Tennis keeps eyes on the prize
Aiming to improve after last year’s medal-less finish, Men’s Tennis has its eyes on this year’s Ontario University Athletic League Championship, last claimed by U of T in 2002.
With the graduation of veterans such as Andrew Anderson, Jeff Dawson, Ben Eisen, and Bobby Gheorghiu, last year’s top player, Stan Sczcpanski, will try to lead the Blues to their 32nd OUA title.
Sczcpanski, who came on in singles and doubles play during last year’s playoffs, is believed to be one of the best players in the OUA by head coach Nabil Tadros. Tadros’s other notable player picks include Aamer Javed, Mark Renneson, and Rowan Thompson. With such a strong top four, Tadros has high expectations for the Blues.
“The team’s goals are to make the playoffs and aim for a medal,” Tadros said. “Stan, Mark, Rowan and Aamer are all top-notch players, and with the addition of two more solid players the team could definitely achieve this feat.”
Renneson returns to captain the Blues in his fifth year, a position he has held for the last three years. In addition to being the senior member on the team and a gifted player, Mark is also an Athletic Board Representative and was awarded the T-Holder Academic Excellence Award in 2006.
Newcomer Javed is a strong player with a hard forehand. Tadros believes his potential will make for a great rookie season as the number-four seed on the team. Kevin Chow, Mike Klassen, and rookie Ajit Johal will probably alternate as the fifth-and sixth-ranked players for the Blues. The team also has a couple of doubles specialists in returning player Andrew Gilmour, as well as newcomer Martin Putyra, who played in the U.S. in the past. Both will be integral assets to the team’s overall success this year.
Despite a short preseason, Tadros had the opportunity to witness the team’s potential in last weekend’s exhibition tournament at York, which hosted players from Brock, McMaster, U of T, and York University. The tournament’s final match-up consisted of an exciting clash between the two Blues Renneson and Sczcpanski, with Sczcpanski defeating Renneson (6-3, 6-4) to capture the gold.
While last year’s team finished with no medals, the Blues might have the opportunity not only to make it to this year’s OUA finals, but to run away with the OUA title as well.
“This season, the team is a bit stronger with Mark, Stan and Rowan having another year under their belt, and they will definitely be leaders,” Tadros said. “These players and the eventual development of other incoming players to the team will take the team into the spotlight over the next few years.”
Last year, U of T finished with a 2-4 record, which was just enough to enter the playoffs as the fourth seeded team. However, eventual OUA champions York defeated the Blues 6-1 in the semi-finals. In the bronze medal match, U of T’s strong performance was not enough, as Waterloo came from behind to claim a 4-3 victory.
Although Tadros was disappointed with the loss in last year’s playoffs, he is excited to come back, knowing the work that goes into training varsity teams. Nadros is a former Blues athlete, who played on the tennis and basketball team from 1977-1981.
-Glen Fernandes
Over wind and rain, cross country
delivers
After slogging through two meets this season, Cross Country head coach Ross Ristuccia believes U of T will perform well at the Ontario University and Canadian Interuniversity championships.
While the two tournaments are weeks away, Ristuccia maintains the team’s overall training will pay dividends when it matters.
“We’re training fairly hard,” Ristuccia said. “We’re measuring times knowing that while some runners may get tired early, it will leave our runners aiming to run well later in the season.
“The athletes have set high goals for themselves, and both the men’s and women’s teams are strong. We train through crappy weather. Mud, rain, wind-these are elements we’ll meet on any course, and that’s why we train.”
Ristuccia believes a time of 33 minutes over a 10-kilometre course is a general touchstone for the men. For the women, he expects around a 19-minute time for a five-kilometre course.
A measuring stick for the Blues will be the Queen’s Invitational on October 14. Some of the Blues’ more accomplished runners have set aside certain dates to compete at larger international meets, such as next week’s course run at Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana. The Queen’s Invitational will be far enough into the season to expect a full team, Ristuccia said.
One of the runners who will be competing at South Bend will be Megan Brown. A strong runner for the women’s side, she heads a team that finished second in last year’s CSI championship. Other strong runners for the Blues include Jane Cullis and all-star Donna Vakalis.
On the men’s side, all-star Joe Campanelli returns to lead a veteran squad, along with Spencer Morrison and Etienne Bredin. While last year the men finished ninth in the CIS, Ristuccia believes the returning veteran core along with some talented new faces will make for a better standing.
A Blue to keep an eye on is Collin Murray-Lawson, a rookie to the team, who finished 21st in a field of 150 at 34:54 at the Western Invitational in London yesterday. Ristuccia said he had high hopes for the novice runner.
“He handled the difficult course well for someone so inexperienced,” Ristuccia said.
Other notable finishers at the Western Invitational for the men include Campanelli, who finished fifth at 33:28.
For the women, Cullis led the Blues finishing seventh at 18:55, and Vakalis 17th at 19:35.
-Christophe Poirier
