Team tennis squads compete in state finals

The Bay Area's two team tennis squads compete this weekend in Eugene in the Oregon State Team Tennis Championships with hopes of advancing to next weekend's regional tournament.

The Barracudas, a 14-and-under team, and the Sea Lions, an 18-and-under group, practice at the William J. Sweet Memorial tennis Center and are part of the Boys & Girls Club of Southwestern Oregon.

The Barracudas won a sectional tournament at Coos Bay to advance to the regional event. The Sea Lions finished second the same weekend.

The two squads left the Bay Area on Friday for the state tournament in Eugene, which starts today.

The Barracudas, who have advanced to the national tournament the past three years, will be playing against teams from Eugene; Salem; Vancouver, Wash.; and Stevenson, Wash., in a round-robin format, with two matches today and Sunday.

The Sea Lions are part of a nine-team group that includes two squads each from Vancouver and Stevenson and single teams form Portland, Salem, Dallas and Eugene.

Only the winners in the tournament advance to the Pacific Northwest Section finals, which will be contested next Saturday in Lake Oswego. Five states make up the Pacific Northwest section.

The winners of the sectional tournament advance to the national event in Tucson, Ariz. for the 14-and-under age group and San Diego for the 18-and-under division.

Ed Thompson, who coaches the teams, expects a tough challenge this weekend.

“It's a more competitive tournament this year,” he said. “The teams are better.”

The World Newspaper