7th Heaven: UCSC Slugs Way to D3 Title
“I wake up and think, ‘Did we really do that?’”
Just a week removed from his team’s third D3 men’s title in the last five years — capped by a 5-0 sweep of Amherst College in the NCAA final on May 21 — UC-Santa Cruz head coach Bob Hansen is still trying to explain how exactly his third-seeded Slugs won the program’s seventh title. They were ranked No. 8 in the country a month prior to the tourney. Finished sixth at the National Indoors. Finished out of the Indoors’ final four for the first time in program history.
“I look back on it, and I am kind of amazed,” Hansen said. “The team was out a ton of stars, there was such a premium on us doing well in doubles.”
Hansen is reminded of his ‘05 championship team.
“That team and this team are very similar,” Hansen said, comparing his ‘05 and ‘09 squads. “We didn’t have [Matt] Seeberger leading the charge this year, but other than that they were very similar.”
Seeberger, a three-time singles and doubles champion and arguably the greatest D3 athlete to pick up a racket, led the Slugs to titles in ‘05 and ‘07.
“He was a high-impact player, a real leader,” Hansen said.
He also watched the ‘09 final in street clothes. His replacement at No. 1 — Max Liberty-Point — entered the championship with a 0-4 record in ‘09 postseason play.
“This one was definitely no super stars,” Hansen said. “It’s not the most talented team we’ve ever had. You look at the top teams and they’ve got four-star players eight to 10 spots deep.”
UCSC had not a one. Even a dramatic 5-4 semifinal win over No. 2 Emory at the Biszantz Family Tennis Center had its drawbacks.
“Colin [Mark-Griffin] lost his first [singles] match in two and half years in the semis,” Hansen said.
But a week removed from championship No. 7, Hansen is fairly certain at this point that it was no dream. Just dream-like. UCSC won 15 straight doubles matches en route to the championship, including a clean 3-0 sweep of Amherst behind an 8-6 win for Liberty-Point/Illya Gendelman, an 8-5 final for Jared Kamel/Marc Vartabedian and an 8-6 victory from Max Ortiz/Mark-Griffin.
Mark-Griffin rebounded from his first loss in two-plus seasons to beat Priit Gross, 6-4, 6-2 at No. 5 singles to put the Slugs 4-0 and Liberty-Point clinched with a 6-3, 7-6 win over Zach Lerner at No. 1 — Liberty-Point’s first and only singles win of the tournament.
“I’m always wondering if we’re ever going to win another because of the talent coming into Division III,” Hansen said. “I’m old enough now to think that could be my last.”
Hansen has now won six titles in the past three decades.
Menlo High School Crowned CIF Champion
The boys team from Menlo H.S. (Central Coast Section), captured the national title at the ‘09 CIF-USTA NorCal Team Tennis Championship presented by Farmers Insurance Group. CIF NorCal Championships held at the Diamond Hills Sportsclub and Spa in Oakley, Calif.
Menlo High School team defeated Bellarmine College Prep in the Championship match. Earlier in the day, Menlo defeated Monte Vista High School, 7-0 in the semifinals. They advanced this far by having a flawless season, 27-2 record coming into the Championship.
- <img class=”size-full wp-image-1143″ title=”Menlo High School Team” src=”https://www.insidetennis.com/wp
holistic grain free dog food-content/uploads/2009/06/norcal-south2.jpg” alt=”Menlo H.S. is Bill Shine (coach), Jamin Ball, Connor Barnnette, Andrew Carlisle, Justin Chan, Patrick Chase, Zack Chase, Ryan Duggal, Max Glenn, Tim Hoag, Daniel Hoffman, Jon Katzman, Mac Osborne, Brian pokies online Peltz, Kyle Sum and Riley Tight.” width=”518″ height=”333″ />
- Menlo H.S. is Bill Shine (coach), Jamin Ball, Connor Barnnette, Andrew Carlisle, Justin Chan, Patrick Chase, Zack Chase, Ryan Duggal, Max Glenn, Tim Hoag, Daniel Hoffman, Jon Katzman, Mac Osborne, Brian Peltz, Kyle Sum and Riley Tight.
The team lead by a veteran coach Bill Shine and features ensemble of experience players, Jamin Ball, Connor Barnette, Andrew Carlisle, Justin Chan, Patrick Chase, Zack Chase, Ryan Duggal, Max Glenn, Tim Hoag, Daniel Hoffman, Jon Katzman, Mac Osborne, Brian Peltz, Kyle Sum and Riley Tight. The top four teams in order of finish are: Menlo, Bellarmine College Prep, Mission San Jose and Monte Vista.
Over 100 players represented six sections, Central Coast, North Coast, Northern, Oakland, San Joaquin and San Francisco. On the road to the championship, each team prevailed in local league play during the spring season. Teams who won their league advanced to one of six Sectional Championships. The six section winners and four finalist teams advanced to the CIF- USTA NorCal Boys Team Tennis Championship. Each team played four singles matches and three doubles matches.
No. 1 S: Hoffman (M) def. Clark (B) 6-3, 6-0
No. 2 S: Ball (M) def. Chang (B) 6-0, 6-1
No. 3 S: Glenn (M) def. Taylor (B) 6-3, 6-3
No. 4 S: P. Chase (M) def. Mehan (B) 6-1, 6-1
No. 1 D: Carlisle/Chan (M) def. Schobel/James (B) 6-1, 6-0
No. 2 D: Duggal/Sum (M) def. Wall/Hogah (B) 6-4, 6-1
No. 3 D: Katzman/Peltz (M) def. Schlippi/Shea (B) 6-0, 6-1NTRP Challenge at Los Gatos Swim and RC
The third annual Los Gatos NTRP Doubles Challenge, held at the Los Gatos Swim and RC, had all the makings of a Tournament of the Year triple crown.
Named USTA NorCal Tournament of the Year each of its first two years, the ‘09 Los Gatos NTRP — held May 16-18 — saw just two top-seeded doubles teams take home top honors in 12 different brackets. And one of the two was a forfeit win.
“We’ve been the Tournament of the Year the last two years and this was another great year,” said LGSRC Director of Tennis Vince Russo.
Seven unseeded pairings won titles, including Thomas Edwards/Owen O’Neil (M3.0), Dan Cox/Peter Windham (M4.5), Nanette Latos/Maureen Savage (W3.0), Sarah Ellis/Kristi Erpenback (W3.5), Kathrin Brown/Kyoko Hubbard (W4.5), Robert Inocencio/Margrett Saiki (MXD3.0), and Zach Bunanta/Yenny Hartono (MXD3.5).
According to Russo, over 150 players competed.
NTRP Thriller at Almaden Valley Athletic Club
Ten brackets. Zero repeat champions. The Almaden Valley Athletic Club’s NTRP Doubles Classic lived up to its Tournament of the Year billing over Memorial Day weekend a trio of three-set finals thrillers, including a match-of-the-tournament two-tiebreak three-setter in the Women’s 3.0 doubles final.
Rebecca Reyes/Lori Ruiz, both of San Jose, topped fellow San Jose products Mary Lehner/Phillips in a magical three-setter. Down a set after falling in a 7-6(6) tiebreaker, Reyes and Ruiz rebounded for a 6-4 second set to force a third between the South Bay pairings. The pairs played a dead heat to a 6-6 tie and a second tiebreaker, during which Reyes and Ruiz rolled, taking the tiebreaker 7-6(2) and the match 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(2).
The Classic, which featured men’s, women’s and mixed doubles in five NTRP division (3.0-5.0) included 125 teams. A portion of the proceeds benefited the ‘09 Girls’ 18s Nationals.
In Brief
Silver and Gold: San Jose’s Cameron Klinger, 11, went on a tear May 16-20 by registering gold and silver finishes in singles and doubles, respectively, at the Level 2 National Open in Upland, Calif. “Mike really did a good job of preparing me mentally and physically for what it takes to win at the national level,” said Klinger of his coach and former touring pro Michael Jessup.
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