Harbor Square team with Shoreline player wins national tennis title

Harbor Square team wins national championship

By Liz Smalley, Edmonds

It was a long journey to get there. In the fall of 2012 our little team just started playing. But I did pick the strongest of our division level, and age level, never knowing we would do as well as we did. As the fall season went along, we did well and ended up winning in the Pacific Northwest.

We had a local play off, and won that as well. With that win, we were eligible to go to a regional competition, in June of 2013 in Sunriver, Oregon. Our Region is Alaska, Oregon and Washington. There were eight teams competing at that, and we won that. 

So, we were excited that we then could plan on going to the National Tournament, but find out it is almost a year away. But that gave us the time and desire to play and practice for 10 months.

Our ages range from 56 to 78. Heights, 4’10” to 5’8". XXS-L. Our small team of seven filled the three doubles courts.

The National tournament was April 4-6 in Surprise, Arizona. There were 16 teams, from the 16 US Divisions. We kept thinking and saying, “ WHY NOT US?”.

We were delighted to have won the national championship title.

Team members:

From Edmonds: Liz Smalley, JR Thompson, Marylen Fitzgerald

From Seattle: Melanie Korch, Judy Jennings

From Mukilteo: Nancy Burdyshaw

From Shoreline: Ellen Johnson - anchor and Court 1 player