The South Miami-Dade 8.0 adult mixed doubles squad representing USTA Florida finished 2nd over the weekend in Tucson, Ariz., at the 2011 USTA Mixed Doubles National Championships, held Nov. 18-20, 2011, at the Jim Reffkin Tennis Center.
Playing out of Coral Pine Park in Pinecrest, Fla., during their local season, the South Miami-Dade team was edged 2-1 in the 8.0 mixed final in Tucson by the USTA Pacific Northwest team from Mill Creek, Wash. In the semifinals the Florida squad defeated the team representing USTA Mid-Atlantic, which finished third ahead of the USTA Midwest Section in 4th place.
It was the second consecutive year advancing to nationals in the 8.0 mixed division for South Miami-Dade, whose team was comprised of captain Robin Connell, Renzo Velis, Miguel Fundora, Leslie Stein, Donna Kass, Adam Joseph Rosales, Nastasha Rodriguez, Mel Gutgsell, and Carin Blanchard.
In other championship finals over the weekend in Tucson the USTA Southern Section won the 10.0 mixed championship, and the USTA Northern California Section won the 6.0 mixed championship.
This year's USTA League Mixed Doubles National Championship drew the top 44 teams (12 10.0-level teams, 16 8.0 teams and 16 6.0 teams) from throughout the nation.
USTA League is celebrating its 31st anniversary this year. Established in 1980, it has grown from 13,000 participants in a few parts of the country in its first year, to over 779,000 players across the nation today, making it the world's largest recreational tennis program.