Compass North American IC Junior Challenge- USA qualify for 2016 World Finals

In the excitement of the closing moments of an extraordinary 4 day event that featured superior tennis, great sportsmanship, new friendships, memorable tour of some of the great Wash DC landmarks, and a heartwarming philanthropic event, an inadvertent mistake was made at the end. The tally of results incorrectly listed Mexico as finishing 2nd and Bahamas 3rd when those places should have been reversed on the basis of team records in the round robin format. Bahamas finished 2nd with a 2-1 record vs the other teams while Mexico was at 1-2. It is not surprising that the standings of these two wonderful teams was incorrectly reversed as very little separated the two throughout the competition. In their head to head match the teams played one of the most exciting matches in recent memory as they battled to a 3-3 tie after the regular boys and girls singles and doubles. The outcome was finally determined with Bahamas prevailing in a nail biting mixed doubles tie-breaker.

In reality, all the teams, and those lucky enough to be able to watch the event, were winners. For purposes of the record book, the standings will be changed to reflect the fact that Bahamas finished 2nd and Mexico 3rd in this four team event. While the US team was fortunate enough to finish at the top and qualify for the Finals next September in Monte Carlo, special mention should be made of the very talented and game Bermuda squad that performed so valiantly in the competition. The entire IC Community is delighted to have a Bermuda squad back in the mix and hope to see a team from that lovely island paradise in future IC Junior and Senior competition.

The USIC could not be happier to have hosted the event. Our gratitude extends not only to the herculean exploits of the JTCC, especially Wilfrance Lominy and Ray Benton, but also to all the players, Captains and caring parents who each played a role in the success of this competition. Special thanks also goes to Sara Fornaciari and her team at SportsPlus who helped with so many of the logistics but most importantly were responsible for the bus tour through Washington. Thank yous’ must also go out to our IC Council which oversees five other regional challenges in addition to ours to determine the six team lineup for the World Finals. Also, this competition would not be possible without the generous subsidies provided by the our worldwide corporate sponsor, The Compass Group. I could go on forever with thank yous’ but enough appreciative words have been exchanged in the various e-mails and everyone has received their much deserved appreciation.

Thank you all again for your participation. Please forgive the oversight which we have now corrected regarding the official team standings. Rather, reflect on how wonderful it is when all of us who love the great sport of tennis so much can work together to put on an event that not only recognizes the champions who emerge from fierce competition but also features philanthropy, sportsmanship and friendship across country borders in the true spirit of the IC community.

Don Tansey
Honorary Secretary
USIC