Fujimoto hopes to take a step back and have fun

Published: June 16, 2009
Kane County Chronicle

For all of Kayla Fujimoto’s accomplishments on the tennis court last season, including a 33-3 high school season and a 5-8 seed at state, one thing was missing from her game.

“I was putting a lot of pressure on myself,” she said. “I think I had to take a step back and remind myself that I love [tennis] and have some fun with it.”

So this summer, with seven United States Tennis Association tournaments planned, the rising Geneva senior says her biggest priority is just to have fun.

And it seems to be showing, according to her coach at Score Tennis and Fitness Club, Barry King.

“For the last two or three months, a lot of players have commented that Kayla is more fun to be around.” he said. “She’s enjoying it more.”

But having fun isn’t just designed to maintain sanity; it’s a key factor in fully utilizing and improving on Fujimoto’s tennis talents.

“I have all my shots,” Fujimoto said. “I just need to execute them. I think I’m in a good place right now. I just need to put it all together.”

“There’s a lot of mental involved with tennis,” King said. “The harder you try, the worse you do sometimes ... As funny as this is going to sound, the more she can enjoy it, the better she’ll be.”

Fujimoto will get her first dose of fun in a USTA Midwest Section District Team Cup this weekend in Indiana, where Fujimoto will play on a team of other Northern Illinois district singles players.

While traveling around the country for USTA events might sound more glamorous than the high school season, Fujimoto said travel tennis and the high school season are not that different.

“You know, a match is a match,” she said, “and a win is a win.”

The busy summer schedule is nothing new for Fujimoto, a Vikings standout since her freshman season.

“That’s what its been like for I don’t know how long,” she said.

But this year, Fujimoto gets something she hasn’t had for years – an actual vacation to Georgia.

“Tournaments have been like vacations,” she said, “because you travel ... but it’ll be nice to just relax and not have to worry about tennis.”

King says the vacation should do Fujimoto some good.

“Most younger players, they just play, play, play,” King said. “It’s tough. So when they make plans, when they can do do something fun, then they know there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, and I think that helps a lot.”

Fujimoto has also been getting looks from various colleges.

“I’ve talked to a number of coaches already,” King said, “from a couple of Big Ten schools and a Big East school ... I think she’s going to develop and improve even more in college... She’ll be an excellent addition to any team.”

Fujimoto says it’s too early to decide on college just yet. For now, she’s keeping an open mind.

“I’m not looking ahead too far,” she said. “My options are pretty open. I don’t want to get ahead of myself.”

North duo lands just short of final day at state tennis tournament

Published: May 29, 2009
Kane County Chronicle

ROLLING MEADOWS – John Mittvick and David Johnson almost went the distance at the IHSA State Boys Tennis Tournament.

As it stands, they succeeded in going further in the state tournament than anyone in St. Charles North boys tennis history.

The doubles team followed followed up their strong performance in the tournament's first day with an arguably even stronger one on Friday, making it all the way to the seventh consolation round against a pair from defending state champion Hinsdale Central.

"There's no easy pickings on Friday," North coach Tim Matacio said. "If you're playing today, you are good. We're talking top 40 players."

It could have ended early as Mittvick and Johnson faced their first opponents, Charlie Clausner and Anand Puthanpurayil of Chatham Glenwood. Mittvick said he had to fight off fatigue throughout the match.

"It was kind of a slow start," he said. "I hate morning matches. But once we get started, it works out."

Mittvick and Johnson regained their footing to win the match 6-4. 7-5. They maintained that energy to get an early lead in both sets of their next match against David Martin and Cameron McClelland of Barrington, beating them 6-3, 6-4.

But it was their third win of the day against Alexander Gebert and Jacob Wilson of Oak Park-River Forest, a duo seeded in the 5-8 category, that provided North with the day's biggest accomplishment.

Mittvick and Johnson were brimming with confidence as they walked off the court from a 7-5, 6-3 victory.

"That was their highlight," Matacio said, "They were seeded 17-32, and they're in the top 16."

Unfortunately, the wait between the win and their fourth and final match of the day against Paul Cooper and Josh Sink of Hinsdale Central was a long one – almost two hours. That wait ended up hurting in their 6-4, 6-4 loss.

"They kind of built themselves up with that last win," Matacio said, "but it's hard to get the engine back running like that."

Johnson said that even though he and Mittvick had their school's best showing in state boys tennis, it would have been nice to come back for the final day on Saturday.

"We really wanted that last win," he said. "We were rolling, but they were just better."

In singles play, Batavia's Josh Cogan capped off his freshman season with two more back-draw wins before getting knocked out by Stevenson's Etham Frenkel. Cogan's senior opponent routed him in the first set, 6-3, but Cogan pulled ahead in the second set 5-4, using his deep-ball strategy that helped him conquer Kenta Shimizu of Fremd just prior, 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-2.

"I tried to make the points longer and hit the ball deep," he said after his match with Shimizu. "It helps to spoil the momentum after a serve."

But the more experienced Frenkel came out strong against Cogan, to win the match 6-3, 7-5.

"You could tell he was really motivated to win," Batavia coach Bob Kummer said. "It was one of those, 'You had to be there to see it' moments."

Cogan said he had plenty of motivation for next year after his 34-3 high school debut, breaking his school's record for most wins in a season and longest winning streak (32).

"He just kept going and getting better and working hard," Kummer said. "And that's what you want to see ... He was getting better even at state."

"It was really fun," Cogan said. "I was able to win a lot of really good matches."

Cogan enjoys early success

Published: May 28, 2009
Kane County Chronicle

Photo by Jeff Krage

BUFFALO GROVE – Batavia freshman tennis player Josh Cogan treated the first day of the IHSA state tournament Thursday in much the way he has every match since dropping his season opener – a chance to keep racking up wins.

The freshman singles player, Batavia's only state qualifier, made the most out of the cool conditions, winning his first two matches against Tommy Nelson of Crystal Lake Central, 6-1, 6-2, and Max McLean of Belleville West, 6-2, 6-1.

In his second match, Cogan was able to maintain his early lead over McLean by hanging back and waiting for a moment to strike.

"I was up 3-0 in both sets," he said, "and he started to hit lobs instead of hitting it out. So I had to wait for short balls."

"He is a patient player," Batavia coach Bob Kummer said of Cogan. "He works the point really well."

But Cogan finally met his match in his third-round clash against New Trier's Andrew Scholnick, a sophomore seeded No. 8.

"I've known him for a long time [from United State Tennis Association], and he's really, really good," Cogan said.

Still, Cogan was able to keep a pace with Scholnick, ultimately losing the match, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.

"It was intense," Kummer said. "The first set, [Scholnick] came out really strong and earned some key points. Josh responded well and controlled the second set. And in the third, [Scholnick] just got hot."

"Josh didn't lose it," Kummer added. "[Scholnick] won it by playing really well."

Cogan seemed to let the loss, only his second of the year and first since his season opener, slide off his back.

"I felt really good about how I played," he said. "I'm kind of floating on a cloud. ... There might be pressure to perform when I'm a senior, but not as a freshman. I'm having the time of my life."

Meanwhile, St. Charles North's six qualifying players earned their school 10 points on the team scoreboard.

"It's great for our program," North coach Tim Matacio said. "Everyone scored, which is what they had to do. ... Last year we had one point, and this year we've scored 10 in one day. It puts us in a position to be a state contender. And that's what we want to be – a program that consistently performs at state."

Seeded doubles team John Mittvick and David Johnson scored the most for North, winning two of their main-draw matches in straight sets. But then they faced opposition similar to Cogan's.

Their third-round match against the No. 2 seed pair from Stevenson made their previous two wins that day feel like a cakewalk by comparison.

As Johnson left the court after the 6-2, 6-2 loss, he joked about the powerful serves from Stevenson's Ross Putterman and David Packowitz.

"I thought I was going to die," he said. "[The ball] came toward my chest and I was barely able to block it."

"They're really good," Mittvick added. "And they're kind of like us, but better. I mean, one of them is really consistent, like David, and the other hits it hard."

Out of the the six North players, Mittvick and Johnson were the only ones to survive for Day 2 of the three-day tournament. Teammates Dan Oakes and Nikhil Mehta won their first-round match, 6-0, 6-0, against a pair from Ottawa Township, but then found themselves against Stevenson's other seeded doubles pair, Nick Stephan and Alex Tunner.

"We weren't really out of it," Mehta said of their 6-3, 6-2 loss. "They just overpowered us."

The two then dropprf their consolation match against Jim Deroche and Doug Nordli of Barrington, 6-3, 6-4.

Both of North's singles players were knocked out of competition as well, but not without some success first. Senior Felix Nitzsche took out his first opponent, Rafael Ramalho of DeKalb, 6-3, 6-1.

He then struggled against Fremd's Kenta Shimizu, losing, 6-0, 6-1. Nitzsche was able to advance in the consolation round, knocking out Pekin's Jeremy Milam, 6-2, 6-3.

His second back-draw meet found him in front a familiar foe – Yuto Tsukida of Streamwood, who beat Nitzsche in the Upstate Eight Conference tournament in straight sets. Nitzsche was able to win his first set, 6-4, but came up on the losing end of several close games in the following sets, losing 6-1, 6-3.

"[State competition] is different," Nitzsche said, "because you can see everyone can play and every match is intense."

His fellow singles player Christian Hoskey lost his first-round match, 6-1, 6-0, won his consolation match against Blake Hollenbeck of Belleville West, 6-0, 7-5, and then dropped his third match of the day against Sam Winkler of Lake Forest, 6-1, 6-2.

"I'm happy that I got the win," Hoskey said. "We needed that."

Marmion's sole doubles team was knocked out. Josh Mason and Austin McWethy dropped their first match against Raghav Sani and Ben Main of Freeport, 6-2, 6-3.

They won the first set of their first-round consolation match with a 7-1 tiebreaker, but opponents Tom Rapp and Josh Lange of Triad came back to win the next two sets, 6-4, 6-4.

Neuqua Valley tops North at UEC meet

Published: May 18, 2009

Kane County Chronicle

ST. CHARLES – With an almost-insurmountable lead going into the Upstate Eight Conference meet, Neuqua Valley solidly met its high expectations, taking first place in six of the seven brackets, including all four doubles.

But at No. 1 singles, St. Charles North's Felix Nitsche was able to keep Neuqua's Abhi Singh at bay in the semifinals, and pull off a first-set comeback to boot.

As the weather turned momentarily windy and overcast, Nitsche fought to keep Singh's lead at one game. But tied at 4-4, Nitsche pulled into his first lead of the day, picking up 5-4 lead.

Singh didn't make winning the set easy, but after losing the 7-4 tiebreaker, Nitsche found himself on easier ground and took the second set, 6-1. 

"It's always hard when you're behind," Nitsche said. "You're always under pressure. ... I just had to think positive. I knew I could make it. I'm good under pressure."

But Nitsche finished second in his bracket after losing the final match to Streamwood's Yuto Tsukida.

Nitsche wasn't the only North Star to make it to a final. Alex Enskat took second in the No. 3 singles, losing to Mike Baiocchi of Neuqua, 6-4, 6-1. No. 2 doubles Nikhil Mehta and Dan Oates and No. 4 doubles Ludvig Runestam and Kyle Pashan also took second place, falling only to Neuqua in the two sets.

The week before, North coach Tim Matacio said Neuqua was the only school standing in the North Stars' way.

"You never know what to expect," he said, "but I guess it's gone the way things were seeded at least."

For the Saints, Ryan McNally and David O'Dell guaranteed a top-four placement in the No. 2 doubles. At press time, they were battling for third place with Lake Park.

Not that East coach Sena Drawer was able to get too involved in any of her team's matches. As the meet's host, she spent most of the day making sure players were where they were supposed to be and tallying up the scores.

"I think I've seen about 10 minutes of tennis today," she said.

Wind fills North Stars' sails in UEC sweep

Published: May 12, 2009

Kane County Chronicle

ST. CHARLES – Few could ignore the stiff breezes blowing on St. Charles North's tennis courts Tuesday. 

But the wind blew heavily in North's favor as the North stars swept crosstown rival St. Charles East, 7-0, in the teams' last dual meet before the Upstate Eight Conference tournament this weekend.

North's No. 1 doubles team, David Johnson and John Mittvick, dominated the match against East's Sam Leopardo and Nick Romano, 6-0, 6-0, by keeping their shots under control.

"We knew we had to stay as consistent as possible," Johnson said, "especially in this wind."

No. 1 singles player Felix Nitzsche said the same thing about his 6-2, 6-2 win against Paul Reiff.

"You have to switch your game a little bit and play safer," he said. "I really tried to play safe and make no errors."

North coach Tim Matacio said his team is used to playing with conditions that sometimes sent balls flying over the fence around the court.

"The wind is usually an equalizer," he said. "I mean, we've played so much in windy conditions. ... [They] just have to stay in it."

The Saints were not without some inspired efforts, despite not being on the winning side of  their matches. Nick Niemiec dropped his first No. 3 singles set against Alex Enskat, 6-0, but fought back in second set, forcing Enskat to seven games.

At No. 3 doubles, Sam Decker and freshman Connor Davis made North's Patrick Corrigan and Parker Featherston work for their 6-4, 6-4 win. 

"They were the team that handled the pressure really well," East coach Sena Drawer said. "Connor is growing by leaps and bounds, and it's helping Sam pick up his game, as well."

She also praised Reiff's match against Nitzsche. 

"Emotionally, he's handling things really well," she said. "He's not looking for excuses."

Nor was Drawer looking for excuses, saying that the windy conditions were just something everyone had to battle.

"The more you play, the more you know to play the elements," she said. "We're just seeing the effects of being a young and inexperienced team."

The crosstown meet went without hard feelings; the two teams even shared pizza after the meet.

"There's not really an East-North rivalry. It's more like friends in tennis," Mittvick said. "The only people standing in our way is Neuqua [Valley]."

Geneva tennis fends off fatigue, West

Published: May 4, 2009

Kane County Chronicle

Photo by Rob Winner

GENEVA – After the weekend, some of Geneva’s tennis players were joking about “prom fatigue.”

At least that’s one possible reason why No. 1 doubles player Braden Dalton said he and teammate Greg Adelman were a little rusty in their first set against West Aurora’s Jeff King and Mike Hohm.

“It was a long weekend,” Dalton said, “[so] it was a long match today with a lot of long games. One game had 10 deuces.”

But that rustiness was only in the first set, and it only cost them two games, as Dalton and Adelman locked into a groove and easily won their match, 6-2, 6-0.

The No. 2 and 3 doubles matches showed only fleeting signs of fatigue for the Vikings, as Mike Fellicelli and Mike Tourte took their No. 2 match 6-0, 6-1, helping Geneva win the dual meet, 4-3.

Wins in doubles – Geneva’s usual strongsuit – weren’t the only thing that helped the Vikings (13-5) take the match. Because West Aurora only brought 10 players, they decided to play four singles matches and only three doubles.

It was sophomore Kevin Potts (No. 4 singles), called up from junior varsity, who put the Vikings over the edge, beating Kevin Thanadabout, 6-1, 6-0.

The rest of Geneva’s singles struggled, with Collin Rapp at No. 1 showing the most fight in his second set against Matt Kuntzi. Kuntzi won the first set, then almost went into a tiebreaker for the second. Kuntzi ended up prevailing over Rapp for a 6-2, 7-5 win.

Rapp was glad to have made the second set more competitive.

“I had to settle down,” Rapp said, “I had to not back down.”

Still, the story of the match mirrored the story of Geneva’s tennis all season - strong doubles, struggling singles.

“The problem with singles is unless you have someone who’s been intensely working out over the summer with the USTA, it’s tough to be a really strong leader,” Geneva coach Peter Burkhardt said.

Burkhardt said he’s already looking forward to the postseason potential of his team, with this weekend’s Naperville Invitational tournament being the team’s last weekend invite before the Western Sun Conference meet.

Trio of freshman leads Bulldogs

Published: April 24, 2009

Kane County Chronicle

Photo by John Langham

GENEVA – As far as varsity tennis goes, if you're a freshman on the team, you're bound to be noticed.

But if you're a freshman and the No. 1 singles player – and a key factor in winning a close dual meet against your archrival – the glare is all the more magnified.

"You kind of get funny looks when you walk out," said Josh Cogan, Batavia's No. 1 singles player. "Especially against a big senior."

No one was giving him a funny look after he made fast work of Geneva senior David Ta, going 6-0, 6-0 in his match and leading the way for Batavia's singles to sweep en route to a 4-3 match win against the Vikings.

But while Cogan was especially dominant, the other two Batavia freshmen on the court also helped the Bulldogs (6-2, 1-0 Western Sun Conference) pull off their victory.

Freshman Kyle Stiffler and junior Ethan Carlson won their first match at No. 4 doubles against Geneva juniors Cooper Sartel and Peter Legrand. It was the only doubles match Batavia won, as the Vikings (8-3, 0-1) continued to show off their doubles strength.

"I thought their doubles would come out hard today," said Batavia coach Bob Kummer, who was proud of how Stiffler and Carlson dug in to take the match in three sets, 6-2, 4-6, 6-1.

The freshman with the most pressure was Bulldogs No. 3 singles player Drew Demars in his match against Geneva's own freshman, West Adelman. By the time their match was ending, Batavia had managed to come back and tie the meet at 3.

As their three-set match wore on into a tiebreaker, the two began to look weary and beaten. Demars had the wound to prove it – a scraped knee from diving for a save.

But Demars said he tried to cool things off and capitalize on his opponent's fatigue. 

"Toward the end of the third set, I thought I could push through and went for it," he said.

You'd think that the pressure of a meet-winning match might be new for a freshman. 

"Actually," he said, "it's happened three times now."

Kummer praised Demars' perseverance. 

"He won't quit," Kummer said. "He's got good strokes and good hits." 

Kummer added that a big day for the freshmen could mean great things for his program now and in the years ahead. 

"If we can develop them ... they'll be great," he said. "And the best part is they can deliver for us now."

Vikings coach Peter Burkhardt praised his doubles teams, which showed their aggressiveness in their first three matches. The No. 1 pair, seniors Rich Michaels and Wes Kappel, said they took that strategy to heart in their 6-2, 6-1 win against junior Mick Collins and senior Adam Yingst.

"We definitely decided to be aggressive," Michaels said, to which Kappel added, "Go big or go home."

Still, when it came to the last three, three-set matches, Geneva struggled.

"You have to end those kind of matches strong and those kids get tired," Burkhardt said. "Batavia converted on big points and we didn't."

'All-day tennis' kind to Vikes, Cadets

Published: April 18, 2009

Kane County Chronicle (online only)

Photo by Marcelle Bright

GENEVA – Lincoln-Way East proved itself to be the school to beat at Saturday's Geneva Boys Tennis Invitational.

Just ask Vikings Rich Michaels and Greg Adelman. As Geneva's No. 2 doubles team, the pair developed a chemistry based on their loose style of play. And it served them well in their first two matches, as they coasted past Crystal Lake Central (6-2, 6-1) and Lemont (6-1, 6-3.)

But when they got to their bracket's finals match against Kevin Wickham and Eric Biro of Lincoln-Way East, they started second guessing their confidence. Lincoln-Way East won the match and the bracket, 6-3, 6-0.

Michaels and Adelman said they got hung up trying to adjust to the added skills of their opponents.

"The other matches were not on par [with Lincoln-Way East] competitively," Adelman said.

Michaels and Adelman weren't alone in that sentiment, as the Griffins took first in both doubles brackets as well as the No. 2 singles, easily giving them the tournament title with 20 points overall. Oswego won the No. 1 singles bracket, putting the team at second, with 10 points

Geneva tied with IMSA and Marmion for third thanks to their doubles teams, including the Vikings' top pair, Wes Kappel and Colin Rapp, who lost only to Lincoln-Way East and took third in the bracket.

At first, Kappel and Rapp let the first few games of their final match against Oswego slip by them, but the duo recovered for a 6-3, 6-2 victory. Kappel said it was the work of an extended break between matches.

"We took a 2 1/2-hour break," Kappel said, "so it took us a while to get into things. But once we [did], we took five games in a row."

Also placing for Geneva was freshman West Adelman, who beat St. Charles East's Nick Maze 6-2, 6-1 to take fifth in the second singles bracket. Vikings Coach Peter Burkhardt said a general lack of experience, both in singles and in the doubles combinations, cost his team points.

"These are new combinations," Burkhardt said, "That hurt us a little bit, [but] we just come in with high expectations and play it out."

Marmion and St. Charles East also cited growing pains as signs of improvement. While the Saints didn't have any placers, first doubles pair Sam Leopardo and Nick Romano put up a good fight in their fifth-place match against Marmion's John Mason and Bubba Weiler.

"A lot of those games went to multiple deuces," Saints coach Sena Drawer said. 

Drawer added that having a team without seniors means East has real potential for growth.

"We didn't really place well, but we're not embarrassed at all," she said.

For Marmion, the fifth-place doubles finish was a breeze after a Mason and Weiler's lengthy first round against IMSA, which they lost, 4-6, 7-5, 4-6.

"That ... was difficult for them," Marmion coach Pat Maurer said, "but after they got through it, they were stronger."

Marmion also made a dent in singles play as Austin McWethy took fifth in No. 1 singles and freshman Chris Paterman placed second in the No. 2 bracket.

"[Paterman] had a lengthy day of tennis," Marmion assistant coach Dave Webster said, "but he performed well. ... They have to learn to play long, all-day tennis though."

Ta da! Ta leads Vikings to victory

Published: April 15, 2009

Kane County Chronicle

Photo by Rob Winner

GENEVA – No matter what is said about Geneva senior David Ta's tennis skills, one thing is certain: he knows how to keep his cool under pressure.

While his teammates joked about his stoic facial expressions from the sidelines, Ta kept his consistency and focus, finding himself on the winning side of a close match with Marmion's Austin McWethy on Tuesday, 7-5, 7-6.

Ta's demeanor picked up exponentially after the win. He joked that he keeps calm simply by intimidating his opponents. Or, when that doesn't work, relying on his reflexes.

"I just don't think really," he said.

Ta's was the sole singles match the Vikings won on their way to a 5-2 meet victory against the Cadets.

Geneva was able to dominate in doubles play, with Geneva's third team, Mike Tourte and Mike Fellicelli, making quick work of Marmion's Mike Hughes and Yoto Yamanaka, 6-1, 6-3.

Things were closer for first doubles team Rich Michaels and Wes Kappel, who found themselves trying to figure out their opponents, Shane Ausman and Brian Vasquez. The Geneva duo won, 7-5, 6-4.

"They were shooting down the line a lot," Michaels said, "but once we figured that out, it was a lot easier." 

Geneva coach Peter Burkhardt said the meet was a good example of the competitive potential of his doubles teams.

"Our doubles is fairly strong," Burkhardt said. "We have a lot of depth."

For the Cadets, coach Pat Maurer said his team simply was having an off day, thanks in part to this week being the school's spring break. Four of his players were away, either visiting potential colleges or on family vacations.

"When you're missing four guys," he said, "it's difficult."

Still, Maurer said he was not discouraged, thanks in part to his singles players. Bubba Weiler's No. 2 singles victory was one of the most confident ones of the meet, a triumph against Geneva's Colin Rapp, 6-2, 6-3.

But perhaps Chris Paterman's three-set match against Geneva freshman West Adelman was the most satisfying victory for the Cadets. 

As if to counter Ta's calmness, the two had their share of fist pumps and exacerbated looks as they traded volleys back and forth in their 3 1/2-hour match.

Paterman was able to take the first set smoothly enough at 6-3, but Adelman clawed his way back in the second set, winning a tiebreaker. 

The third set also was decided by tiebreaker, which Paterman finally overcame and won to take the match, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6.

For both sides, the victories could be short-lived. They will meet again Saturday, along with a handful of other schools, for the Geneva Invitational.

Rulin’ the courts

Published: November 6, 2008

Kane County Chronicle

Photo by Rob Winner

Rosary junior Emily Reuland has played tennis since she was 4 and, when it comes to sports, it’s all Reuland does.

Reuland isn’t sure how opponents who play other sports are able to handle more.

"Not everyone can hit," she said, "it takes so much hand-eye coordination."

At least not like Reuland can.

Few have her degree of passion for the sport, either.

Her accomplished third season as a Royal earned Reuland the Kane County Chronicle Girls Tennis Player of the Year honors.

As the backbone and forefront of Rosary's strongest year since coach John Tsang began working with the Royals, Reuland capped off her 34-3 year with an impressive showing at the IHSA State Meet, going 5-2 at state and advancing to the seventh-round consolation match.

At state, Reuland lost against the only girl to beat her in the regular season, Jenny Hois from Downers Grove South, and fifth-place Rachael White of Deefield – who also beat Hois.

Reuland likes to think of her game in basic terms of strength and speed. She said she has "a really big forehand and a really big serve. I can get to a lot of balls really quick.

But playing against White opened her eyes.

"Rachael White is extremely strong," she said, "She ran me off the court."

That was role reversal from Reuland’s entire season.

Reuland said that she had been planning and preparing for success since the summer before.

 "I know I wanted to win sectionals and conference," she said.

She did that by focusing her game down to each point.

"Instead of just focusing [on] one match at a time, I tried to think about every hit," she said.

Reuland’s most noteworthy achievement of the regular season was being the only player to defeat the long-dominant Geneva junior, Kayla Fujimoto. The two took their match – played on two days due to a suspension – to three sets, with Reuland coming out on top, 6-1, 5-7, 6-3.

Reuland said the rivalry is an amicable one.

"We've been pretty good friends," she said, since they started getting into tennis around the same time. "Kayla was the first match [of the season] that was really difficult. I was pretty excited when I won."

Tsang said Reuland’s victory was a symbol of how Reuland has grown throughout her career. This year, she was the first junior to be named team captain for the Royals.

"I think it's well deserved," he said. "She got better on every match […] and she played some of the best in the area."

Assisting along with Tsang her is Reuland’s father, who Reuland said offers her as much guidance as her coach.

"My dad's a pretty good player," she said.

Reuland, this year, was a great one. Already, she is planning a fitting encore at state next season.

"I've got to make the top 10," she said. 

Season of firsts for Tsang’s Royals

Published: November 6, 2008

Kane County Chronicle

In the six years since John Tsang has coached tennis at Rosary, he says this year was his best.

That caliber of improvement earned Tsang Kane County Chronicle Girls Tennis Coach of the Year honors.

The success was not all because of junior team captain and Chronicle Player of the year, Emily Reuland.

Apart from Reuland, Tsang called junior Elizabeth Vertin, “a solid player who would probably be No. 1 in any other school.” He also said senior Viatra Baker enjoyed “an outstanding year.”

Tsang said the proudest moment of the 16-5-4 season was being able to send four girls to state competition.

“That’s the most girls we've ever sent,” he said.

Couple that with Rosary’s first victory at the West Aurora quad, its first victory at the Rosary quad in 20 years  and the Royals’ top team finish at sectionals, and it’s easy to see why Tsang would be so proud of his Royals.

And he hopes to do it again because singles Reuland and Elizabeth Vertin are only juniors, and doubles-team Angelina Goheen and Katie King are sophomores.

Tsang primarily credited the talent of team for their success. But players credit Tsang for creating an environment that encourages competition, hard work and team unity. Reuland described Tsang as a down-to-earth and approachable coach, who often feels a little more like an equal than an authority figure.

“Me and John have always been close,” Reuland said, adding that his coaching was a positive factor in her success throughout the season.

Tsang said that he looks forward to competing next year with many of his best players still in the fold.

Chronicle All-Area Girls Tennis Team

Published: November 6, 2008

Kane County Chronicle

First team

Singles

Emily Reuland, Rosary junior

The Chronicle Player of the year capped a 34-3 season, which included a victory against Kayla Fujimoto and first place at sectionals, by going to the 7th round consolation match at state.

Kayla Fujimoto, Geneva junior

Another year, another conference and sectional first place finish for Fujimoto. The junior once again led her team with a 33-3 record and was seeded 5-8 at state.

Brooke Henry, West Aurora junior

West Aurora's lone state qualifier had another solid year, finishing second in sectionals and in the DuPage Valley Conference. Her 2 1/2 hour second-round win at state became the final highlight of her 27-9 season.

Doubles

Annemijn Koenen-Liselot Koenen, St. Charles North senior, sophomore

Great singles players in their own rights, the Koenen sisters combined forces to great effect. They finished the state tournament with a 19-3 record and sixth place finish.

Stefanie Youngberg-Erin Bowman, St. Charles East senior, sophomore

Youngberg made her fourth straight appearance at state, this time alongside up-and-coming Bowman. Together, they were 24-5 for the season and made to the consolation quarterfinals at state.

Mary Pelling-Krista Panko, Geneva seniors

Pelling and Panko peaked in the fourth year. Their performance 32-5 season culminated with strong performance at state, advancing to the 6th round consolation match.

Alexa Schofield-Kim Sawyer, Batavia senior, junior

For Scholfield, it was a fitting end to her prep career; Sawyer and she got farther in the state tournament that any Batavia player before them had done before, making it to the 7th round consolation match and ending with a 23-5 record.

Second team

Singles

Sarah Amalraj, St. Charles North junior

Carly Ausman, Geneva freshman

Elizabeth Vertin, Rosary junior

Doubles

Jenna Bell-Alecia Natale, St. Charles North juniors

Lauren Ferry-Dana Hildebrandt, South Elgin seniors

Angelina Goheen-Katie King, Rosary sophomores

Emily Jagielo-Genna Armbrust, St. Francis junior, sophomore

Honorable mention

Singles

Lexi Baltes, St. Charles East junior

Andrea Krueger, St. Francis junior

Mallory Ramp, Batavia junior

Doubles

Nessa Saengyothinh-Brittany Boelter, South Elgin seniors

Kerry Zepeda-Viatra Baker, Rosary junior, senior

Anne Mason-Courtney Vazquez, St. Charles East seniors

Lauren Drawbridge-Carly Dutkiewicz, St. Charles North juniors

Disappointing Day 1 for local favorites

Published: October 24, 2008

Kane County Chronicle

HOFFMAN ESTATES – It was a heartbreaking first day at the IHSA Girls Tennis State Tournment as several Fox Valley favorites were knocked out of the championship bracket, including St. Charles East doubles Stefanie Youngberg and Erin Bowman and Geneva singles Kayla Fujimoto.

For the lone pair of Saints, hopes were high Thursday after winning their first two rounds against Casey-Westfield’s Kalie Snyder and Kelsey Edens (6-1, 6-1), and Fenwick’s Rachel Canfora and Allison Seyfarth (6-2, 6-1).

“We just need to be more agressive,” Bowman said before the match.

But even though they came out strong in their first set, leading 4-1, Lauren Aguilar and Michelle Kunkler from Carmel Catholic got more competitive and the Saints started to unravel, losing the match, 6-4, 6-4.

Youngberg and Bowman tightened up in the second set, getting an early lead, 2-0. But soon it become a point-for-point nail-biter, with Carmel edging out the win.

“It was a match of momentum swings,” East coach Sena Drawer said. “When [Aguilar and Kunkler] were on, they were tough opponents for us and they did some things that we couldn’t handle.”

Geneva’s Fujimoto also played strong in her first two rounds against Mt. Carmel’s Erica Bramlet (6-0, 6-1) and Francis W. Parker’s Grace Smith (6-1, 6-1).

But Melissa Kopinski of Stagg proved to be much harder competition, overturning Fujimoto’s drive with a 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory.

Geneva coach Maureen Weiler said Fujimoto did not have much to say about the loss. “I think she’s still thinking it over,” Weiler said. “Tomorrow we expect her to go far in the consolation round. She just needs to relax and play it out.”

The only ones who did not lose was St. Charles North’s top doubles team, Annemijn and Liselot Koenen.

The sisters powered through their first three rounds, beating Ottawa’s Alaina Johnson and Libby Wolfe (6-0, 6-1), Lockport’s Jordan Halata and Lauren Vorel  (6-0, 6-0) and Benet Academy’s Kelly Carney and Elissa Sledz (6-1, 6-3).

“They were expected to go far,” North coach Tm Matacio said. He was spending his day watching North’s other doubles pair, Jenna Bell and Alecia Natale.

The two had a dramatic finish to their first-round, 6-3, 6-1, win against Heidi Mott and Melissa Carr of Bloomington as Natale made up for some out-of-bounds shots with a back-line save for match point.

“We told ourselves we’re not going to stop until the second bounce,” Natale said, adding that much of their drive came from their victory at conference and their first ever state-qualifying finish.

“Alecia is a soccer player,” Matacio said, “so she’s used to running the ball down.”

The pair did lose their second-round match against Helen Alex and Kim Warpecha of Hinsdale South, played two more consolation bracket matches, winning against South Elgin’s Nessa Saeng and Brittany Boelter, 6-4, 6-1 – knocking the South Elgin team out of the tournament – and won a long three-set match against Lockport’s Alyssa Vorel and Lindsay Polke, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.

Geneva doubles team Mary Pelling and Krista Panko also managed to do well in the consolation round, after losing their second match against Morgan Park Academy’s Asia Lamar and Ivory Bradley, 6-4, 7-5.

From there they won a close match against Glenbrook South’s Abbey Perl and Allie Zimmerman, 7-5, 7-6, and a comparably easier match against Glenbard South’s Alyssa Zavislak and Emily Kaczmarek, 6-0, 6-2.

“On a long day, it’s nice to have the harder ones first,” Weiler said.

For Batavia’s lone doubles team, Alexa Schofield and Kim Sawyer, things started out strong with two quick wins against Lincoln-Way Central’s Anne Christine Tompke and Alex Judge (6-0, 6-2) and Dunlap’s Rose Kavanagh and Meredith Kogler (6-1, 6-0). But Barrington’s Alli Linden and Meg Crowley proved to be too much in the third round.

“We got off to a quick start,” Batavia coach Brad Nelson said. “We were 3-0 at one point in the first set.”

But the Bulldogs lost both sets, 6-3, 6-3, sending them to the consolation round today.

“We knew we’d have our hands full [with Barrington],” Nelson said.

West Aurora’s only qualifier had an tougher time with her third-round match. Brooke Henry had taken Alana Peters of New Trier easily enough (6-1, 6-0), but her second-round match against Jessica Urban of Lemont went on for 2 1/2 hours.

Henry won thanks to a comeback during the second set’s tiebreaker. She was down, 5-2, at one point before getting the momentum back on her side.

But the hotly-contested win cost her in Round 3 against Woodlands Academy’s Annie Sullivan.

“I don’t think she had much energy left in her legs,” West coach Brian Brookes said as he watched Sullivan easily win, 6-0, 6-0.

Rosary’s Emily Reuland also was knocked down in the third round against Jenny Hois of Downers Grove South.

“She has the weapons,” Rosary coach John Tsang said. “It’s just a matter of keeping her fresh.”

Among the players who were knocked out of competition today were North’s Sara Amalraj, Rosary’s Elizabeth Vertin and doubles team Angelina Goheen Katie King, South Elgin duo Lauren Ferry and Dana Hildebrandt and Geneva’s Carly Ausman.

Tester of the Year

Published: October 20, 2008

Kane County Chronicle

Photo by H. Rick Bamman

GENEVA – From the moment Mike Lange fell in love with tennis, he has been trying to get more people in love with it, too.

The 47-year-old Geneva man started playing at age 11 growing up in Elk Grove. As tennis was starting to get more popular, he said he immediately was hooked after playing in a physical education class. He then joined a local tennis club and pursued his passion.

“I just got in the trenches and started teaching and getting actively involved,” he said.

Lange has served on the United States Professional Tennis Association’s Midwest division executive board and also served as the division’s president.

Currently, he works as the Manager of Tennis Services at the Rush-Copley Healthplex in Aurora and is the president and founder of the Geneva Tennis Association, which provides lessons for the Geneva Park District.

He also serves as a USPTA tester, helping those seeking certification in the organization take the necessary steps toward that.

“It’s a great way to stay involved in the organization,” he said.

Recently, the USPTA awarded Lange’s efforts by awarding him the “Tester of the Year” honors at its annual World Conference in La Quinta, Calif.

“I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “Even afterward, I was kind of embarrassed because there was a testing meeting afterward with all the fellow testers – and you go in there and they clap and there are guys who are in there who are older than me who have been involved for so long who haven’t won this prestigious award.”

But to Lange’s protégés, the award is hardly a surprise.

“He is one of the best testers – not an easy tester, but one of the best.” Waubonsee Community College tennis coach Duffy Turner said.

Turner first approached Lange about teaching tennis full-time, so he helped her first get certified as a developmental teacher, gave her hours and worked with her toward becoming a fully certified professional coach.

“He’s a positive mentor,” she said. “He has always been very supportive of me as a USPTA member.”

Lange’s boss at Rush-Copley also gives him a lot of the credit for the tennis program’s success and growth.

“Since I started,” Edward Buda, Rush-Copley's general manager, said, “we’ve probably doubled our [tennis] business.”

Buda added that Lange’s “combo talents” of playing and managing have been a great asset.

For Lange, it simply is a matter of getting more people to play his favorite sport.

“My heart and soul is growing the game of tennis,” he said, “whether it’s at Rush or at the park and rec.”

Short-handed North tennis second at UEC Meet

Published: October 12, 2008

Kane County Chronicle

ST. CHARLES – Neuqua Valley reigned over the tennis courts of St. Charles East at the Upstate Eight Conference meet.

The Wildcats took first place in Nos. 1 and 3 singles and Nos. 2, 3, and 4 doubles. But when Neuqua Valley had to settle for second, it was at the hands of St. Charles North.

In No. 1 doubles, North Stars Jenna Bell and Alecia Natale played two competitive sets against Nisha Garg and Lauren Silva to seal the deal at 7-5, 7-5.

Bell credited her best-friend level chemistry with Natale.

“We thought we were going to get beat,” she said, “so we tried to concentrate on working hard.”

Liselot Koenen won the No. 2 singles title for North a bit more easily, scoring a 6-3, 6-0 win against Neuqua’s Robin Harland.

“They really stepped up their play out there,” North coach Tim Matacio said.

As a team, Neuqua had 109 points, while North was second with 91. Matacio said that Neuqua’s team victory was hardly a surprise.

“Neuqua had pretty close to an insurmountable lead before the tournament,” he said, thanks to the Wildcats’ excellent regular season.

That would have been true even if North’s top singles player, Annemijn Koenen, had not withdrawn from the tournament due to a shoulder injury she suffered a week ago.

“They had a phenomenal year with a phenomenal team,” Matacio said.

Of the North Stars who placed second, Sarah Amalraj in the No. 3 singles, doubles tandem Lauren Drawbridge and Carly Dutkiewicz in the No. 2 match, and doubles team Danielle Martini and Steph Smith in the No. 4.

St. Charles East’s Stefanie Youngberg, meanwhile, took second place after playing Neuqua’s Emily Meyers in No. 1 singles.

East’s Erin Bowman had perhaps the longest day of the tournament. Her final, third-place match against Lake Park’s Jacqueline Vitale was the tournament’s last one. Bowman won it in three close sets, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6.

“I’ve got blisters,” Bowman said. “I don’t know, I just tried to keep my head in it.”

The Saints were only one half of a point behind Waubonsie Valley, which finished in third.

“We’ve always been neck and neck with Waubonsie,” East coach Sena Drawer said. “One more [winning] match and we would have scored higher.”

Still, Drawer is optimistic for sectionals, in part because Youngberg and Bowman are playing doubles together.

“They have a good, positive relationship,” she said. “Their dedication is at the same level.”

As for thoughts on North’s chances in sectionals next weekend, Matacio said, “sectionals are a totally different deal, so we’ll have to see.”