An exciting weekend is in store for the Palisades Tennis Center’s Pali Gold squad, which is headed to Palm Springs for the USTA Junior Team Tennis Sectionals this Saturday and Sunday. Matches will be played at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden — site of the BNP Paribas Open in March.
The team of 11 and 12-year-olds, coached by PTC pros Courtney Gulihur and Mike Thomas, consists of Noe Winter, Atticus Parker, Halsey Hulse, Claudia Goore, Dashell Flynn, Noah Zaret and Drew Singer. After finishing the season undefeated against fellow PTC team Pali Black as well as squads from Bel-Air Country Club, Braemar Country Club and Riviera Country Club, Pali Gold defeated Toluca Lake before Christmas to earn a berth in the sectional round. Scoring is similar to the college format with four singles players and two doubles teams.
Winter, Parker, Hulse and Goore were teammates on the Marquez Elementary team that won the Pacific Palisades Elementary School Tennis League three times in four seasons. If Pali Gold dominates in the desert it will advance to the state tournament and then perhaps Nationals.
Jenn Levi manages all three PTC teams — two 11-12 squads and a 10U advanced team — and hopes to expand the program to six teams next season, which starts at the end of the month. Her son Braun plays on the 10U team and attends Corpus Christi School.
“This is only our first season in Junior Team Tennis so it’s amazing that one of our teams has gotten this far,” Levi said. “There’s so much talent at the Palisades Tennis Center and this is a great way for kids to be part of a team in what is usually an individual sport.”
— Steve Galluzzo
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