IronOaks Tennis Club once again showed why it is one of the premier senior tennis clubs in the nation, with four teams capturing their respective league titles at the Southwest USTA 65-and-over Sectional Tennis Championships in Surprise, AZ from December 11-13, 2015. Competing teams which had won their local leagues represented districts from El Paso, southern NM, northern, NM, northern, central and southern AZ at the championships. The winners will now move on to the USTA 65 and Over National Tennis Championships in April of 2016.

Having all four of their teams advance to the National Championships is an amazing feat! This will be the fifth year in a row that a team from IronOaks Tennis Club will be representing the southwest section at the USTA Tennis Nationals. The IronOaks Tennis Club is one of the strongest senior tennis clubs and perhaps the strongest and most recognized HOA tennis club in the nation.

Those representing us this year and advancing to the National Championships are:

Team members for the Men’s 8.0 group: Leo Lapane (Captain), John Radcliffe, Dale Erhbright, Jerry Rex, Austin Mason, Dave Reddie, Mike Kroelinger, Tom Snider, James Pyles, Dave Elmore and Geoff Tanham.

Team members for the Ladies 7.0 group: John Radcliffe (Captain), Drena Radcliffe, Joan Anderson, Linda Carr, Vicki Eslick, Kay Wengert, Olena Buxton, Linda Shanahan, Jeri Schulz, Sue Davidson, Judy Gahide, Sandra Mason, Lynn Cox, Carmella Davin and Neila Whitbeck.

Team members for the Men’s 6.0 group: Ken Stanley (Captain), Norbert Guimond (Co-Captain), Evan Hansen, Phil Kirchenbaum, Tom Tschetter, Tom Ritter, Tom Lorgan, Hal Davis, Lloyd Yankee and John Reed.

Team members for the Men’s 7.0 group: Ken Stanley (Captain), Randy McManus, Jerry Rex, Zev Yardeni, Gary Porter, Jim Utter, Maurice Allen, Phil Messer, Bill Cunningham and Hal Davis.

The vision of Ed Robson and Jason Morton to build the type of tennis facility we have at IronOaks has attracted tennis players from all over the nation, including those with professional experience, those wanting to hone their skills, and those learning this as a new sport. Jason Morton was a world tennis champion and Oakwood resident who designed this tennis complex to be a nationally recognized facility. The Tennis Club itself has been the draw for many of the home sales in IronOaks. New members and prospective members are welcome to come by. Stop at the front desk in the Fitness and Racquet Center in Oakwood for more information.

The club has had numerous sectional championship titles as well as national championship titles in past years and is proud to add these four successes to its list of member achievements.