Timeout Tennis Extras
September 17, 2012 11:08PM
timeout BOYS tennis
Adams building
Blazers from ground up
The Marquette tennis program has gone 180 degrees in success since coach Jay Adams took over in 2011. And this fall, especially, is proof of the positive changes.
The year before Adams — a local tennis instructor with college coaching and other high school coaching under his belt — came aboard, the Blazers finished with a bleak 4-14 record, placing second to last in the Greater South Shore tournament.
But after finishing above .500, last season, the Michigan City club returned this season as a viable threat, currently holding a 9-1 regular-season record. Though Wheeler still took the top honors in the GSSC tourney, the Blazers pushed the defending champs to the edge in both the 3-2 dual decision and 28-27 runner-up finish at this past weekend’s tournament. It took a three-set doubles match for the Bearcats to pull away in the finals.
The senior leadership of No. 1 player Quinn Porter (8-2) and singles and doubles player John Henry Papineau (10-0), is leading the fight.
“A lot of guys really felt like we could go undefeated,” Adams said. “Now we’re not going to lose anymore, that’s the attitude that we’re going to have.”
Player of the Week
John Henry Papineau,
Marquette
In a decisive win over GSSC conference rival Bishop Noll on Tuesday, the senior improved from a 7-5 first set win at No. 2 singles to help seal the team’s 4-1 decision with a 6-0 second set.
P-T Top 5
1. Munster
2. Valparaiso
3. Crown Point
4. Portage
5. Wheeler
— By correspondent
Josh Lichtenfeld
Updated: October 19, 2012 6:17AM
Adams building Blazers from ground up
The Marquette tennis program has gone 180 degrees in success since coach Jay Adams took over in 2011. And this fall, especially, is proof of the positive changes.
The year before Adams — a local tennis instructor with college coaching and other high school coaching under his belt — came aboard, the Blazers finished with a bleak 4-14 record, placing second to last in the Greater South Shore tournament.
But after finishing above .500, last season, the Michigan City club returned this season as a viable threat, currently holding a 9-1 regular-season record. Though Wheeler still took the top honors in the GSSC tourney, the Blazers pushed the defending champs to the edge in both the 3-2 dual decision and 28-27 runner-up finish at this past weekend’s tournament. It took a three-set doubles match for the Bearcats to pull away in the finals.
The senior leadership of No. 1 player Quinn Porter (8-2) and singles and doubles player John Henry Papineau (10-0), is leading the fight.
“A lot of guys really felt like we could go undefeated,” Adams said. “Now we’re not going to lose anymore, that’s the attitude that we’re going to have.”
Player of the Week
John Henry Papineau, Marquette
In a decisive win over GSSC conference rival Bishop Noll on Tuesday, the senior improved from a 7-5 first set win at No. 2 singles to help seal the team’s 4-1 decision with a 6-0 second set.
P-T Top 5
1. Munster, 2. Valparaiso, 3. Crown Point, 4. Portage, 5. Wheeler
