Smith new face of Crown Point tennis

Updated: September 26, 2011 10:15PM

At one point, it was something that never filtered through Daniel Smith’s mind.

Obviously when an athlete devotes countless moments of time, they hope the effort will pay off. But a few years back, Smith wasn’t exactly sure about achieving his goal of making a college program.

“I never thought I would be able to play college tennis a few years ago; I never thought that I would have this opportunity,” the Crown Point senior said about Taylor University and Indiana Wesleyan.

It wasn’t really a case of not putting in enough work. Smith started taking lessons in fifth grade. Showing levels of promise in eighth grade, Crown Point coach Chris Korzeniewski brought him into the varsity scene as a manager. And after a year of JV and the follow-up season at No. 2 doubles, he elevated to the top singles spot. When originally forecasting, Smith just didn’t see the big moments. The last two years, especially, have offered up plenty.

In 2010, with five key players lost to graduation, Smith became the face of Crown Point tennis and posted a respectable 11-7 record. He helped Crown Point win its fourth consecutive sectional title.

But looking at those results, he wasn‘t yet satisfied. Not being named for all-Duneland Conference stung. As did a 3-2 loss in the semifinal round of the Munster Regional to Highland, whom the Bulldogs had beat in the 2009 regional.

“I was so disappointed when I found out,” he said about missing DAC honors.

And, so, to raise the bar, he continued to practice. While using participation on Crown Point’s swimming team as an annual conditioner for tennis, he also hit the courts on the weekends. This past winter, on Sundays, he headed to Match Point Tennis Club for bouts against players that included former Munster standout Billy Heuer. From the Spring on his schedule was sculpted solely around tennis. In fact, he quit swimming as a child for tennis and then swam again in high school to build more stamina.

“Swimming is my conditioning and once swimming is over I just run,” Smith said. “It’s just helped my cardio a ton; I could just move around the court much faster and last a ton longer.”

The training has paid dividends for both Smith and the Bulldogs. With performances like Smith’s (12-4 overall), the Bulldogs (13-2) broke out of the middle of the tight-nit DAC. The only conference opponent able to beat them was eventual champ Valparaiso. In the process Crown Point reversed losses from last season to both Lake Central and LaPorte. Smith beat both Thomas Lozanoski (LC) and Carter Perry (LaPorte) with identical 6-4, 6-0 outcomes. The bout against Perry was definitive, considering the squads were tied in conference and Perry entered after also beating Lozanoski.

“My focus was not letting him play his game,” Smith said of Perry. “I just really had to adjust to how he was used to hitting and really use that against him.”

The gains come amid having Type-1 Diabetes. However, he hasn’t let the blood-sugar condition halt any ambitions.

“I mean I definitely think about it. I always have to be on watch to let me control (it),” he said. “I don’t let it affect my game at all, I just focus on the sport I’m doing right then.”

With the sectional starting Wednesday and the chance for CP to again face Lake Central, which moved over from the Munster Sectional due to an IHSAA realignment, Korzeniewski is impressed with the showing.

“Daniel’s got the best attitude,” Korzeniewski said. “(He) doesn’t complain, works hard, loves the game of tennis and I think that’s his greatest characteristic.”

P-T Top 5

1. Munster

2. Valparaiso

3. Crown Point

4. LaPorte

5. Lake Central

Player of the week

Matt Clark, Kankakee Valley

In a match that was a precursor for the Crown Point Sectional, the No. 2 singles player rebounded from a 6-1 first set loss to Lowell’s Jayson Savich with back-to-back 6-4 wins to the help the Kougars win 3-2 on Wednesday.

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