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Snowball 2008 ITA Sectional

LAS VEGAS YOUTH STAND OUT AT SNOWBALL
USTA-NEVADA PRESS RELEASE, January 25, 2008
The USTA Intermountain Section is one of 17 sections of the United States Tennis Association. The Intermountain section has over 36,000 members in its six districts, and each year players from Nevada, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming all compete at the SNOWBALL Sectional Championships in Salt Lake City, Utah. Las Vegas players reached 5 out of the 8 singles finals and won 3. Out of 8 doubles divisions Las Vegas had 4 teams, and two won the Championship.

Evan Song wins Boys' 16 Singles & Doubles Champion
Kimberly Yee, Girls' 14 Singles Champion
Brendan Aguilar, Boys' 14 Singles Champion
Kaja Banas, Girls' 18 Singles Finalist
Sarah Toti, Girls' 16 Singles Finalist
Victoire Saperstein/Rebecca Cleary, Girls' 14 Doubles Champions
Hadrien Saperstein/Jeff Vongman, Boys' 16 Doubles Finalist
Omar Garcia, Boys' 18 Singles 3rd place
Chrissy Uriarte, Girls' 16 Singles 4th place

Leading the pack by winning doubles and singles was Nevada's State singles Champion Evan Song, defending his 2007 Intermountain Snowball Boys' 14s sectional singles title, this time winning the Boys' 16s division. Through the semifinals in his first 5 matches, Song dropped only a total of 8 games but the championship match proved to be a barn burner. Devin Lane, the number 2 seed and arguably Intermountain's best serve and volleyer, made over 80% of his first serves and rushed the net to finish volley after volley. Lane dominated the first set winning 6-2 and there was little that Song could do except stay positive and have faith that things would change. The first 3 games of the second set took nearly 30 minutes to complete and Song was down 2-1 serving. Song then caught on fire hitting a multitude of passing shot winners and dramatically took the second set 6-2. Song stayed on fire and went up 4-1 in the third but Lane held serve then broke. Both Lane and Song then held serve but Song, up a service break, hit back to back aces down the tee to win the championship match, 6-4, in the best match of the day.

By winning the Snowball Sectional Championships, Song is ranked number 1 on the Intermountain Boys' 16s Endorsement List which grants him an automatic berth as one of 128 national players invited to the premier 2008 Easter Bowl Super National Championships to be held in Palm Springs, California in April. Song is 15 years old and is currently ranked #65 in the Boys' 16s division in the United States. Song was awarded the prestigious "Mike Agassi NO-QUIT" Award in 2008 by the Marty Hennessey Junior Tennis Foundation.

Song is not the only player that made his name known at this 6 State sectional Championship. Kimberly Yee, the top 20 nationally ranked player from the Hilton Tennis Academy, won the girls singles in the 14's as a 10 year old, and reached the finals in the doubles losing only to the team of Victoire Sapperstein, also from Hilton Tennis Academy, and Rebecca Cleary of team Agassi. Rebecca Cleary also reached the consolation final defeating other Las Vegas local Sarah Bessen from Anthem Country Club 6-1; 6-2.

It was a big tournament for Team Agassi, whose Brendan Aguilar brought home the boys 14 singles Championship and clinched a spot in this year's National Championship. Aguilar has had a national ranking high of 30 in the US in the boys 12's and is now regaining that in the 14's. Brian Foley from the Darling Center, also in the boys 14's division, reached the consolation finals.

Kaja Banas reached the girls 18's final but ended up taking second, still securing a place into this Spring's National Championships. Justine Feaster of Hilton Tennis Academy reached the girls 18's consolation final, losing to Paige Miles from Utah 6-2; 6-0. Omar Garcia from Hilton Tennis Academy took 3rd in the Boys 18's singles division.

Darling Tennis Center's Sarah Toti reached the finals and took second in the girls 16's, also qualifying for the national Championship. NET Academy's Chrissy Uriarte placed 4th; reaching the consolation final was Anita Lee losing in a very close 3 set match to Colorado's Caroline Schnell 7-5; 3-6; 6-1.

Brandon Parker, the State Doubles Champion from Palo Verde, reached the consolation final losing to Corbin Benson 6-3, 6-3. In Boys 16's Patrick Kawka placed 4th. In boys 16 doubles, Team Agassi's Jeff Vongman and Team Hilton's Hadrien Sapperstein took second place.