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With six champions, Georgia finished as the top state in the 2018 USTA Southern Junior Team Tennis (JTT) Section Championships.
Atlanta, the largest USTA community tennis association in the country, had four champions. Among the eight levels played, Georgia teams registered nine top teams, adding three finalists to its count of six winners. Alabama had a champion and a finalist, with both teams coming from Birmingham. South Carolina also had a champion and a finalist, while Mississippi had two finalists.
Four extremely close competitions highlighted this year’s action. Over three days of play, Macon, Ga. squeaked by Jackson, Miss., 145-144. Two other round robins and a final were decided by only two games.
Here are the 2018 champions and finalists:
| Level | Champion & captain/co-captain | Finalist & captain/co-captain | Score in final or *champion’s & finalist’s scores in round robin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 & Under Intermediate | Augusta, Ga. Andrea Thomas | Athens, Ga. (wild card) Kathleen Converse | *170-168 |
| 12 & Under Intermediate | Atlanta Karla Azuara | Camden, S.C. Jenny Greenway | 30-28 |
| 12 & Under Advanced | Anderson, S.C. Therese Woorons/ Sophie Woorons | Knoxville, Tenn. Dana Forsyth | *136-134 |
| 14 & Under Intermediate | Atlanta Amy Morrison | Albany, Ga. (wild card) Brandi Singleton | 54-39 |
| 14 & Under Advanced | Atlanta Cindy Pietkiewicz | Ocean Springs, Miss. Lance St. Amant | *166-137 |
| 18 & Under Intermediate | Birmingham, Ala. Ryen Valentine | Milton, Ga. Kristin Haak | 50-46 |
| 18 & Under Advanced-Low | Macon, Ga. Todd Smith | Jackson, Miss. Chandy Lee | *145-144 |
| 18 & Under Advanced | Atlanta Pam Williams | Birmingham, Ala. Kristijan Mitrovski | 54-34 |
This year’s event drew the top 55 teams and about 470 players from Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. More than 650 persons were expected to stay in Rome and Floyd County, including parents, coaches and siblings of the competitors.
Matches were played Aug. 11-13 at the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College in Rome, Ga. The Rome Floyd Tennis Center was the site of some matches on Friday.