were on-site staff in New Braunfels.
The ATA 14 and Under Dream Team won their 4th consecutive sectional title dating back to the fall of 2006. With the win, the Dream Team squad consisting of: Morgan Barnhill, Brittany Brewster, Brooke Hughes, Maggie O’Meara, Josh Hagar, Austin Mayo and Liam Woolley-MacMath will represent the Texas Section at the JTT National Championships in Mobile, Alabama this fall. As Coach Brian Notis stated: “the Dream Team is focused on improving on last year’s 7th place national finish and bringing home ATA’s first national JTT title”. The squad may have just the recipe to accomplish that goal, with experienced national JTT players returning. Last year, Josh Hagar, Austin Mayo, Brittany Brewster and Maggie O’Meara were all members of the national team and that experience may be a big factor in their success in Mobile.
For the 14 and Under Aces, their sectional championship is the first for ATA in the division. The Aces: Jessica Clouse, Smrithi Hariharan, Meghan O’Malley, Jaxon Immler, Neel Kumar and Christian Yonge posted a very strong game total, tallying 90 games to the second place Houston team’s 65. The Aces will surge towards more success in their national event in Mobile.
The 18 and Under Advanced Dream Team went to New Braunfels with title expectations, falling narrowly short in a close semi-final match with Dallas-Royal Oaks. The 18 and Under Team: Mary Bain, Kate Cahill, Blair Jones, Conor O’Rourke, Jonathan Stockdale and Daniel Wang showed resiliency by bringing their best effort to bring down a strong Montgomery Co. and win third place in the section in their final JTT match of the season.
Congratulations to ATA’s Junior Team Tennis competitors. The 14 and Under Dream Team and the 14 and Under Aces will look to win ATA’s first Junior Team Tennis national titles at the JTT National Championships in Mobile, Alabama: Oct. 24-26.
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