EAST CHAPEL HILL, CATHOLIC, GIBBONS, SCIENCE AND MATH

TAKE STATE TITLES IN NCHSAA DUAL TEAM TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

BURLINGTON – East Chapel Hill won its second state title in three years, rolling past Charlotte Ardrey Kell 5-0 to capture the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 4-A men’s dual team tennis championship at the Burlington Tennis Center on Saturday.

East Chapel Hill swept the second through six singles matches to clinch the crown and run the Wildcats’ dual team mark to 22-4 overall. Ardrey Kell, a school which just opened last year, suffered its first loss after 17 consecutive wins.

Two of the five completed singles matches split sets, but East’s Sam Weissler and Kassim Alani both won their 10-point tiebreakers to secure the win. Tim Bayus of East Chapel Hill was awarded the MVP for his senior leadership on the young team even though his match was not completed.

Charlotte Catholic also had little trouble in winning the 3-A title, taking all of the singles decisions en route to a 6-0 victory over previously unbeaten Southern Nash.

Daniel Tobben, Catholic’s number one singles player, led the way and was named the match’s Most Valuable Player as the Cougars prevailed in straight sets in each match. It was Charlotte Catholic’s fifth NCHSAA men’s dual team championship but first at the 3-A level. Catholic had won 2-A crowns in 2004 and ’05 and the combined 1-A/2-A class before that in 1992 and ’97.

Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons lost only eight games in its 12 sets and easily defeated Newton-Conover 6-0 in a rematch of last year’s 2-A final.

Three-time singles state champion Will Rollinson won at the number-one position and was selected MVP of the match.

The 1-A championship was the most closely contested of the day and the only one that went into doubles play, as Durham’s North Carolina School of Science and Math outlasted Hendersonville 5-2.

Hendersonville won the top two singles matches, including at number-one by state singles champ Tyler Grove. But NCSSM won the remaining four matches and then Joe Gitt and Keith Funkhouser at number-three doubles teamed to win the deciding contest.

The 3-A and 4-A were played Saturday morning, and the other two matches started at noon. The first two championships were delayed 35 minutes by rain and wet courts.

Wendy’s and the Carolinas Ford Dealers are the presenting sponsors for the NCHSAA sports program, and the North Carolina Tennis Foundation served as an event sponsor for the championship.

NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

2008 STATE DUAL TEAM TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Burlington Tennis Center, Burlington

CLASS 1-A: NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND MATH 5, HENDERSONVILLE 2

Singles: Tyler Grove (H) def. Andrew Guo 6-2, 6-0; Robert Beal (H), def. Joe Gitt 6-0, 6-3; Anupam Dalvi (NCSSM) def. Evan Kirkland 6-7(5), 6-2, (10-4); Albert Tang (NCSSM) def. Scott Davis 6-2, 6-4; Cole Caplan (NCSSM) def. Brent Coburn 6-1, 6-0; Keith Funkhouser (NCSSM) def. Tamir Shemesh 6-0, 6-0.

Doubles: Andrew Guo-Anupam Dalvi (NCSSM) vs. Tyler Grove-Brent Coburn (H) had match stopped when championship decided; Albert Tang-Cole Caplan (NCSSM) vs. Robert Beal-Seth Horton (H) had match stopped when championship decided; Joe Gitt-Keith Funkhouser (NCSSM) def. Evan Kirkland-Scott Davis 10-2.

CLASS 2-A: RALEIGH CARDINAL GIBBONS 6, NEWTON-CONOVER 0

Singles: Will Rollinson (CG) def. Won Lak Choi 6-1, 6-0; Ryan Daly (CG) def. Josh Gill 6-2, 6-0; Jonathan Fedorkowicz (CG) def. Alan Pernell 6-0, 6-0; Michael Reilly (CG) def. Will Huggins 6-2, 6-1; Chris Geaslen (CG) def. Hang Choi 6-2, 6-0; Chris Betz (CG) def. Alex Burchins 6-0, 6-0.

Doubles: not played with championship decided.

CLASS 3-A: CHARLOTTE CATHOLIC 6, SOUTHERN NASH 0

Singles: Daniel Tobben (CC) def. Michael Barnes 6-2, 6-4; Michael Huber (CC) def. Ethan Page 7-5, 6-1; Ryan Myrick (CC) def. Nicolas Finet 6-2, 6-0; David Anderson (CC) def. Kyle Ramsey 6-4, 7-6(4); Sean Huber (CC) def. Isaac Arnold 6-4, 6-2; Jordan Klochany (CC0 def. Cody Brandt 6-3, 6-1.

Doubles: not played with championship decided.

CLASS 4-A: EAST CHAPEL HILL 5, CHARLOTTE ARDREY KELL 0

Singles: Tim Bayus (ECH) led Brendan O’Connor 6-3, 4-3 when match halted with championship decided; Sam Weissler (ECH) def. Ryan Forbes 5-7, 6-2, (10-1); Michael Goldstein (ECH) def. Peter Tonon 6-2, 6-1; Peter McDonald (ECH) def. Mickey Worthington 6-2, 6-2; Kassim Alani (ECH) def. Alfredo Henriques 6-0, 0-6, (10-3); Adrian Ostbye (ECH) def. Benji Bisnov 6-0, 6-2

Doubles: not played with championship decided.