The last quarter of the year began with CoCo Vandeweghe (right) taking the girls U.S. Open Junior Championships title as the first American in 16 years. She was joined at the podium by Mississippi's Devin Britton, the boys finalist. It was a sign of things to come as junior tennis players from the United States were in the news as the year ended.

Just after the U.S. Open, two teams of highly ranked players took off for Mexico. There was no doubt that Kristie Ahn, Christina McHale, Sloane Stephens, Evan King, Raymond Sarmiento and Denis Kudla were top players 16 and under in their country, but no one quite expected them to take on the world the way they did. For the first time ever, the boys and girls from the United States swept the Junior Davis Cup and Junior Fed Cup, respectively. It was quite a feat on its own and it was made more spectacular by the fact that American juniors had also taken the 14 and under World Team Championships in 2008. The win in the Czech Republic in the August by Kyle McPhillips, Grace Min, Sachia Vickery, Tyler Gardiner, Alexis Halebian and Christian Harrison and the fall championship made the United States the first country to ever win all four events in the same year.

Americans fared well at the season ending Eddie Herr and Orange Bowl International Championships (16s,18s), (14s,12s), with singles titles going to Julia Boserup (G18, OB); Alexander Domijian (B18, EH); Lauren Embree (G18, EH); Denis Kudla (B16, OB); Raymond Sarmiento (B16, EH); Chanelle Van Nguyen (G16, OB); John Richmond (B14, OB); and Alexios Halebian (B14, EH).

Among the many junior notables in 2008, a special mention should go to the following players who finished up the year even stronger than they started...

Devin Britton & Jarmere Jenkins
Together they won the Eddie Herr and Orange Bowl doubles titles. Separately, Devin (left) -- who is now literally on his way to play for Ole Miss -- was the U.S. Open singles finalist and Jarmere the Orange Bowl singles finalist.

Alex Domijan
Alex went on a streak at the end of the year, winning the USTA Pan American ITF and the Eddie Herr Internationals, and then making the semifinals of the Orange Bowl.

Jack Sock
There is no doubt that Jack (right) is back. After taking every National -- singles and doubles -- in the 12s in 2005, Jack Sock was plagued with injuries. It's taken awhile, but he is back in full force, sweeping the November National Open, making semis at the Orange Bowl, and then winning singles and doubles at the USTA National Winter Championships.

Lauren Embree
After a disappointing second loss in a row in the finals of USTA National Spring Championships in March, she kept on working and in the second half of the year it paid off with singles wins at the USTA International Hardcourts, USTA Pan American ITF, Eddie Herr and the Orange Bowl.

and Brooke Austin (left), who actually didn't end the year with any tournament wins as she aged up, HOWEVER, she did win 71 straight matches before losing in the quarterfinals of the Orange Bowl, for an unbelievable 2008 singles record of 114-6!