Rye Racquet Team California-Bound for USTA Nationals

Rye Racquet Club continued its winning ways August 24 and 25 when the club’s 4.0 team, the Ryesing Stars, won the USTA Sectional Championships in Schenectady and qualified for the USTA League National Championships in Palm Spring, California, October 18 – 20, 2013.

The team celebrated a series of wins this summer beginning with the district championships (Westchester and Rockland counties) in Yonkers where they defeated their sister team, the Rye Racquet Double Shots, 4-1, and then Club Fit Briarcliff, also 4-1. In the regional championships  (Westchester, Rockland and Duchess counties) in Greenburgh, the Ryesing Stars beat the Lichtenberg Alley Cats, 4-1, to claim the title.

The sectional championships brought together the best teams from all of the USTA’s Eastern section, including Southern, Northern, Long Island, New Jersey and Western regions. Yet the Ryesing Stars came out on top and beat all the teams, 5-0.   

The Ryesing Stars have a history of high performance in USTA competition, according to Kit Byron, club owner and coach. They’ve qualified for nationals four times and were finalists in 2005.

“We have a very strong team,” said Susan Steinthal, co-captain along with Jane Foster. “The last time it came down to the last match on Sunday morning, but this time we knew we were ahead on Saturday night. It was just gravy to play on Sunday.” Steinthal said the team is excited about nationals and plans to practice to get sharp from now until then.