Palmerin wins J.U.M.P. tournament

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

Angie Palmerin participated in the J.U.M.P. by InterContinental San Diego tennis tournament Monday, Dec. 19, at the Barnes Tennis Center and won the girls 16-and-under division.

“It felt great,” Palmerin said.

J.U.M.P. stands for Junior tournament Underwriting Master Plan. Beginning tournament players can participate in the J.U.M.P. round-robin tournaments which do not have an entry fee.

Palmerin is a junior at Fallbrook High School and has played three years of CIF tennis for Fallbrook High, including the Valley League tournament, the CIF team tournament and the CIF individual tournament. She has not participated in Southern California Tennis Association tournaments.

She also hadn’t previously played in the J.U.M.P. tournament.

“I actually wasn’t thinking about even entering that tournament,” Palmerin said.

Palmerin works at the Fallbrook Tennis and Pickleball Club, both in the pro shop and with youth clinics. Raquelle Rogers, who graduated from Fallbrook High in 2017 and played tennis for the Warriors, although not in 2016 as a senior due to elbow surgery, is the Fallbrook Tennis and Pickleball Club assistant pro. Rogers suggested that Palmerin enter the J.U.M.P. tournament since there was no entry fee.

“I think it was a good tournament,” Palmerin said. “I got to see all the other players.”

Three other players who have taken lessons at the Fallbrook Tennis and Pickleball Club also participated in the tournament and were in different age groups.

“I think it was a good experience for them,” Palmerin said.

Each match consisted of five games. Palmerin began the tournament with four 5-0 victories. She defeated Makena Seiler of San Diego, Keira Kamath of Fullerton, Carla Alvarado of Mater Dei Catholic High School and Monique Tenorio of Brawley.

The division had two round-robin pools. Kailey Shim of San Diego won her first three matches, all by 5-0 scores, to advance to the final against Palmerin.

Because each match was to five games rather than won by the first player to prevail in five games, Palmerin clinched the match and the championship by winning the first three games against Shim. Palmerin then won the fourth game.

Shim won the fifth game to finalize the score of Palmerin’s victory at 4-1.

“I let that last game slip,” Palmerin said.

Palmerin noted that the loss was an endurance matter rather than mental mistakes.

“That is something I need to work on,” she said. “My feet started getting slower.”

She credits her mental focus for her tournament championship.

“It was more confidence than technique for sure,” Palmerin said. “I’m getting up to my level. I”m mentally getting there. I was scared of tournaments in the beginning. Now I’m getting confidence.”

Joe Naiman can be reached by email at [email protected].