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WILLOW
OAKS COUNTRY CLUB
2008 MIXED MEMBER GUEST TOURNAMENT
February
17-22, 2008
Willow
Oaks' Director of Tennis, Lynn Bybee, remarked that this year's draws
were one of the strongest ever in the history of the club.
With
former women's tour player Chrissie Seredni playing with club member Chip
Williams, the previous year's Champions Niki Smith and Tom Bryan
(Dominion Club) came into the tourney seeded third.
"I
told Lynn he better not put me and my partner against Chrissie in the first
round," said Doug James. "That would not be a fun way to
celebrate my birthday [which was on the 17th]."
Instead,
James and Maureen McGrath (Robious) knocked out Smith and Bryan in a
first round thriller 7-6, 7-5. "I have no idea who showed up in my
body today," said James of the win. Must have been a birthday
surprise of some kind.
Last
year's finalists Pat
Perry (ACAC) and Katherine Berry sailed through early rounds but
hit a wall in the semis against Seredni and Williams. Perry and Berry
handily defeated James and McGrath in Friday's match to determine 3rd and 4th
place. Perry was looking very clean and shiny in the final, as he
had spent the day at the spa celebrating his 40th b-day.
This
is the second club championship in a row for Chip Williams, who brought in
another ringer for the Men's Member-Guest in December, where he won the
men's title with VCU Assistant Coach Romain Ambert.
Williams
and Seredni faced Brenda Logue and Garrett Horsley (CCV) in the
Open Final, which went three sets. Logue and Horsley played well through early
rounds and were thought to be one of the best bets to knock off the #1 seed, but
with Williams and Seredni playing nearly flawless tennis, Logue and Horsley were
unable to seal the deal.
In
the 7.0 Division, Jack Berry captured the title for the second year in a
row, albeit with a new partner - Suzy Albus (Robious). Jack's
partner from last year, Melissa Abell (Robious), moved up to a 4.0
rating, which made her ineligible to play with Jack in the lower division.
Abell was quickly picked up by member Joe Torrice. Torrice and
Abell claimed third place after defeating Leslie Rhea and Bill
Shepherd (ACAC).
In
the Final, Berry and Albus faced another Berry playing in his first mixed
doubles tournament ever. Jack Berry's son, John, teamed up with Robious
player Tammy Beck to take his dad to three sets. "Our
experience helped us out in the second and third sets," said Jack.
The
Willow Oaks tournament committee would like to extend its thanks to all who
participated in this year's event! See you in 2009!
THE
RESULTS
Open
Division
Championship Flight
Chrissie
Seredni & Chip Williams
def. Brenda Logue & Garrett Horsley
 |
|
from left: Logue, Horsley,
Seredni and Williams |
3rd
& 4th Place
Katherine Berry & Pat Perry
def. Maureen McGrath & Doug James
 |
|
from left: James,
McGrath, Perry & Berry |
|
A Flight Championships
Bob
Steele & Patty Smith
def. Niki Smith & Tom Bryan
 |
| from left: N.
Smith, Steele, P. Smith and Bryan |
B Flight Championships
Nancy
Koontz & Tommy Richards
def. Ray Straus & Kim Brewer
C Flight Championships
Sonia
Haley & Drew Hendly
def. Doug Bretz & Pam Luse
-------------------------------------
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from
left: Mike Equi, Slade Gormus, Pam Equi and Mark Gormus
Mike and Slade were partners in the Open Division |
 |
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from left: Cherie
Lane, Drew Hendly & Heather Moidel.
Cherie Lane teamed up with David Downs; Drew paired with Sonia
Haley & Heather with Tom Crowell |
|
-------------------------
____________________________________
7.0
Division
Championship Flight
Suzy Albus & Jack Berry
def.
Tammy Beck & John Berry
 |
|
Suzy Albus & Jack Berry |
|
3rd
& 4th Place
Melissa Abell & Joe
Torrice
def. Leslie Rhea & Bill Shepherd
 |
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from left: Torrice,
Abell, Rhea & Shepherd |
A
Flight Championships
Tom Crowell & Heather Moidel
def. Bill Patten & Kathy Clarke
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Bill Patten & Kathy
Clarke |
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B
Flight Championships
Meda Lane & Kim Boys
def.
John Gillenwater & Sue Gillenwater
C
Flight Championships
Stephanie
Giegerich & Billy Hawa
def. Suzanne Franke & Bud Minor
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