Jeremy McClelland of Wheeling captured the No. 1 ranking in Men’s Open Singles in the USTA’s Allegheny Mountain District for the fifth consecutive year in the final 2011 rankings. Jacqueline Payne, originally from Atlanta and now a teaching pro in the Pittsburgh suburb of Mt. Lebanon, placed first in Women’s Open Singles during her first year of eligibility.
McClelland teamed with Justin Thomas of Chester, W.Va. to win the district’s Men’s Open Doubles No. 1 ranking with a 7-0 record and championships of two prize-money tournaments. Kelly Whelan and Ronit Yurovsky of suburban Pittsburgh won the No. 1 ranking in Women’s Open Doubles based on their first place finish in the National Collegiate Clay Court/West Penn Amateur, while Scott Kahler and Jackie Hughes, both of suburban Pittsburgh, were the No. 1 ranked players in Mixed Open Doubles.
The USTA’s Allegheny Mountain District, which comprises 24 counties in Western Pennsylvania and the northern panhandle of West Virginia, also crowned No. 1 ranked players in seven adult singles age-division and seven adult doubles age-division categories. More than 450 players competed in singles and more than 240 teams competed in doubles in AMD adult tournaments in 2011. Many of the players were from out of state or out of the district. To earn a district ranking a player must reside in the district, be at least 16 by Dec. 31 of the calendar year and win one on-court match in a sanctioned tournament.
There were 80 men who qualified for an AMD Open Singles ranking this year by winning at least one main draw match. There were 35 district women who qualified for a district Open Singles ranking.
McClelland, a 2009 Duquesne University grad where he was a four-year starter, also qualified for several USTA Pro Circuit tournaments this year. He compiled a 10-0 record in AMD amateur district tournaments, winning the Middle States Sectional championship at the West Virginia Open and the Schultz Furniture Mattress/Progress for Industry prize money event in Erie. Keith Whittingham of Erie, a finalist in both tournaments, finished second in men’s singles for the second consecutive year with an 8-2 record.
Payne, who is also a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University, compiled a 7-3 record in district competition, including the championship of the West Virginia Open and a second place finish at the Paul Sullivan Clay Court Championships. She edged out Joelle Kissell of Latrobe, Pa., a sophomore at North Carolina State, who won the National Collegiate Clay Court/West Penn Amateur tourney but did not enter any other district adult tournament. Ronit M. Yurovsky, Plum Borough, Pa., Eva Sung, Pittsburgh, and Gina A. Majmudar, Pittsburgh completed the women’s top five in the rankings.
In Men’s Open Singles, Marko Dragic of Peters Twp., finalist in the National Collegiate Clay Court/West Penn Amateur, was third with a 5-1 record and 180 points while Jose Raymundo of Pittsburgh, winner of the Straub Brewery Clay Court Championship, tied Matt Rogers of Bridgeville, Pa. for fourth with 160 points.
2011 Top Adult Rankings
OPEN SINGLES
Men’s Open Singles:
1. Jeremy Mc Clelland, Wheeling, W.Va., 420 points, 10 - 0
2. Keith R. Whittingham, Erie, Pa., 300 points, 8 - 2
3. Marko Dragic, Peters Twp., Pa., 180 points, 5 - 1
4. (tie) Jose Raymundo, Pittsburgh, Pa., 160 points, 6 - 0
Matthew R. Rogers, Bridgeville, Pa., 160 points, 6 - 1
Women’s Open Singles
1. Jacqueline Payne, Pittsburgh, Pa., 270 points, 7 - 3
2. Joelle Kissell, Latrobe, Pa., 240, points, 6 - 0
3. Ronit M. Yurovsky, Plum Borough, Pa., 180 points, 5 - 1
4. Eva Sung, Pittsburgh, Pa., 150 points, 3 - 0
5. Gina A. Majmudar, Pittsburgh, Pa., 120 points, 4 - 0
OPEN DOUBLES
Men’s Open Doubles
1. Justin Thomas/Jeremy Mc Clelland, 330 points, 7 - 0
2. Trent A. Goerk/Jose Raymundo, 140 points, 5 - 0
3. Brandon Michael Romain/Keith Robert Meyer, 140 points, 6 - 2
4. Brad E. Wade/Dominic Costa , 120 points, 4 - 0
5. Tyler McCullough/Mark Panepinto, 120 points, 3 – 1
Women's Open Doubles
1. Kelly Whelan/Ronit Yurovsky, 210 points, 5 - 0
2. Stacia Kissell/Joelle Kissell, 90 points, 3 - 1
3. Jennifer Yocca/Lori Sabatose, 80, points, 3 - 1
Mixed Open Doubles
1. Scott A. Kahler/Jacqueline K. Hughes, 180 points, 5 - 2
2. Lori Sabatose/Rick A. Fenstermaker, 160 points, 6 - 1
3. Alexander Jan Brzozowski/Kelly S. Maslar, 150 points, 3 – 0
AGE-DIVISION SINGLES
Men’s 35 Singles:
1. Thomas Sparta, Pittsburgh, Pa. 120 4 - 0
2. Kenneth E. Dearth, Wheeling, W.Va. 90 2 - 1
3. Michael D. Macedonia Pittsburgh PA 80 3 - 1
Men’s 45 Singles:
1. Mark Panepinto, Wheeling, W.Va., 260 10 - 3
2. Leet Sommerfeld Verona PA 150 3 - 0
3. William A. Pilardi Mc Murray PA 120 4 - 0
Men’s 50 Singles:
1. Tom Liebenguth, Jefferson Hills, Pa. 90 3 - 1
2. Christopher R. Moore Pittsburgh PA 40 2 - 1
3. Keith Clawson Monroeville PA 33 3 - 1
Men’s 55 Singles:
1. Charles Taylor, Canonsburg, Pa., 280 7 - 0
2. Andrew P. Lach West Newton PA 260 9 - 5
3. Alan Timko Pittsburgh PA 117 5 - 3
Men’s 60 Singles:
1. Frank Bova, Erie, Pa. , 102 4 - 2
2. Dennis S. Posteraro Saint Marys PA 40 1 - 3
Men's 70 Singles:
1. Norman Bloom, Pittsburgh, Pa., 100 points, 3-0.
Women's 45 Singles:
1. Christine Klions, Greensburg, Pa., 60 points, 1-1
AGE-DIVISION DOUBLES
Men’s 35 Doubles:
1. Steven Lasica/Pa.ul Schneider, 40 points, 2-0.
Men’s 45 Doubles:
1. (tie) Penn Krause/David Thompson, 100 points, 3-0 and
Paul Schneider/Alex Parrish, 100 points, 3-0.
2. (3). William A. Pilardi/Stephen R. Kaufman 60 2 - 1
Men’s 55 Doubles:
1. Gerald Delvalle/Charles Taylor, 90 points, 2-1.
2. Joseph A. Kantor/William Wood, 60 points, 2 - 1
Men's 65 Doubles
1. Leonard F. Fechter/David W. Shenefelt, 60 points, 1-1.
Women's 45 Doubles
1. Lisa Keylor/Janet De Costro, 40 points, 2-0.
Mixed 35 Doubles
1. Jennifer Yocca/Alex Parrish, 60 points, 1-0.
Mixed 45 Doubles
1. Lisa Keylor/David Pauley, 90 points, 2 - 1