Pamela Sheehan from the Florida Section.
Jennifer Culko (left) from the USTA Mid-Atlantic Section and Pamela Sheehan from the USTA Florida Section are both competing in the 3.0 Adult Nationals in Tucson, AZ.
TUCSON, Arizona -- In an unlikely turn of events, two sisters from different parts of the country have both made it to the Women’s USTA League 3.0 National Championships in Tucson. Jennifer Culko’s team is representing the Mid-Atlantic team from Virginia, and Pamela Sheehan’s team won the Florida sectional.
Jennifer’s team was the first to qualify for the National championships in early August, and both sisters knew that if Pam’s team could win the Florida sectional a few weeks later in Daytona they would be able to reunite in Tucson in a few months. Winning in Florida is no easy task, as it is one of the most competitive regions. There was a lot of pressure on Pamela, who plays singles for her team, but they were able to pull through with a hard fought victory.
"I wasn’t able to go to Florida to watch Pam play, but I was following her progress and was so excited when I heard the news that we would both be going to Tucson," said Jennifer, who made it to Nationals last year but competed on a different team this year. "It’s been great to have her here for support, and to be able to spend some time together and enjoy the weekend."
Ironically, neither of the sisters played tennis in high school, they were actually both varsity softball players. They picked up tennis a few years ago when their kids went on to preschool as a hobby to pass the time. "There has never really been much of a sibling rivalry," said Pam. "We’ve always supported each other and it’s crazy that we both ended up here in Tucson, but it’s been a great experience." Because one plays singles and the other doubles, there will be no chance for a sister showdown against each other, but their teams could meet on Sunday if they both advance through group play.