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The Chattanooga Chargers Softball team traveled to San Francisco to play in the 2009 Summer National Senior Games on August 4, 2009 and returned on August 10 with the silver medal earned after playing for four days and in nine games.
The Chargers went into the championship game undefeated and faced Utah's The New Kids on the Block. The Utah team had worked their way out of the losers bracket in the double elimination tournament after falling to the Chargers 8-2 earlier in the tournament.
Utah took revenge defeating the Chargers in two games and taking the gold medal.
"Our hitting and fielding had been superb, but our bats and momentum just didn't get it done in the last two games. We were very happy to finish 2nd in this tournament."
"There were 10,000 athletes there competing in 25 different sports. San Francisco really put on a good tournament with the help of Stanford University."
There were 60 softball teams from different states, the age of 50 - 70, participating in the tournament.
The Chattanooga Chargers played in the 65 age bracket.
There was a celebration of athletes held for the participants with each state represented by an athlete and their state flag. There were many well known athletes there speaking at the event. Also, Mickey Thomas of the Starship known around the world for his hits "Nothing is Going to Stop Us Now" , "We Built This City" and "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" performed for the athletes. There were other performers also. This event will be shown on a PBS television station this fall.
The National tournament is held every two years and you must qualify at the state level to play in the tournament.
The next National Tournament will be held in Houston, TX in 2011.
The team members on the Chattanooga Chargers Team are:
Helen Armstrong, Helen Barnett, Linda Benefield, Sis Davis, Billie Dempsey, Patsy Duncan, Goldie Hammock, Inez Hartline, Peggy Hays, Betty Johnson, Louise Lujan, Joyce Manis, Mary Morgart, and Brenda Phelps.
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