Spartan tennis takes Abilene invitational
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Playing its second meet in as many days, the Emporia High tennis team came away with a first-place team finish at the Abilene Invitational on Tuesday.
The EHS lineup differed quite drastically from Monday’s Emporia Invitational, as most of Emporia’s top players took the day off in preparation for Friday’s Emporia Invitational.
“It was a good chance to get some of our younger guys some good experience,” EHS coach Matt Irby said.
The No. 1 doubles team of Nathan Ferree and Brandon Heavener topped the day for the Spartans by finishing first with a perfect 4-0 record .
Ferree and Heavener rolled through their competition, defeating John and James Callan of Clay Center, 8-3, Jared Altenborg and Ryan Reed of Smoky Valley, 8-4, and Martin Potter and Cody Forester of Belleville, 8-1, to reach the title match. There, the EHS duo routed Ben Geiger and Jeremy Linn of Abilene, 8-0.
“They played really well,” Irby said. “We actually worked some things out with them as the meet went on, and that helped out. Those two work well together — they were volleying pretty well.”
Emporia came away with third-place finishes at the other three spots — No. 1 and No. 2 singles and No. 2 doubles.
At No. 1 singles, Sergio Segura dropped his first match of the day to Ben Moore of Clay Center, 8-2. He rebounded by winning his next two matches over opponents from Smoky Valley (8-6) and Belleville (8-3) before defeating Junction City’s Sam Stuckey, 8-6, to take third.
David Nasrazadani followed a similar path to Segura’s, dropping his first match, 8-2, before winning his next three matches. Nasrazadani recorded back-to-back 8-2 victories over opponents from Smoky Valley and Belleville before dispatching of Junction City’s Adam Watson, 8-6, in the third-place match.
“After the first round of singles play, I was pretty hacked off,” Irby said. “I told them to come out with energy, and I just didn’t see that — they played flat. But they responded and came back and gutted out some close matches to finish well.”
In No. 2 doubles, Emporia’s Chase Miller and Drew Nyman also lost their first-round matchup with Zack Laffery and Adam Beutler of Clay Center, 8-3, before posting three straight wins to take third. Miller and Nyman defeated Abilene’s Eric Pack and Mark Sidener, 8-0, in the third-place match.
Emporia finished with 31 points, ahead of second-place Clay Center and third-place Abilene.
Abilene Invitational
Tuesday at Abilene
No. 1 singles
Ben Moore, Clay Center, def. Sergio Segura, Emp., 8-2; Segura def. Aaron Masterson, Smoky Valley, 8-6; Segura def. Kendall Barlow, Belleville, 8-3; Segura def. Sam Stuckey, Junction City, 8-6.
No. 2 singles
Eli Schooley, Clay Center, def. David Nasrazadani, 8-2; Nasrazadani def. Ben Friedman, Smoky Valley, 8-2; Nasrazadani def. Logan Mutz, Belleville, 8-2; Nasrazadani def. Adam Watson, Junction City, 8-6.
No. 1 doubles
Nathan Ferree/Brandon Heavener def. John Callan/James Callan, Clay Center, 8-3; Ferree/Heavener def. Jared Altenborg/Ryan Reed, Smoky Valley, 8-4; Ferree/Heavener def. Martin Potter/Cody Forester, Belleville, 8-1; Ferree/Heavener def. Ben Geiger/Jeremy Linn, Abilene, 8-0.
No. 2 doubles
Zack Laffery/Adam Beutler, Clay Center, def. Chase Miller/Drew Nyman, 8-3; Miller/Nyman def. Andrew Janzen/Michael Easley, Smoky Valley, 8-5; Miller/Nyman def. Citris Kimmerer/Ethan Evert, Belleville, 8-3; Miller/Nyman Eric Pack/Mark Sidener, Abilene, 8-0.