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2001-2002 News Archive
Schedule
| Roster
May 24, 2002
Letter from Coach Hansen
Dear Slug fans,
What a year! I just got the news that at the banquet
we missed Nick Cunningham was honored as the West Region Senior of the
Year. I couldn't agree more as he provided muscle and leadership to our
young team and helped pave the way for a very bright future. We all hope
he comes back to help coach the team next year.
Brian Casey reached the quarter finals of the NCAA
tournament before losing to the top seed Josh Lefkowitz of Williams. It
was a match he could have won but, partly due to his more than generous
line calls, he lost in two closely contested sets. This was only his second
loss of the season and he put together one of the greatest years in our
illustrious history. He was honored as the Western Region Player to Watch
and this year he was by far the most successful player in our region.
If he continues to improve at this rate he will be a very rough out next
season!
Kevin Casey was voted the Western Region Rookie
of the Year over some very fine candidates. He also had an amazing year
and will be a strong leader in years to come. He is developing a strong
reputation within our region as the Casey legend expands.
The old man won the Wilson ITA National Coach of
the Year which reflects the fine season produced by our amazing young
team. I was deeply honored as I think this was a remarkable season. To
have so many players recognized for their play and leadership says volumes
about this team. What it doesn't say is the incredible love and respect
they have for each other. I am equally as proud of them for this development
as I am for the tremendous growth in their games.
Thanks so much to all the alumni that continue to
support the growth of the program. Your leadership and support is so critical
to our continued success. I hope you enjoy staying involved as much as
I enjoy having you involved. Xerxes Whitney wants to coordinate an alumni
event in the fall so stay tuned.
Thanks to all the parents for all your support.
Not only did you provide wonderful raw material in your sons but your
caring and support of the program allows us to create an environment where
our players can grow and develop rapidly and with rich depth of character.
Thanks to all the wonderful folks at OPERS for all
the work on hosting the NCAA tournament. It was so great to showcase our
school, our program, and all the wonderful aspects of this wonderful place
we call home. I was amazed at how we all came together to produce such
a wonderful event. Special thanks to Laura, Steve, Diane, Greg, Dan, Karol,
Denise, Cara, Alo, Dave Houston, and Darren Potkey. I hope we will have
a chance to get everyone together to celebrate this event. Thanks also
to the wonderful help of the women's basketball and soccer teams.
Thanks so much for the wonderful support of our
sports psychologist Dr Jerry Lynch for your incredible guidance and support.
Your wonderful spirit lives in this team.
Thanks to Warren Scott for your ongoing help with
keeping our players healthy.
Assistant Coaches Gladkin and Stevens -what a team.
Thanks from all of us for your totally unselfish gift to the team. I could
not have done it without you and I value the development of our friendships
through the work.
Finally thanks to the wonderful young men that made
up this years team. You have been the best of what athletics is all about.
You are a team in the finest sense of the word and I look forward to share
many more great adventures with you. We will have a celebration when school
permits but till then thanks for the great season.
Bye for now and best wishes,
Coach Hansen
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5/22/02
Above: Josh Lefkowitz of Williams College competes in the Championship Final.
Below: After the match, Lefkowitz celebrates his championship with Head Coach Dave Johnson. |
May 22, 2002
NCAA Championships: Lefkowitz takes singles title
SANTA CRUZ -- Josh Lefkowitz of Williams College
came into the 2002 NCAA Championships the #1 ranked player in the nation
- and throughout the championships, he rarely gave anyone reason to think
he should be otherwise.
Lefkowitz won the Singles National Championship,
defeating Kevin Whipple of Gustavus Adolphus, 6-3, 2-6, 6-1, in the final
on Wednesday. Lefkowitz, a senior, ends his collegiate career having led
his team to three team National Championships and now winning a singles
championship.
Lefkowitz faced tough competition throughout the
gruelling three-day five-round competition that at one point had to be
postponed and moved because of rain.
On Tuesday, Lefkowitz had defeated UCSC Sophomore
Brian Casey, the last Banana Slug in the championships, 6-4, 6-2 in the
quarterfinals.
In the semifinals Wednesday morning, Lefkowitz defeated
Kayvon Fatahalian of Carnegie Mellon, 6-3, 6-3. Fatahalian had won the
Singles Championship as a Sophomore in 2000.
It is the first Men's Singles title ever won by
Williams College.
Earlier today, John Cham-A-Koon and Ivan Yeh of
Claremont Mudd-Scripps won the NCAA DIII Doubles National Championship
on Wednesday, defeating Kyle Harding and Jeff Keen of Kalamazoo, 6-4,
6-2 in the Final.
Cham-A-Koon and Yeh endured a grueling four round
doubles tournament over the past three days which saw them play many of
the top doubles pairs in the nation. In the Semifinals, they defeated
the team of Rob Condiotty and Brian Murphy from Redlands, avenging an
earlier defeat to that team in this year's regional championships.
This year saw UCSC's string of four straight doubles
national championships snapped. UCSC's top doubles pair of Nick Cunningham
and Brian Casey was defeated in the first round by Harding and Keen of
Kalamazoo.
Williams College, led by Lefkowitz, won their second
consecutive team National Championship on Saturday, defeating Emory University
in a 4-3 thriller. Williams, who bested UCSC in last year's final, again
defeated the Banana Slugs in the semifinals by a score of 4-3.
Congratulations to all the participants of the 2002
NCAA Division III Men's Tennis Championships!
The team draws, times and scores for the singles,
doubles and team championships are available here:
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| UCSC
Senior Nick Cunningham is the #1 ranked player in the Western Region. |
5/9/02
NCAA Men's Tennis Regionals
UC Santa Cruz plays host to the NCAA Men's Tennis
Western Regionals this weekend.
The Banana Slugs will be hosting teams from the
University of Redlands and Claremont Mudd-Scripps in a matchup of the
top three teams in the western region.Claremont and Redlands will play
on Friday, with the winner playing UCSC on Saturday. The winner will move
on to play in the 2002 NCAA Division III Men's Tennis Championships hosted
by UCSC from May 17-22. It will be the first time UCSC has hosted the
NCAA Championship Final.
Match start time for the Redlands-Claremont match
is at 2:00 PM Friday at the East Field Tennis Courts. UCSC will play the
winner Saturday at 12:00 PM.
The Men's Tennis Team's record currently stands
at 10-8, with all but one of those losses coming against top Division
I and II opposition. They are currently ranked the #1 seed in the Western
Region, and the #4 team in the country.
UCSC will also be hosting the 2002 NCAA National
Championships for Division III Men's Tennis from May 17-22.
GoSlugs.com will have constant updates throughout
both matches. Check back with us regularly for results:
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| UCSC Senior Nick Cunningham is the #1 ranked player in the Western Region. |
5/7/02
Men's and Women's Tennis prepare for NCAA Regionals
Both the Men's and Women's Tennis teams will be
competing in the NCAA Regional Championships this weekend.
The Men will be hosting teams from the University
of Redlands and Claremont Mudd-Scripps in a matchup of the top three teams
in the western region.Claremont and Redlands will play on Friday, with
the winner playing UCSC on Saturday. The winner will move on to play in
the 2002 NCAA Division III Men's Tennis Championships hosted by UCSC from
May 17-22. It will be the first time UCSC has hosted the NCAA Championship
Final.
The Men's record currently stands at 10-8, with
most of those losses coming against top Division I and II opposition.
They are currently ranked the #1 seed in the Western Region, and the #4
team in the country.
The Women's Tennis team will travel to Trinity College
in San Antonio, Texas on Friday. Trinity is currently the #4 team in the
country and the #1 seed in the Western region, compared to UCSC's #4 spot.
A victory for the Banana Slugs will give UCSC its first appearance in
the NCAA Championships in Head Coach Dave Muldawer's tenure. Strong performances
by top UCSC players Freshman Katie Frick and Sophomore Sara Moglen will
earn the players strong consideration for the the Singles National Championships.
The Women's record currently stands at 11-7 with
a 7-3 record in Division III play.
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| UCSC Sophomore Brian Casey was the big winner in Men's Singles at Ojai |
4/29/02
Men's Tennis: Brian Casey wins Ojai Championship
OJAI, CA -- UCSC Sophomore Brian Casey won the Ojai
Tournament Division III Men's Singles Championship this past weekend,
in the team's final warmup before the NCAA Regionals.
Casey, UCSC's #2 singles player, defeated five top
Division III west opponents to take the title, defeating John M. Cham-a-koon
from Claremont Mudd-Scripps in the Championship match, 7-6(3), 6-4.
In the semifinals, Casey defeated Brian Murphy of
Redlands University, who a round earlier had defeated Casey's younger
brother, UCSC Freshman Kevin Casey.
Casey was one of six players from UCSC in the 32-man
draw, with Senior Nick Cunningham and Freshmen Kevin Casey, Matt Brunner,
Andrew Cohen and Ben Bartels also participating. Cunningham, UCSC's #1
singles player, was upset in the second round by Darren Haworth from Linfield.
Bartels also made the second round, only to lose to Rob Condiotty of Redlands.
UCSC's two representing doubles teams of Brian Casey
with Nick Cunningham and Matt Brunner with Freshman Jeff Olsen both lost
in the first round, but will look to bounce back strong May 11 at the
NCAA Regionals, hosted by UCSC. UCSC has won the last four NCAA Doubles
Championships, and five of the last six.
The NCAA Division III National Championships will
be hosted by UCSC May 17-22.
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4/12/02
Senior Nick Cunningham, seen here against UC San Diego, should be more than ready to go at the NCAA Regionals |
4/15/02
Men's Tennis cruises against Chapman; looks toward NCAA Regionals
SANTA CRUZ -- The Men's Tennis team cruised to an
easy victory against Chapman University on Saturday at the East Field
Tennis courts, winning 6-1 despite the late scratch of top singles player
Senior Nick Cunningham at the start of singles play.
Cunningham and Sophomore Brian Casey won their #1
doubles match 8-4. UCSC won all three of its doubles matches. Cunningham
sat out of singles play to rest his shoulder, prompting Coach Bob Hansen
to promote Freshman Bryce Parmelly to the #6 singles spot.
The move did little to affect the outcome, as the
Slugs went 5-1 in Singles play. Brian Casey, playing at #1, won his match
6-1, 6-1. His brother, Freshman Kevin Casey, was one of four Freshmen
to take their singles matches in straight sets. He was joined by Andrew
Cohen, Matt Brunner and Bryce Parmelly.
UCSC's only loss of the day came on Freshman Ben
Bartels hard-fought 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 loss at #3 singles.
The day before, Bartels had been one of three Slugs
to win singles matches in UCSC's narrow 3-4 loss to the the UCSD Tritons.
The Tritons are nationally ranked at #8 for Division II in the latest
ITA rankings.
With the weekend split, UCSC's record now stands
at 10-8, with many of those matches coming against Division I and II opponents.
The teams' next action will be seen at the Ojai
Invitational Tournament April 26-29.
UCSC will be hosting the NCAA Western Regional Championships
on May 11-12. This will be a precursor, of course, to the NCAA Championships
on May 17-22, which UCSC will hosting for the first time.
1/9/02 - ITA Division III National Team Indoor Championships field announced
Courtesy of ITA Media Relations
WALLA WALLA, WA -- Five of the top six NCAA Division
III men's programs in the country will head to Whitman College for the
Feb. 16-17 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division III National
Team Indoor Championships.
Host Whitman will be joined by No. 2 Gustavus Adolphus
(Minn.), No. 3 UC-Santa Cruz, No. 4 Redlands (Calif.), No. 5 Emory (Ga.)
and No. 6 Trinity (Texas). Last February UC-Santa Cruz captured the inaugural
title in Walla Walla, beating Emory in the final.
Emory will face Trinity in first round play on Feb.
16, with the winner facing Gustavus Adolphus in the semifinals that evening.
The other side of the draw has Redlands facing Whitman in the first round,
with the winner taking on UC-Santa Cruz in the semifinals.
All of the participating programs bring great histories
to the event. Defending ITA Team Indoor champion UC-Santa Cruz leads the
way with four NCAA team titles, including three since 1995. All told,
the participants have combined to win 10 of the 26 NCAA Division III team
titles.
Whitman coach Jeff Northam is the tournament chairman
for this year's event, which is played at the Bratton Tennis Center on
the Whitman campus.
2001 NCAA champ Williams, the top-ranked team in
the country, is unable to participate next month due to scheduling conflicts.
Letter from Coach Hansen
5/7/02 - NCAA Regionals
Dear Slug Fans,
UC Santa Cruz was awarded the host site for the
2002 NCAA Tennis Regional Championships on Friday and Saturday May 10th
and 11th. The winner of this tournament will advance to the NCAA final
site also hosted by UC Santa Cruz on May 17-19 for the team championship
and May 20-22 for the individual championships. The top seed in our regional
is UC Santa Cruz who will play the winner of the Claremont McKenna and
Redlands University match. The Friday match between Claremont and Redlands
will be at the East Fieldhouse at 2:00 with the winner playing UC Santa
Cruz on Saturday at 12:30 at the East Fieldhouse. We hope many of you
will be able to come watch some great tennis at both regionals and nationals.
The regional will be very competitive as Redlands was preseason ranked
four in the country and UC Santa was three. Claremont has shown its strength
is pushing the top two teams in the country, Williams College and Gustaphus
Adolphus College, losing to both teams in closely contested 4-3 matches.
When Redlands and Claremont recently faced each other all six singles
matches were three sets with Redlands prevailing 4-3 in the match. This
will be the strongest regional field in the country and should produce
some fine tennis.
Sincerely,
Coach Bob Hansen
4/1/02 - Looking towards Regionals
Dear Slug fans,
We just returned from another wonderful trip to
Ojai. This will be brief but I wanted to publicly congratulate Brian Casey
as the 2002 Ojai singles champion. He won the title against a very strong
field playing through the toughest part of the draw. He won in two breakers
in the first round and had back to back three setters in the quarters
and semi. In a great final match he won 7-6, 6-4 against John Cham-a-koon
who played last year at Peperdine and was ranked in the top 150 in the
US in junior tennis. It was an extremely well played match with both players
at the top of their games. Brian showed the mental toughness combined
with impeccable sportsmanship that makes him a favorite with players and
coaches. He game was severely tested and he answered the bell time and
time again throughout the tournament. Other great matches were turned
in by Kevin Casey who reached the quarter finals with a stunning 6-1,6-0
win over the top player in the Pacific Northwest, Tim Mullen of Whitman,
in the round of 16 before losing a great three setter to Brian Murphy
of Redlands. I have never seen Kevin play so well and he seems to be getting
better and better heading into the stretch run. Ben Bartels won a good
first round match against the two player from Cal Lutheran before falling
to Relands's top player. Andrew Cohen lost a tough first round match against
finalist J Cham-a-koon. We have much work to do but this tournament will
be another positive step towards preparing for the NCAA tournament. Rooms
are going fast at the host hotel so if you are interested please call
the West Coast Santa Cruz hotel at 831 426-4330. Again the dates of the
team tournament are May 17-19. Talk to you all soon.
Best wishes, Coach Hansen and the Slugs
3/12/02 - Loss at home against Emory
In today's match against fourth ranked Emory University
coached by another former Slug John Browning the Slugs got out quickly
at one doubles with Nick Cunningham and Carlos Gonzalez winning in a very
well played match 8-1. After losing at two doubles 8-2 the doubles point
hinged on three doubles. Freshmen Ben Bartels and Andrew Cohen played
very well in winning 8-6 to seal the doubles point. In singles the pattern
of the day before prevailed as Nick, Carlos and Ben lost in straight sets
which put the pressure of the match on the Casey brothers and Andrew Cohen.
Brian defeated a very talented and agressive freshman Tyson Ramsay 6-4,6-2
and both Kevin and Andrew went to the third set. Kevin played some of
his best tennis to date as he was more aggressive than ever in winning
6-3 in the third. Andrew Cohen was dictating play against his senior opponent
but ran out of gas losing 6-3 in the third.
It was a great match and clearly sets the standard
for the work ahead. Emory is certainly one of the top teams in the country
and we played them very closely. I know with some work we will be able
to compete at all spots and I am proud of our effort. This match marked
our first ever Div lll loss on our courts that were build in 1988. It
was an incredible run but I hope this will be the motivation we need to
do the work to be a strong factor at this year NCAA tournament. We are
hosting the final site for the first time ever and it would be sweet to
win one for the thumb at home. Thanks to all that made it to the match.
We will need your support as we face several more hurdles at home on this
years schedule. I will keep you posted. Enjoy March Madness and then prepare
for May Madness as the Slugs continue on the drive for five!
Bob Hansen, Assistant coach Peter Gladkin and the
Slugs
1/19/02 - 2nd at ITA National Team Indoor Championships
Dear Slug Fans,
We just returned from the ITA National Team Indoor
Championships in Walla Walla Washington. We entered the tournament as
the defending champs and number two seeds. After receiving a first round
bye we played number three seed Redlands University in a key West Region
semi final show down. In doubles play the Slugs captured the point with
wins by the number two doubles team of Brain Casey and newcomer David
Johnson 8-6 and at three doubles with freshmen Andrew Cohen and Bryce
Parmelly winning 8-3. Our upper classmen set the stage in singles with
wins at the top three spots. Nick Cunningham won at one singles 6-4, 7-6;
Brian Casey won at two singles 7-6,6-2 and Carlos Gonzalez won at three
singles 7-6,7-5. All three matches we hard fought victories against quality
opponents. I was impressed with our competitiveness and focus in each
of these matches. Freshmen Kevin Casey rounded out the victory at number
five singles giving the Slugs a 5-2 victory and moving us into the finals.
In the other semi final match top seeded Gustaphus Adlophus played Emory
University coached by former Slug John Browning. In an epic battle remarkable
similar to our semi final win last year Gustaphus Adlophus pulled out
a thrilling 4-3 win over the very talented and young Emory team. This
set up a battle of the top seeded Gustaphus Adolphus team against the
two seeded UC Santa Cruz squad.
The Gusties have the most balanced doubles talent
in the country and it was evident as they won all three doubles matches
in the finals. At number two doubles the team of Brian Casey and Dave
Johnson had two match points before going down 9-7 in a solid and well
played match. This team has proved to be one of most consistent teams
to date. We were not very competitive at one and three doubles and need
these teams to continue to work on consistency and aggression. Carlos
and Nick have shown great potential but haven't played enough together
to consistently play at a high level. We are green but growing at three
doubles and are still testing teams at this spot. Last year we lost the
doubles point each time we played Gustaphus and still pulled out the matches
so we hoped for the same this year. At one singles Nick Cunningham played
last year NCAA singles finalist and one of the top players in the country
Eric Butorac. Nick served hugh and competed extremely well in winning
6-4,7-5. I was very pleased to see Nick defeat such a fine player knowing
he is still getting his singles game back after a long layoff with injuries
that has kept him from playing many competitive singles matches. Brian
Casey continues to shine at two singles and defeated a great player in
Nick Crossley 7-6,6-3. Brian was down 3-5 in the first set breaker before
winning the final 4 points to seize control of the match. At three singles
Carlos Gonzalez played one of the toughest Gusties in singles, Div l transfer
Kevin Whipple. He and Eric Butorac who also transferred from a Div l program,
were the two singles players that won against UCSC in both matches last
year. Carlos played well but lost a well contested match 7-6,7-5 showing
stretches where he was able to control large parts of the match with aggressive
groundies and strong play from the net. As Carlos continues to get stronger
and make better shot selections he will be a force against any of the
top teams. At four singles freshman Ben Bartels, who is coming of a wrist
injury that kept him from practicing for several weeks prior to this event,
struggled against veteran senior Michael Hom. I was pleased with how Ben
handled himself and I know he is looking forward to getting back in form
before our next contest. At six singles Freshman Andrew Cohen showed some
brilliant shot making in rout to an 11-9 third set tiebreaker victory.
Facing match point Andrew drilled a forehand winner and then played two
more solid points to decide the match. This is his second victory when
facing a match point and showed his composure under fire. With added strength
and more consistency he will be a force in the singles lineup. Kevin Casey
found himself in a similar situation that his brother faced last year
against a very aggressive and experienced Gustie, Josh Heiden. Kevin played
very well in losing a tough 7-6,6-3 battle. With a few more weapons Kevin
will be able to compete with the very best at his position. I was pleased
at how well we competed, especially in singles, and how the team in growing
and learning from each competitive adventure. To have been given the opportunity
to compete for a National Team Title this early in the season and come
as close as we did gives up hope and determination to do the work that
will hopefully lead to a similar opportunity as we host the NCAA tournament
in May.
Thanks so much for the support of Rafael Gonzalez
who made the trip to Walla Walla and provides help in so many ways! I
would also like to thank all of the parents, alumni, and supporters of
the program. Special thanks to Bobby Detrick for his help and to the ongoing
work of Jerry Lynch as our team psychologist and Warren Scott for helping
keep our players on court with his help as our team physician. Our next
home match will be against Hardin Simmons University from Texas on March
8 followed by matches with Pomona Pitzer and UC Davis on March 9 and Emory
on Monday March 11th.
Take care and thanks again for your interest and
support.
Bob Hansen, Assistant coach Peter Glakin and the
Slugs
1/28/02 - Season Begins
Dear Slug Tennis Fans,
We are off and rolling, (or limping!) We opened
our season against a very strong Division l program, Santa Clara University,
and although the outcome was stacked against us there were many positives
to take from the match. At number one doubles Nick Cunningham and Carlos
Gonzalez played a wonderful match in winning 8-6. They had several opportunities
to break before capitalizing at 6 all. They played very well in stretches
and served well enough to keep their opponents off balance throughout.
At this point in the season they look like they will continue to be one
of the top teams in the country in our Division and will compete successfully
against anyone on our schedule. It was a great way to conclude the doubles
as we had lost at two and three doubles. Brian Casey and Ben Bartels got
off to a great start before a lapse where they were broken twice in the
middle of the match. They have come a long way since the start of the
year and look to be solid with more work at the net for both. At three
doubles we are still looking for a solid combination. Transfer David Johnson
and freshman Andrew Cohen played three doubles against Santa Clara and
had some strong moments but also showed a lack of competitive experience
at times. In singles we got great efforts from Nick Cunningham and Carlos
Ganzalez who extended their opponents to three sets. Both Nick and Carlos
are coming off injuries and it was great to see them play at a high level.
With continued work and conditioning they will be very solid single spots
and provide great leadership. Carlos lost a close tiebreaker in the third
and was two points from a victory at 5-4 and 6-5 in the third. He played
some spectacular points and competed very well. Ben Bartels played very
well at four singles losing a hard fought match to one of the top junior
players from Northern California, Franciso Zepponi 6-4,6-4. Ben is making
many positive steps in his game and with improved volleys will be a force.
Kevin Casey made some great adjustments in his match against Taylor Bedilion,
another top Nor Cal junior player, and served for the second set before
losing in a tiebreaker. Kevin's improved attacking game helped lift him
in the second set. In our other two singles spots sophomore Brian Casey
and freshman Andrew Cohen had rough matchups but fought hard. We all learned
lessons that will help focus our training and pave the way for future
success. It was great to take nine players on the trip with Bryce Parmelly
playing seven singles and Matt Brunner playing fourth doubles with Kevin
Casey. Our young guns are getting better all the time and I look forward
to our next set of matches on Feb 8,9,10 where our first team will play
three more Div l teams before heading off the the National Team Indoor
Championships and the second team will get in a couple of matches as well.
Thanks to all the parents and fans that made the trip and I hope to see
you again at future matches.
Best wishes, Coach Hansen and the Slugs
12/13/01 - Happy Holidays from Slug Tennis
Dear Slug Tennis fans,
Happy Holiday!! Hope the season finds you counting your blessings and
enjoying the holiday cheer. The ITA National Fall ranking just came out
and 3 seems to be our number. We are ranked three as a team behind defending
national champions Williams College and Gustavus Adolphus who returns
all of their team from last season. After a wonderful fall season Soph
Brian Casey is ranked three in the country in singles and Senior Nick
Cunningham and Junior Carlos Gonzalez are ranked three in the country
in doubles. We have a wonderful new group of players to compliment the
leadership and fine play of our returning players. I felt like we had
a very productive fall and I am very excited to see the work our players
will do in preparation for the season. I will be sending more details
as the season progresses but I wanted to thank all of you for your support
of our program and wish you all a wonderful holiday. I have attached a
copy of our schedule and I hope to see you all soon. Best wishes from
all of us in Slugville.
Sincerely,
Coach Bob Hansen
10/18/01 - Fall Tennis
Dear Slug Superstars and Slug Superstar fans,
We are off and rolling again. My apologies for not
writing sooner but it seems we have been in high gear since the season
started. We began the year with our first ever before school training
camp and it was a wonderful way to start the year. We had a full week
to lay the foundation for the season and I feel that we have a clear track
to run on and a clear direction from which to approach the season. Due
to the graduation of four of our top seven from the team that won four
of the six available National Championships from a year ago, we have some
big shoes to fill. I have been extremely impressed with the quality of
our new players and the quality of character they have shown so far. At
the fall Western Regional Championships we played without our top returning
singles player, Nick Cunningham, who chose not to play singles because
of an injury to his elbow. Our other two returning singles players, Brian
Casey and Carlos Gonzalez, had strong showings. Carlos advanced in convincing
fashion to the quarter finals before losing in three sets to a great young
player from Hong Kong who is now playing for Claremont. In this match
Carlos dominated play for the first set and a half before tiring late
in the second and third sets. Brian dominated the field in rout to the
singles championship losing a total of 11 games in five matches! He was
at his tenacious best showing vastly improved offensive skills as well
as his trademark consistency. We won both the first round and second round
backdraw flights with first year player Justin Coup winning the first
round backdraw and freshman Andrew Cohen defeating team mate Jeff Olson
in the second round backdraw final. All three of these new players showed
great promise with these victories. Freshman Matt Brunner and Noah Farb
advanced to the third round with impressive victories. In the doubles,
last years NCAA doubles champion Nick Cunningham paired up with Carlos
Gonzales to win the doubles title. It was great to see the potential this
team has as they defeated several very strong teams including a come from
behind victory in the finals against a very strong Redlands team. Carlos
played both consistently and explosively throughout and combined with
Nick's experience they played well at key times. Freshmen Matt Brunner
and Jeff Olson won the backdraw in doubles. All in all it was a dominating
performance as the Slugs won all the titles at the Regional Championships.
UCSC's three newest All-Americans, Brian in singles and Carlos and Nick
in doubles, will play in the Small College National Championships later
this week in Playno Texas. Two other highly ranked freshmen that have
shown great promise and have fine work ethics are Ben Bartels and Kevin
Casey. In other Slug news Alumni Derek Fitzpatrick and Thomas Oechel just
reached the semi finals of the masters event of the Southern California
Professional Satelite Curcuit and were awarded 13 ATP points. With four
NCAA double titles between them, they are great representative of Div
lll strength as they defeated the current number one ranked Div l team
in the country as well as many strong foreign professional teams. Special
thanks for all those who supported the Golf Marathon, Bryan Shapiro, Morgan
Magid, Morgan Shepherd, Scott Buss, Robin and Gordon Ulrey, Matt Houseman,
Jeff Morse, Kevin and Kathy Casey, Justin Balas, Thor Evenhouse, Jesse
Sira, Gordy Stroud, Bob and Suzanne Hansen and Pat Henson. Thanks also
to Rafael Gonzales for his help with the training camp and his ongoing
support of the team. It was great to see Slug Alums Derek Fitzpatrick,
Thomas Oechel, Johathon Harper, PP coach Ryan Witt and Bryan Shapiro at
the Regional Championships. And finally extra Special thanks to Slug parents
Doug and Nina Fitzpatrick for coming to watch us play, taking the team
to dinner and continuing their generous support of the program. Thanks
also for the great dinner provided by the Brunner family on our LA trip.
We are off and running in this new season and we have much to be excited
about. Thanks you all for your great support of this fine program and
I will keep you posted as the season progresses. If you would like to
be taken off this list please reply. Best wishes to all.
Sincerely, Coach Bob Hansen and the Slugs
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• Basketball
• Basketball
