For CJ Browning, Miles Lucero and Marcus Pearman, this summer’s foray into USTA League tennis was just a continuation of a tennis partnership the trio got started a couple of years ago as teammates on the University of Arizona’s Tennis on Campus club team.
Former junior USTA players all, the trio has found an outlet for their tennis in college, and found new friendships in the process.
On Sunday, they capped that friendship with yet another USTA trophy to add to their collection, and came full circle with their USTA as adults, winning the 2011 USTA Southwest Adult League Championships as key members of a 4.5 Southern Arizona team.
Browning , Lucero, and Pearman were also vital members the last two years in a very successful run for the University of Arizona Tennis on Campus club team, helping the Wildcats make the national championship field of 64 in 2010 and 2011, including a Top 20 finish this year at the National in Cary, North Carolina.
The big Arizona three decided to keep their talents together for one last run together this summer, joining a quality team that played out of Tucson Country Club captained by Taylor Allin, himself a student at University of Arizona. As the youngest members on their team, and pretty much automatic point producers (they went a combined 16-1 during the season, and 8-1 at the Southwest Adult League Championships this past weekend), the Tennis on Campus alums have proved to be big hits on their league team.
"The main thing is this is just a great way to keep playing tennis," said Lucero (right) of playing in USTA Leagues. "It’s real easy as a college student to get out of playing, with busy schedules. We all were a part of the club team and it just kind of became a big friendship thing that was easy to keep going (with USTA League tennis). When we got asked to play on the league team, I think it was pretty much a no-brainer."
Lucero got started playing leagues last year in his hometown of Colorado, while Pearman got started on a 4.0 team in his native Hawaii two years ago and played last year on a 4.5 team out of Tucson Country Club.
Browning was a league neophyte this summer, and the team plugged him in at No. 1 singles, while Pearman played No. 2.
"I think a lot of the guys on the team like us because we’re willing to play singles," laughed Browning (bottom right), a pre-law major and the only member of the big three originally from Tucson. "We’re young, will run and and grind it out on those 100-degree days. I don’t think there are a lot of guys standing up to do that."
Lucero played the bulk of his team’s local matches in singles a year ago in Colorado, and even a few this year at the start of the Tucson local league season, but relinquished that role to his UofA teammates Pearman and Browning to take over that role on his league team (he went 3-0 in doubles) to partner with Allin. Lucero and Allin won all three matches at the Section Championships, including the decisive third point on the final day in a winner-take-all match against Greater El Paso.
"I think all of the USTA play we’ve done over the last couple of years have been a great experience for all of us," said Pearman (at left in above picture). "It’s just a great way to keep up your friendships and stay in the game."
And maybe even play a few national events and add a few trophies to your collection with a few friends along the way.