The NCAA News - News and Features

June 2, 1997

Sho'men rally to capture III team, singles titles

Damian Polla ended his collegiate career this year the way it began -- as the member of a Division III championship team at Washington (Maryland) -- then celebrated by winning his second NCAA singles title.

Sparked by Polla (who also was on Washington's 1994 championship team) and Michael Kember, the Sho'men rallied from a 1-0 doubles deficit to win four singles matches and defeat Kalamazoo, 4-2 in the Division III Men's Tennis Championships May 16-21 at Washington and Lee.

The Sho'men, who failed to advance to the 1996 championships, closed the season with a 23-1 record. The victory was the first for the Sho'men against Kalamazoo in five championships matches.

Kalamazoo, which advanced to the final by handing Williams its first loss of the season, finished as runner-up for the third time. The Hornets ended the season at 18-9.

Williams defeated Gustavus Adolphus in the third-place match.

Polla's singles victory complements the championship he won in 1995. Mark Ellis and Jenia Karimov of Cal Lutheran claimed the doubles title.

"This is better than winning my freshman year," said Polla of his team's victory. "We didn't realize how tough it was and kind of took everything for granted. We had to work harder to achieve it.

"Last year was so disappointing when we lost to Trinity (Texas) in the regional. The four of us (seniors Andrew King, Miro Beran, Kember and Polla) took charge of everything this year. This meant everything to us."

Trailing after doubles in the final, Washington rallied to victory behind two-set triumphs from Polla, Kember and Gustavo Vicentini at Nos. 1, 3 and 6 singles, respectively.

Polla, who won six consecutive sets in the tournament at No. 1 singles, beat Pat Noud, 6-4, 6-2, in the final, while Kember, who also won six straight sets at No. 3 singles, ousted Steve Nasson, 6-3, 6-2. Vicentini defeated Chris Kennelly.

Tomas LeJarraga clinched the title by outlasting Zach Tann at No. 5 singles. Leading 5-4 in the third set, LeJarraga needed three match points to secure the title.

"I went to the bathroom and washed my face," Polla said. "I didn't watch anything else; I just listened to the cheering. It's much tougher off the court."

Polla found the road to his second singles title as difficult, rallying from a one-set deficit in two of five championships matches, including the singles final. Polla defeated Andrew Fagenholz of Williams, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, to win the crown.

The No. 4 singles seed, Polla also rallied past Chad Moser of Illinois Wesleyan in second-round action.

Ellis and Karimov earned their school's first doubles crown, edging Brian Cummings and Tom Oechel of UC Santa Cruz in three sets.

The No. 2 doubles seed, Ellis and Karimov cruised to two-set triumphs in their first three matches before requiring three sets to win the doubles final.

DIVISION III MEN'S TENNIS

TEAM RESULTS

Quarterfinals

Gust. Adolphus 4, UC Santa Cruz 1; Washington (Md.) 4, Amherst 1; Kalamazoo 4, Redlands 0; Williams 4, Emory 1.

Semifinals

Washington (Md.) 4, Gust. Adolphus 0; Kalamazoo 4, Williams 2.

Third place

Williams 4, Gust. Adolphus 0

Doubles--No. 1: Andrew Fagenholz-Sherman Lim, Williams, def. Adam Beduhn-Noel Stout, Gust. Adolphus, 8-5; No. 2: Todd Bowlby-Ryan Dussault, Gust. Adolphus, def. James Frank-Keith Tonkin, Williams, 9-8 (3); No. 3: Evan Hornbuckle-Scott Zinobar, Williams, def. Matt Lundmark-Andy Schmidt, Gust. Adolphus, 8-4.

Singles--No. 1: Suspended; No. 2: Andrew Fagenholz, Williams, def. Adam Beduhn, Gust. Adolphus, 6-4, 6-3; No. 3: Suspended; No. 4: Sherman Lim, Williams, def. Ryan Dussault, Gust. Adolphus, 6-0, 6-1; No. 5: James Frank, Williams, def. Ben Lipari, Gust. Adolphus, 6-1, 6-3; No. 6: Suspended.

Championship

Washington (Md.) 4, Kalamazoo 2

Doubles--No. 1: Michael Kember-Andrew King, Washington (Md.), def. Chris Kennelly-Pat Noud, Kalamazoo, 8-5; No. 2: Dan Harding-Adam Norlander, Kalamazoo, def. Miro Beran-Damian Polla, Washington (Md.), 8-3; No. 3: Ryan Cummings-Mike Ivy, Kalamazoo, def. Tomas LeJarraga-Gustavo Vicentini, Washington (Md.), 8-6.

Singles--No. 1: Damian Polla, Washington (Md.), def. Pat Noud, Kalamazoo, 6-4, 6-2; No. 2: Suspended; No. 3: Michael Kember, Washington (Md.), def. Steve Nasson, Kalamazoo, 6-3, 6-2; No. 4: Mike Ivy, Kalamazoo, def. Andrew King, Washington (Md.), 7-5, 6-4; No. 5: Tomas LeJarraga, Washington (Md.), def. Zach Tann, Kalamazoo, 7-6 (3), 1-6, 6-4; No. 6: Gustavo Vicentini, Washington (Md.), def. Chris Kennelly, Kalamazoo, 6-3, 6-4.

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

Singles

First round: Mark Ellis, Cal Lutheran, def. Jordan Strauss, Wooster, 6-2, 6-3; Miro Beran, Washington (Md.), def. Josh Goodley, UC Santa Cruz, 6-2, 6-4; Andrew Fagenholz, Williams, def. Todd Bowlby, Gust. Adolphus, 6-0, 6-2; Petteri Lehtinen, Averett, def. G. J. Homefield, Col. of New Jersey, 6-2, 6-3; Doug Neagle, Salisbury St., def. Adam Marcus, Binghamton, 6-4, 6-4; Michael Kember, Washington (Md.), def. Seth Mikkelson, Redlands, 6-2, 6-4; Adam Norlander, Kalamazoo, def. Bruce Jacobs, Amherst, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2; Bob Hehli, Wis.-La Crosse, def. Steve Shabel, UC San Diego, 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (3).

Chris Wallace, Mary Washington, def. Lee Hays, Denison, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2; Jon Stuart, Williams, def. Tom Oechel, UC Santa Cruz, 1-6, 6-2, 6-4; Chad Moser, Ill. Wesleyan, def. Jenia Karimov, Cal Lutheran, 6-3, 6-4; Damian Polla, Washington (Md.), def. Ethan Morris, Rochester, 6-1, 6-1; Dave Weisman, Babson, def. Jon Campbell, St. Olaf, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (4); Jed Weinstein, Emory, def. Brian Cummings, UC Santa Cruz, 7-6 (9), 4-6, 6-1; Nathan Bell, Salisbury St., def. Ben Greenberg, Brandeis, 7-5, 6-0; Pat Noud, Kalamazoo, def. Jason Oliver, Redlands, 6-4, 6-0.

Second round: Beran, Washington (Md.), def. Ellis, Cal Lutheran, 7-5, 6-2; Fagenholz, Williams, def. Lehtinen, Averett, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (1); Kember, Washington (Md.), def. Neagle, Salisbury St., 3-6, 6-3, 6-0; Norlander, Kalamazoo, def. Hehli, Wis.-La Crosse, 6-4, 7-5.

Stuart, Williams, def. Wallace, Mary Washington, 6-0, 6-0; Polla, Washington (Md.), def. Moser, Ill. Wesleyan, 5-7, 6-4, 6-1; Weinstein, Emory, def. Weisman, Babson, 7-5, 6-3; Noud, Kalamazoo, def. Bell, Salisbury St., 6-2, 7-6 (3).

Quarterfinals: Fagenholz, Williams, def. Beran, Washington (Md.), 4-6, 6-3, 6-1; Norlander, Kalamazoo, def. Kember, Washington (Md.), 6-3, 6-2; Polla, Washington (Md.), def. Stuart, Williams, 6-2, 6-0; Noud, Kalamazoo, def. Weinstein, Emory, 6-3, 6-1.

Semifinals: Fagenholz, Williams, def. Norlander, Kalamazoo, 7-6 (10), 6-1; Polla, Washington (Md.), def. Noud, Kalamazoo, 6-4, 6-1.

Championship: Polla, Washington (Md.), def. Fagenholz, Williams, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Doubles

First round: Mark Ellis-Jenia Karimov, Cal Lutheran, def. Glan Giordano-Alex Nagler, Connecticut Col., 7-6 (6), 6-2; Jeremy Edesess-Lee Hays, Denison, def. Timo Harkonen-Petteri Lehtinen, Averett, 6-2, 2-3 (retired); Chris Kennelly-Pat Noud, Kalamazoo, def. Adam Marcus-Dave Rosenthal, Binghamton, 6-1, 6-2; Nathan Bell-Doug Neagle, Salisbury St., def. Ben Becker-Steve Shabel, UC San Diego, 7-6 (5), 6-3.

G. J. Homefield-Philip Stevinson, Col. of New Jersey, def. Brian Corlett-Jason Oliver, Redlands, 6-7 (1), 7-5, 7-5; Mike Milburn-Kevin Weber, Ripon, def. James Oliviero-Mark Saldutti, Emory, 1-6, 6-2, 6-2; Andrew Honeybone-K. J. Van Ackeren, Trinity (Tex.), def. Joe Ryan-David Weisman, Babson, 2-1 (retired); Brian Cummings-Tom Oechel, UC Santa Cruz, def. Craig Jacobs-Chad Moser, Ill. Wesleyan, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Quarterfinals: Ellis-Karimov, Cal Lutheran, def. Edesess-Hays, Denison, 6-2, 6-0; Bell-Neagle, Salisbury St., def. Kennelly-Noud, Kalamazoo, 6-3, 7-5; Milburn-Weber, Ripon, def. Homefield-Stevinson, Col. of New Jersey, 6-4, 7-6 (3); Cummings-Oechel, UC Santa Cruz, def. Honeybone-Van Ackeren, Trinity (Tex.), 7-5, 7-5.

Semifinals: Ellis-Karimov, Cal Lutheran, def. Bell-Neagle, Salisbury St., 6-3, 7-5; Cummings-Oechel, UC Santa Cruz, def. Milburn-Weber, Ripon, 6-4, 6-4.

Championship: Ellis-Karimov, Cal Lutheran, def. Cummings-Oechel, UC Santa Cruz, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.