Area entries fish for more in state tennis

Updated: May 24, 2011 6:22PM

Does bass fishing count?

Kit Gillman would get an argument from Chris Olson, the Joliet Township director of activities and athletics.

Gillman, veteran coach of the Joliet West co-op boys tennis team that won the title in the sectional it hosted Saturday, said in the post-tournament euphoria this is the first sectional title in any sport for West or Central this school year.

“Unless you count bass fishing,” he said. “But that doesn’t really count, does it?”

Yes, bass fishing does count. Ask Olson if you need convincing.

But that does not diminish what Gillman was feeling — “this has been a very good season, my best, and it’s pretty emotional right now,” he admitted — nor what the Tigers accomplished. They secured Joliet Township’s first sectional tennis title since West won one in 1989, scoring 26 points to 24 for runner-up Joliet Catholic.

There were two major reasons for the championship. The first is that singles players Jack Carney, a sophomore, and Collin Shea, a junior, held true to their seeds, finishing 1-2 to punch their tickets to the state tournament that begins Thursday at Arlington Heights and surrounding suburbs. Carney beat Shea 6-1, 6-3 in the final.

So, when is the last time a starting offensive tackle in football qualified for the state tennis tournament in doubles one year and singles the next? Shea, who plays football for coach Jason Aubry at West, fits the description.

“I know it’s an unusual combination,” he said. “But I love both sports and I want to keep playing both.”

The other reason the Tigers won the sectional is their two doubles teams — Andrew Drummond and Chris Zuniga and Frank Spesia and Jacob Menengon — both won twice before being eliminated. They did not qualify for state, but the Tigers would not have ended Joliet’s 22-year sectional drought without them.

The top four finishers in singles and top four in doubles at each sectional advanced to the double-elimination state meet, where the goal of most area entries is to play beyond Day 1.

In addition to Carney and Shea, Lemont junior Jonathan Pacheco and Providence sophomore James “Jake” Zeeman finished third and fourth at West to advance.

Joliet Catholic boasted the top two doubles finishers in juniors Ian Barr and Austin “A.J.” Naal, who won their first sectional title and will play together at state for the third time, and sophomore Zach Siegfried and freshman Nate Naal, who were unseeded entering the sectional but beat the sixth, fourth and second seeds in succession en route to their runner-up finish.

Also at West, Lockport sophomore Lucas Randall and junior Austin Polk finished third in doubles, while Plainfield North seniors Stephen Wilder and Niel Bruyere were fourth.

Plainfield South freshman Austin Russell and Minooka senior Brian Falvey were third and fourth, respectively, at Oswego to advance.

At Lincoln-Way East, the runaway champion Griffins took the top two spots in singles (seniors Kamil Cwikla and Jeremy Dancu) and doubles (seniors Jeremy Falbo and Justin Dancu and seniors Adam Corazzi and Jacob Stoiber). Lincoln-Way North senior Bo Beniac was fourth and the Phoenix’s doubles tandem of senior Dave Smith and freshman Steve Hill was third.

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