Jr Beach Region Championships Produces First State Champions

The Arizona Region of USA Volleyball hosted Arizona's first Junior Beach Region Championships at Victory Lane Sports Park in Glendale on Wednesday, July 14th crowning 8 different Region Champions.

The Phoenix duo of Katie Meyers and Emma Ridley captured the Girl's 16's title with two straight wins over the previously unbeaten Phoenix team of Julie Mack and Lillian Soderman in the double elimination 8 team bracket. Peoria's Aubrey Bowerman and Kellie McDonald took third.

Shereiss Peters teamed with Michelle Anderson to capture the Girl's 14's championship, besting Peoria's Madison Orton and Jenn Robinson 21-10, 21-16 in the final. Peoria's Erin Clair and Kelli Heenan took the third spot.

Ahwatukee's Kelsey Brown and Melissa New capped off a perfect season in which they won all three tournaments they entered and captured the Girl's 12's championship with a 21-14, 21-18 win over Phoenix's Alexis Arellano and Haley Lowrance. Megan Dudzinski and Mary Jo Kolze, also of Ahwatukee, finished third.

The Girl's 18's division was won by Glendale's Kortney Campbell and Morgan Hummell, who beat Peoria's Jenny Martineau and Nicki Wanninger in the double elimination bracket. Martineau and Wanninger forced the extra stanza with the night's most thrilling match beating the previously unbeaten Glendale duo 21-19, 19-21, 16-14 before Campbell-Hummel came back. Peoria's Cat Bousquet and Abbey Diehl took third.

On the Boy's side, Glendale's Travis Hobson and Brad Young captured the Boy's 18's title. Colton and Sean Knight from Phoenix won the Boy's 16's besting Kyle Ausmus and Rob Echols. Justin Hobson and Josh Young, also from Glendale, took home the gold in the Boy's 14's Division and Gilbert's Jason Shiflet and Tyler Hutchins won the Boy's 12's Division.

Before the tournament began, some players were honored with some specialized awards. As voted by the Region Beach Staff, Peoria's Madison Orton was named the 2004 Arizona Region Junior Beach Player of the Year. She was the regular season's #1 AND #3 team in the Girl's 14's division playing with two different partners. She took four 1st places, one 2nd place and one 4th place in her six tournaments played.

Peoria's Audie Gonzales and Melissa Harper were named the Arizona Region Junior Beach Team of the Year. The 16's team won all three tournaments they played in the Girl's 16's Division and then moved up to the Girl's 18's Division where they took a 2nd and a 1st place. They were the #1 seed in the Girls 16's Division of the Region Championships but had to bow out when Melissa Harper sprained her ankle in the second round.

Finally, Peoria's Maressa Hunter and Danielle Serna won the Arizona Region Junior Beach Ironman of the Year award. Hunter and Serna played in 10 tournaments in two different age divisions over the course of the season, qualifying for both the 16's and 18's Region Championships. They elected to play in the Girl's 16's Division for the Region Championships. The next closest team played in seven total tournaments.

In it's first year, the Arizona Region Junior Beach program hosted 180 athletes from all over Arizona in 8 qualifying tournaments and the Region Championships. Region winners earned an automatic bid into the USA Junior Beach Nationals to be held in Hermosa Beach, CA on July 23-24th. It is the first program of its kind that incorporated both elements of USA Volleyball and the AVP Beach Volleyball Association.