Boston College - Sub Turri Yearbook (Boston, MA)

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SPORTS 185

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Big East Champs Again The BC Men ' s tennis team prepared for their Spring season in what has become typicalfashion: by winning the Big East championship in October. It was the third consecutive Big East title for the Eagle tennis squad, who have quietly become one of the most consistent winners on the Heights. As the team ' s number one player, senior John O ' Connell, noted: ' Our fall winning percentage matches that of any other sport. What makes EC ' s success even more encouraging is the fact that of the current top six players on the team, three were freshmen, and two were sophomores, with O ' Connell as the only senior. Bill Kelley, this year ' s Big East doubles titlist, was only a junior. The highlight of the past fall season was certainly the Big East Tournament, at the Concord Resort in Upstate New York. The Eagles were favored going in; the team had enjoyed a strong season of match play, dropping only three decisions, all by a narrow 5-4 margin. Along with the record of past victories in Big east tourney action, BC ' s record made the team a solid favorite to repeat championship action. But there was some concern on the Eart of Coach Mike MacDonald, if only ecause of the spotty showings that his team had turned in during two previous tournaments this year. At the ECAC ' s, the Eagles wound up eleventh out of sixteen teams — a little lower than had been anticipated. Contributing factors to MacDonald ' s concern were a brutal first round draw, and what Carlos Silva called a lack of mental toughness on the part of myself, and the other freshmen. Later in the season came a third place finish in the Rhode Island Tournament, an event that BC had hoped to win. Weather conditions, however, and a myriad of organizational problems made the Rhode Island tournament something less than a true test of the team ' s ability. In any event. Coach MacDonald was hoping for a strong performance at the Big East Tournament — and that is exactly what he got. The contest was held on the last weekend in October, a date that England sports fans may remember as the setting for the ' Penn State Massacre. But what Penn State did to the BC football team, the Boston tennis team did to the rest of its Big East competition. The Eagles captured five out of six singles titles, with O ' Connell, Silva, sophomore Paul Rolencik, freshman Bob Conklin, and freshmen Louis Nunez earning the wins. In addition, sophomore Jim Garaventi made it to the finals of his seed, before having to default due to a bad case of the flu. O ' Connell and Kelley topped a Villanova duo 6-4, 7-6, to win the number one doubles title, making the match a sweep for O ' Connell, who defeated Craig Waddington of Connecticut 6-3, 6-4 to capture the number one singles championship. The championship was the latest in a long line of Big East sweeps for John O ' Connell, whose fall performances during the past four years have been nothing short of remarkable: two Big East singles titles, and four Big East doubles titles (the last two witn Kelley, the first two with Rick Ryan). Says O ' Connell, It was a highlight for me to win the Big East again this year, and I was surprised that the team won as convincmgly as we did. Adds freshmen Carlos Silva: Everyone just seemed to lift their level of play for the Big East tournament. Such a knack for rising to the occasion is essential for the spring season, during which BC will play an expanded (and more difficult) schedule. But the players are optimistic. Paul Rolencik, who lost only once after moving into the top six, said, As everyone gets more experience, the team should get better and better. Bob Conklin, who finished with a solid 13-3 record in the fall, expects that things will be good in the spring. O ' Connell, who was 12-4 during the fall session, will most likely want to close out his exceptional BC career on a high note. Who knows — if the BC Varsity Men ' s Tennis Team keeps winning like they did in the fall, they may no longer be one of the best kept secrets on campus. — by Robert Mucci Strong individual play vaulted the men ' s tennis team to its third Big East Championship. 184 SPORTS

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What A Racket! The BC Women ' s Tennis team finished the 1982 ' fall season with an outstanding record of 10-4. The record proved that the team ' s success of the previous season (which saw them win the Division II Eastern Regional Championship and finish thirteenth nationally) was indeed no fluke. The season both began and ended with a three game winning streak. Nine of the ten wins were by scores of 7-2 or greater, and all but one of the losses were hotly contested. The progress of the team from last season may best be gauged by looking at the results against four key opponents. At the team ' s last meeting with UMASS, the Eagles soared to an 8-1 victory. Against BU last fall, BC fell 8-1; this year, BU hung on to a close 5-3 win. Brown and Dartmouth, winners last fall by 8-1, margins held on this fall, 5-2 and 5-4 repectively. Each of these defeats inducted several three-set losses. Until this year, women ' s tennis in New England was the exclusive domain of BU and the four Ivy League schools. It is now clear that BC belongs with these powers. by Howard Singer At right, Bemadette Diaz approaches the net hoping to return a winner. At far right. Ester Viti shows the strain involved in serving. And below, senior Liz Ingrassia warms up before her match. • ' .• ' i|2 Photos fcy Ted Hanss i r