Local tennis notebook: Hilton Head Island Landsharks advance to nationals

Another tournament, another heart-stopping victory for the Hilton Head Island Tennis Landsharks.

Coach Eric Wammock's 18 and under intermediate squad took to the court this weekend for the USTA Jr. Team Tennis Championships up just one game, but managed to hold off the competition to win the southeast sectional for the first time in the team's history. The Landsharks will now advance to nationals, to be held in Cayce.

"That's the beauty of it," Wammock said. "Every game counts. We're just not going to run away with it."

Wammock said the performances of each of his players were outstanding, but Katie Rankin (HHP) stood out by going 4-0 in girls singles. Cameron Clark (HHCA) and Steven Devincentis (HHI) paired up to go undefeated in doubles play. The team's overall excellence was enough to sneak by a team from Buford, Ga.

"Everybody is so good at the sectionals," Wammock said. "I frankly didn't have expectations."

Advancing to nationals is a victory in and of itself for Wammock's team, who have never before advanced this far, but Wammock said they won't be satisfied with just showing up.

"We're not going into the tournament to just play," Wammock said. "We're all just ecstatic. This is a nice way to cap it off."

WEXFORD PLANTATION RECOGNIZED

Hilton Head Island's Wexford Plantation was honored by the USTA as one of 12 outstanding tennis facilities.

Wexford Plantation received the honor in July. The USTA Facility Awards program is in its 33rd year, established to push for higher quality facilities. Wexford hosts USTA events throughout the year and was judged for standards such as layout, court surface, maintenance, player accommodations and more.

"It is truly an honor to receive these high accolades from such renowned establishments," Wexford Plantation General Manager/COO Susan Fishel said, according to a release. "It is a testament of our extraordinary community and our commitment and dedication to maintaining and offering top quality amenities."

This story was originally published August 19, 2014 at 2:48 AM with the headline "Local tennis notebook: Hilton Head Island Landsharks advance to nationals."