2014-15 Fall Newsletter - University of Rochester Yellowjackets

Men’s Tennis
Alumni, Friends & Parents
December 2014
A Message From the Coach
In This Issue…
Dear Alumni, Friends & Parents:
UR men’s tennis had a fantastic fall season. The semester kicked off with the first annual UR
Fall Invitational on September 6-7. Senior Julian Danko won the “A” Singles flight by defeating junior teammate Ian Baranowski in the finals. At the SLU Fall Classic the following
weekend, the ’Jackets displayed another dominating performance in the “A” and “B” draws.
At the ITA Northeast Regional, hosted by Hobart College, Baranowski won his first two
rounds before being defeated in the round of 16. In doubles, the veteran duo of Danko and
Ben Shapiro reached the semifinals before losing to the eventual champions. This marked
our best finish in ITA doubles since 2007. Sophomores Jonny Baker and Sam Leeman also
made an impressive run to the quarterfinals before losing in a tiebreaker.
Coach’s Corner .................... 1
2014-15 Roster ...................... 1
Season Recap.................... 2-3
Schedule & Results ............. 2
Lyman Center ...................... 2
Meet-a-’Jacket ..................... 3
Alumni Corner ..................... 4
This year’s squad has tremendous depth. The team captains are senior Julian Danko and junior Ben Shapiro. Both have been an integral part of our team’s rapid improvement the past few years. They work hard each day
and encourage their teammates to do the same. We returned all but one starter from last season, which gives us valuable experience at all positions in the line-up. The four new freshmen have been great additions as well.
Last season’s achievement of returning to the national rankings at #37 was a huge confidence boost for the program. It was our
first national ranking since 2006. The team goals are to continue to improve with hopes of being ranked in the top 25 nationally.
Hope you can come see one of our matches this spring. We have a great schedule ahead of us!
GO ’JACKETS!!
Program Highlights
-Coach Nielsen
Alumni at the 2014 Meliora Weekend Hit-Around.
1
5
9
27
74
NCAA Doubles Championship
Academic All-Americans
NCAA Team Appearances
ITA All-Americans
UAA All-Association Honors
2014-15 Men’s Tennis Roster
Name
Jonathan Baker
Ian Baranowski
Julian Danko
Damani Eubanks
Matthew Golub
Keith Jensen
Sam Leeman
Ben Mermelstein
Aaron Mevorach
Andy Nunno
Ben Shapiro
Jun Yuminaga
Tony Zhao
Ryan Zu
Hometown
Newport Beach, CA
Syosset, NY
Pittsford, NY
Mitchellville, MD
Evergreen, CO
Binghamton, NY
Bath, ME
Northport, NY
Rochester, NY
Fairport, NY
Scarsdale, NY
Bayside, NY
Rochester, NY
Rochester, NY
Head Coach: Matt Nielsen
Assistant Coach: Brian Bowman ’10
Class
2017
2016
2015
2018
2017
2016
2017
2016
2018
2018
2016
2018
2017
2017
Back Row (L to R): assistant coach Brian Bowman, Julian Danko, Tony
Zhao, Damani Eubanks, Sam Leeman, Ian Baranowski, Ben Shapiro, Ryan
Zu, Andy Nunno, head coach Matt Nielsen.
Front Row (L to R): Ben Mermelstein, Jun Yuminaga, Aaron Mevorach,
Jonathan Baker, Matthew Golub, Keith Jensen.
Help support Rochester Men’s Tennis by participating in the Athletic Annual Fund Challenge!
www.rochester.edu/athletics/friends/challenge.html
University of Rochester
Men’s Tennis Newsletter
Strong Showing at 2014
U of R Fall Invitational
December 2014
Fall 2014 Recap
Rochester, NY - - - The Yellowjackets came out strong at the first
annual UR Fall Invitational, the first tournament of the year, held
at the Goergen Athletic Center and Peter Lyman Tennis Center.
Led by senior captain Julian Danko, the ’Jackets dominated the
“A” Singles flight of the tournament with four players appearing
in the quarterfinals and an all-Rochester final. Julian arose as the
“A” Singles champion after a very tight two sets against junior Ian
Baranowski. Rochester also had a very strong showing in the
doubles draw with three teams advancing to the quarterfinals and
the #1 doubles team, Julian and Ben Shapiro, finishing third.
The team hopes to build off of this successful tournament as the
season continues after beginning the fall with a nice boost of confidence.
By Damani Eubanks ’18
ITA National Team Ranking: #37
ITA Northeast Regional Team Ranking: #14
University of Rochester Fall Invitational
“A” Singles Champion: Julian Danko
“A” Singles Finalist: Ian Baranowski
St. Lawrence University Fall Classic
“A” Singles Champion: Julian Danko
“A” Singles Finalist: Jonny Baker
“B” Singles Champion: Sam Leeman
“B” Singles Finalist: Aaron Mevorach
“A” Doubles Champion: Danko/Shapiro
“A” Doubles Finalist: Baranowski/Mevorach
ITA Northeast Regional Championships
Doubles Semifinalist: Danko/Shapiro
Doubles Quarterfinalist: Baker/Leeman
UAA Athlete of the Week
Julian Danko (Sep. 1-7 & Sep. 8-14)
Lyman Center Upgraded
“A” Singles finalists Ian Baranowski and Julian Danko.
2014-15 Men’s Tennis Schedule
9/6-7
9/13-14
9/20-22
9/24
2/14
2/15
2/21
2/28
3/8
3/9
3/10
3/26
3/28
3/29
4/2
4/11
4/12
4/18
4/24-26
U OF R FALL INVITATIONAL
St. Lawrence Fall Classic (Canton, NY)
ITA Northeast Reg’l Champ. (Geneva, NY)
ROBERTS WESLEYAN
RIT
COLGATE
ITHACA
@ #8 Case Western Reserve
vs. #9 Carnegie Mellon (Claremont, CA)
vs. #5 Washington U. (Claremont, CA)
@ Chapman
@ Nazareth
@ #30 NYU
@ TCNJ
HOBART
ST. LAWRENCE
#38 RENSSELAER
@ #31 Brandeis
UAA Championships (Orlando, FL)
*HOME MATCHES IN ALL CAPS*
------W 9-0
10:00am
2:00pm
2:00pm
2:00pm
2:00pm
9:00am
10:00am
4:00pm
11:00am
1:00pm
4:00pm
2:00pm
2:00pm
2:00pm
TBD
This past summer, the six outdoor courts at the Peter
Lyman Tennis Center were refurbished, along with the surrounding area of the facility. A Deco Acrylic surface was
laid, staying with the blue and green look that has been
made popular by the US Open courts in Flushing Meadows.
The asphalt in the entryway leading to the first bank of
courts was also repainted. With an excellent lighting system
on each court, the teams are able to train at any point during
the day on one of the premier tennis complexes in the
Northeast. The newly updated courts opened with the inaugural U of R Fall Invitational on September 6-7.
The courts are named after longtime coach and Rochester
tennis legend, Peter Lyman ’47. Peter led the men’s tennis
team to prominent success during his 42 years at the helm,
producing 20 ITA All-Americans. His squads were represented at nationals as a team or on an individual basis for 22
straight years. Peter passed away in the fall of 2012 and will
always be remembered for his incredible commitment and
passion for Rochester Tennis.
The team would like to thank all the alumni and friends of
Rochester Tennis for the support over the years and for
helping to provide the opportunity to practice and compete
at two tremendous tennis venues.
University of Rochester
Men’s Tennis Newsletter
UR Claims 3 Titles at
St. Lawrence Fall Classic
Canton, NY - - - The ’Jackets were buzzing at
this year’s St. Lawrence University Fall Classic.
Rochester went into the tournament with high
expectations, and was not disappointed.
December 2014
Aaron and Ian then met Jonny and
Sam in the semifinals, ultimately defeating
the sophomores, 8-4. Julian and Ben had a
dominant semifinal performance, defeating
Matt Billet and James Oliver of Hamilton
College, 8-2. The “A” Doubles final was a
hard fought battle, resulting in Julian and
Ben winning the title against teammates
Aaron and Ian, 8-5.
Singles draws were dominated by the University
of Rochester. Senior co-captain Julian Danko
clinched the “A” Singles flight after defeating Aaron & Sam after “B” Singles Final. Overall, it was an extremely productive
weekend for the Yellowjackets, setting the
sophomore teammate Jonny Baker in a tightly
tone
for
the
upcoming
spring season.
fought finals match, 7-5, 6-2. The “A” semifinal matches includBy Keith Jensen ’16
ed two all-Rochester battles. Julian beat fellow co-captain junior
Ben Shapiro 7-5, 6-2. Jonny defeated junior Ian Baranowski in a
grueling three set match, 6-0, 6-7 (1-7), 16-14!
’Jackets Play Big at ITAs
The U of R also dominated “B” Singles. Sophomore Sam Leeman won his semifinal match, beating Kevin Frommer of SLU, 62, 6-1. Freshman Aaron Mevorach also handled his semifinal
match, beating Hobart’s Harry Nichols, 4-6, 6-4, 10-4. The two
then met in the “B” flight finals, where Sam defeated Aaron, 6-3,
6-4. Sophomore Ryan Zu also earned a singles win in the “C”
draw, defeating Charlie Russell of SLU, 9-8, before falling to Hobart’s Danny Kot, 8-4.
The ’Jackets continued the weekend’s momentum in the doubles
draws. Rochester earned three wins in the “A” quarterfinals.
Sophomore duo Sam and Johnny defeated Michael Fields and
Matt Deprima of Hobart, 8-6. Aaron and Ian defeated John Megas and Rhonny Rosario of SLU, 8-5. Julian and Ben defeated
Tom Luchars and Elliot Solandt of SLU, 8-3.
Meet-a-’Jacket
Ian Baranowski ’16
Hometown: Syosset, NY
High School: Syosset High School
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Ian has started all three seasons for UR,
posting a career record of 34-18 in singles and 38-16 in doubles. Ian is also a
member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.
Favorite Tennis Player: Roger Federer
Other Hobbies: Sailing, cooking, camping, parkour, making circuits
Favorite Campus Tradition: Not walking through the
clock tower before graduation
Favorite Team Memory: Burrito bowl eating contests at
Chipotle after long matches
Career Ambitions: Research, graduate school
Interesting Fact About You: I can do a one legged squat
Geneva, NY - - - Rochester had some great results at the
ITA Regional Championships this year. UR started the
tournament well with Sam Leeman rolling over Elmira, 6-0,
6-1. Soon after, Jonny Baker finished off TCNJ with a 6-2,
6-0 victory. Ian Baranowski, #7 seed, took the first set
against Oneonta, 6-4, and then ran away with the match,
winning the second set 6-1.
In the second round, UR faced some very tough opponents.
Leeman faced off against the #1 seed from Stevens. Sam
played strong and found himself up 3-2 in the first set, but
lost the battle to the eventual singles champion. Baranowski
faced a tough player from TCNJ. However, Ian’s opponent
did not faze him, and Ian broke him down in a 6-2, 6-3 win.
Stevens scraped out a win against Ian in the round of 16, 64, 6-3, but he represented UR well as the top singles finisher.
Rochester started off doubles with a bang. The team of
Danko/Shapiro, #4 seed, started with an 8-1 win in the first
round and an 8-2 win in the second round against the home
team, Hobart. Baranowski/Mevorach took the first round 8
-2, before losing in the second round to Skidmore. Baker/
Leeman put on a show against Vassar. The duo started
down 5-0 and then came back to win it 9-8. When asked
about how they could come back from such a deficit, Baker
said, “We didn’t know the match had started until 5-0.” But
could they do it again? Well, they did. Down 5-1 against
RPI, they turned the match around and won 8-6.
In the quarters, the sophomores Baker and Leeman showed
up from the first game against a strong Skidmore team. The
match went back and forth, but Skidmore squeaked out the
9-8 win. Danko and Shapiro had no nerves in the quarters,
and absolutely dominated a solid RPI team, 8-0. In the semis, Danko and Shapiro faced the #1 seed. It was a hard
fought match with games that could have gone either way,
but UR ended up losing to the eventual champions, 8-5.
After having these results against the best teams in the region, the ’Jackets can go forward with confidence. Get
ready, because the spring season will be full of excitement!
By Aaron Mevorach ’18
University of Rochester
Men’s Tennis Newsletter
December 2014
Alumni Spotlight: Mark Rose ’64
Mark lettered in tennis all four years as an undergraduate on the River Campus and was elected to the U
of R Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009. He graduated from the U of R with a major in French. He went on
to earn a M.A. in International Affairs from U. of Pittsburgh and a M.S. in Operations Research from
New York University. He spent his career leading analytics groups in the pharmaceutical industry and
serving on the adjunct faculty in the MBA program at Fairleigh Dickinson University. He currently
consults part-time with Quintiles (leading clinical research organization) in semi-retirement.
When I first entered the U of R I had hopes but little expectation of making the tennis team, having not made my high school
team - at Lawrenceville, a competitive prep school in NJ. While the top 3 players were untouchable, I beat the No. 4 player, Hannes Peet, in the semis of the Fall tournament and realized I had a chance to make the team – my first “Meliora moment”! In the
Spring I tried out for the freshman team and won all my challenge matches, including a tough one against classmate, Bob Witherspoon, a finalist in the New York State 18&under tournament. I ended up playing No. 1 and lost only to a Colgate freshman.
Three matches stand out in my career: one in my junior year against the top player in our league at U. of Buffalo on a cold early
April day in swirling winds at Buffalo. On one point when we exchanged a couple of volleys at net, I hit a ball back that bounced
in front of him and blew back over on my side before he could hit it. I handled the blustery conditions better than he did and
afterward whenever I encountered the elements, I felt: “if you could play in Buffalo, you could play in any conditions”. In my
senior year, against the No. 1 from Hamilton College, I came back from a set down and two points from defeat. At 5-6, 30-all in
the second set, I returned his serve and then slipped, but returned his volley over his head while lying on my back. I fought off
several subsequent match points and eventually won the match. But unfortunately, our team lost – our only loss that year. My
final match was against the No. 1 from Syracuse, Steve Rubell, later owner of Studio 54, a trendy night club in mid-town Manhattan in the 1970s and 80s. Steve had beaten me on his home soft courts the year before and our team lost all but one match. The
Syracuse coach came up with a player short due to impending final exams, thinking his team could beat us based on the previous
year’s results. I started out rallying with Steve from the backcourt on our hard courts and lost the first set 3-6, but then changed
tactics and rushed net in the next sets “double-bageling” him (6-0, 6-0) in front of a rare crowd of 100+ students. My teammates
all won for a 9-0 sweep and a sweet revenge. In the mid-1980s, Steve suffered an untimely death. His obituary in the New York
Times read that “the wiry young Steve was captain and had won 17 consecutive matches in his senior year”. What wasn’t written
is that he had not won the 18th!
No write-up about my college tennis career would be complete without paying homage to Peter Lyman, legendary tennis and
squash (and also table tennis) player and coach. Ever since I first met him, I felt a close bond. He was soft-spoken, easy going,
very approachable…and a fierce competitor. He ate, breathed and thought about how to play and win. On the way home from
long road trips while we were asleep in the van, Pete would be driving with one hand on the wheel and re-playing points of our
matches with the other. He would constantly give us encouragement and sound advice. “Just make the opponent play one more
ball” (and give him the chance to miss), was his oft-heard counsel. It became the foundation of my tennis strategy in college and
afterward. I still consider tennis “a sport of a lifetime” and am grateful for the opportunity to have played for the Yellowjackets
and to have come under the tutelage of Coach Peter Lyman.
If you would like to be featured in the Alumni Spotlight, please contact Coach Nielsen at [email protected].
Alumni/Parents/Senior Weekend
The University of Rochester Athletics Department and Men’s and Women’s Tennis Teams will hold Alumni and Parents
Weekend on April 10th-12th. Parents of current and past players and alumni from all eras are invited to attend. It will be a
great opportunity to catch up with former teammates and cheer on the Yellowjackets.
Friday, April 10th
Saturday, April 11th
Sunday, April 12th
5:30pm: Alumni Matches
10:00am: Women vs. St. Lawrence
10:00am: Women vs. Rensselaer
7:30pm: Chipotle Dinner
11:00am: Brunch Buffett
2:00pm: Men vs. Rensselaer*
2:00pm: Men vs. St. Lawrence
*Senior Day
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