The winning streak continued this season for Rye Racquet Club, which celebrated yet another triple sweep of the Metropolitan Interclub Tennis League (MITL).
By Georgetta Morque
The winning streak continued this season for Rye Racquet Club, which celebrated yet another triple sweep of the Metropolitan Interclub Tennis League (MITL). All three women’s doubles teams – A, B and C — competing at the highest level in flight 1– won their division. This is the fifth year that Rye Racquet scored all three. It happened in 2005, 2008, 2010, 2012 and now, 2013.
“The A team, which has won for six consecutive years now, was a frontrunner from the get-go,” said Kit Byron, club owner and coach of the teams. “The B team was neck and neck with Westchester Country Club and both teams deservingly tied for first place. The C team maintained a solid lead.”
The A team, captained by Carolyn Cruz, director of tennis and operations for the club, topped the standings with 28 out of 32 points. At one time, the team held a seven-point lead. Yet, it wasn’t all a breeze, according to Cruz, who noted that matches were competitive among the top three and four positions, especially against Saw Mill, New Rochelle, Westchester, and Bedford. The team missed Tracy Eck due to injury, but gained a couple of talented players who moved up from the B team. “We had great camaraderie, team work, and coaching under Kit’s tutelage,” said Cruz.
B team Captain Susan Choo was thrilled with the results, since three of the 12 members suffered serious ankle injuries. Choo hurt her ankle after the first match. “Aside from all of us sporting heavy ankle braces and feeling like RoboCop, we struggled to put a lineup together almost every week. Everyone on the team was very helpful and all moved their schedules around so that we could win,” said Choo.
The C team, consisting of returning players and newcomers, walked away with 29 out of 32 points. “We started the first few weeks with a strong record and that helped us really focus on making this another winning season,” said Captain Young Kim. “Not only do we want to win for our team, but we also don’t want to let the A and B teams down. When all three teams win, we celebrate as a group, which is really fun.”
The MITL, Metropolitan Interclub Tennis League, which coordinates women’s doubles competition among area clubs, celebrated its 50th anniversary this spring. The featured speaker at their luncheon was tennis legend Virginia Wade.