Publication Date: Wednesday, March 17, 2004
PREP ROUNDUP
Races for CCS tennis titles look really up for grabs
Races for CCS tennis titles look really up for grabs
(March 17, 2004) by Keith Peters
For the first time in the past six years, the Central Coast Section boys' tennis tournaments will be a wide-open affair this spring.
That comes as good news for Palo Alto and perhaps bad for Menlo.
Since winning six straight CCS team titles from 1991 to '96, Palo Alto has had to battle the likes of Monta Vista, Menlo, Los Gatos and others and been more pretender than contender.
Los Gatos and Monta Vista, however, already have been beaten this season and Paly appears in the thick of things.
Since winning six straight CCS Division II team titles from 1998-2003, Menlo may finally meet its match with Saratoga and Aragon much improved this season.
"CCS is definitely up for grabs this year," said Menlo coach Bill Shine.
It may not appear that way if you look at the Knights' overall record of 5-0 that they took into this week. Menlo, however, is missing two of its top singles players - Scott Blumenkranz and Andrew Diehl - and already has been threatened in two 4-3 victories.
"I'm kind of surprised we're pulling some of these matches out," said Shine. "The days of winning 7-0 every match are over."
Blumenkranz, a senior, has been sidelined by illness. Diehl, a junior, is academically ineligible until early April. Blumenkranz is the team's No. 1 singles player and Diehl was targeted for No. 2 singles.
Blumenkranz hopes to return to the lineup in time for the National Invitational in Newport Beach, set for March 26-27. Diehl might be back in time for Menlo's April 1 home match against Aragon, which pushed Menlo to the limit before falling, 4-3, on March 9.
"Any time you're without your top two players, it's tough," Shine said. "But others have stepped up and hung in there."
Christian Hansen has moved to No. 1 and fellow junior Andrew Grauer to No. 2. Sophomore Daniel Goldstein is now No. 3 and senior Nicholas Joy is at No. 4. All four won in straight sets last week during a 6-1 win over host Mills. That improved Menlo to 4-0 in the PAL Bay Division. Earlier last week, Menlo rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat Mitty, 4-3, thanks to Joy's 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 victory.
Shine believes the added responsibility placed on his players may turn out to be a good thing. Losing two starters suddently makes every match important.
"I honestly believe this might help us in the long run," Shine said. "This might make us stronger."
Menlo should make it through the next four matches (all league) before visiting Los Gatos on March 24 in a rematch of last season's Northern California championship match won by the Knights, 4-3.
Palo Alto, perhaps surprisingly, upended Los Gatos last week, 5-2, in a very big SCVAL De Anza Division match for the Vikings. This was nearly the same Los Gatos team that knocked off Monta Vista in the CCS Division I team finale last season and the same Wildcats' team that defeated the Matadors in a dual match this season.
"That was a real big win for us," said Paly coach Andy Harader. "We were pumped and strong. We played well and they didn't."
Harader singled out junior Dan Snyder, last season's No. 1 singles player on the JV team. Snyder played No. 2 singles against Los Gatos and posted a big 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 victory to help clinch the victory.
Todd Shulman won at No. 3 and Todd Lischinsky at No. 4 singles. The No. 2 doubles team of Cameron Taylor and Matt Severson posted a straight-set victory as did the No. 3 tandem of Max Ghenis and Josh Gorden.
Palo Alto put its second-place record of 3-1 in the De Anza Division (5-1 overall) on the line Tuesday against visiting Monta Vista. The Vikings will host the Paly Tennis Invitational beginning Friday. The field includes Aragon, Campolindo and Monte Vista (Danville). Matches begin Friday at 10 a.m., with the finals set for Saturday at 1 p.m. on the Vikings' courts.
Elsewhere, Sacred Heart Prep (1-0. 3-2) opened West Catholic Athletic League play with a tough 4-3 loss to Mitty after blanking Pinewood, 7-0.
Swimming
Palo Alto's Monika Friedman won two events to highlight local action at the first Steve Yamamoto Memorial Invitational at St. Francis on Saturday. The event is named for the former Lancers' head coach, who passed away last year.
Friedman won the 1000-yard free in 10:20.41 and won the 200 fly in 2:04.13 to help Palo Alto finish third with 258 1/2 points. Mitty, once again favored to win the CCS girls' title this season, swam away with the crown Saturday with 436 1/2 points.
Menlo-Atherton sophomore Kelly Eaton was second in the 200 back (2:09.94) and teammate Danielle Hildebrandt was second in the 200 fly in 2:10.23.
Earlier in the week, Eaton had a hand in four victories as did freshman Kaitlyn Sitts to help the Bears (1-0, 2-1) open the PAL Bay Division season with a 111-40 victory over visiting Mills. In the boys' meet, senior Ted Boeddiker won the 100 free (50.53) and 200 free (1:55.98) to help the Bears (1-0, 1-2) down Mills, 132-31.
Baseball
Junior Andy Suiter (3-0) threw six shutout innings while running his season totals to 21 scoreless innings and no earned runs to spark Menlo (5-1) to a 6-0 nonleague win over Woodside last Friday.
On Saturday, Alex Bedrosian lashed a bases-loaded double in the fifth inning to overcome a 4-3 deficit and spark Menlo-Atherton (4-5) to a 6-4 nonleague win over visiting El Camino. Domenic Di Ricco and Bedrosian each had two hits for the Bears. Kyle McCabe picked up the win in relief of Di Ricco.
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