Wu, Schloemer and Alcedo are headed to their first tournament

The Santa Clarita Valley Tennis Aces will send three up-and-coming young tennis players to their first USTA tournament Nov. 19 and 20 in Claremont.  The seventh annual Ramada Junior Novice Tournament, hosted by the Ramada Tennis Club of Claremont, will be the perfect start to the young athletic careers of Connor Schloemer, Gary Wu and Grace Alcedo.

Wu, 7, of Valencia – a second grader at Tesoro del Valle Elementary – and Schloemer, 8, of Stevenson Ranch – home schooled, third grade – will compete in the Boys Singles bracket of the USTA sanctioned round robin Tournament. Alcedo, 8, of Valencia – a third grader at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School – will compete in the Girls 8 Singles bracket.

Schloemer

The trio will be coached under the watchful eye of SCV Tennis Aces head coach and USPTA-certified coach Jocel Alcedo, a former LMU Division 1 player who also played for a short time on the pro tour.

He said the last several months have been spent preparing Schloemer, Wu and Alcedo for the pre-Thanksgiving tournament – one of two warm-up tournaments for the 2012 tennis season. Wu and Alcedo are also due to see action Dec. 11 at the iTennis/Whittier Narrows Year-End Junior Novice Tournament in South El Monte, while Schloemer travels to join family in Washington where he will continue to train for the holidays. The three players intend to participate in two tournaments per month next year.

This Saturday, Alcedo faces Madison Workman Highland, Schloemer takes on Thomas Kensinger of Los Angeles and Wu sees Luke Kim of La Canada. All of these matches are at 8:30 a.m. Winners advance to the winners bracket.