WOOSTER – Repeating as a doubles champion within the Ohio Cardinal Convention tennis event wasn’t even the most effective a part of Jake Halfhill’s day.
On Wednesday morning he came upon that his fellow college students selected him to ship the senior graduation deal with at Lexington’s commencement ceremony this 12 months.
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Then he and freshman associate Philip Etzel went out and received No. 2 doubles within the OCC tourney with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Wooster’s Aidan Cleveland and Tony Rammel as Lex swept all 5 courts on the new Faculty of Wooster tennis facility.
Final 12 months, Halfhill received No. 2 doubles with then-freshman Cooper Remy.
“I don’t know if I’ve inside me the prerequisite drive that others (on the group) clearly showcase,” stated Halfhill, who after spending his first two years with the Minutemen in relative obscurity cracked the seven-man lineup final 12 months for a group that completed No. 2 within the Division II state rankings..
“I’m an honest sufficient tennis participant, however I’m certainly not a first-round draft decide.”
He could be if a draft have been held to select an Tutorial Problem group. Halfhill carries a weighted GPA of 4.65 and casually mentions Aristotle the way in which a few of his teammates may Novak Djokovic or Carlos Alcaraz.
He plans to attend Ashland College and is considering majoring in both biochemistry or math.
“I actually like biochemistry as a result of it’s the nexus of math, chemistry and biology,” ‘Halfhill stated, “all of which I’m intensely curious about.”
As an athlete, he’s the very definition of group participant, doing no matter is requested, even when it means slipping again right into a part-time position this spring to accommodate the arrival of Etzel and one other promising freshman in Tony Palmer.
“I’ve by no means as soon as heard him complain,” coach Ron Schaub stated. “He exhibits up and works arduous. He’s a coach’s dream. He’s not apprehensive about himself. He’s like, hey, what do you want for the group? I’m there. In the event you want me for assist, I’m there. In the event you want me to play, I’m there. He’s unbelievable.”
Till a pair years in the past, tennis was “only a “pastime” to Halfhill.
“He by no means actually performed a lot after which he simply confirmed up his freshman 12 months,” Schaub stated. “I attempted to inform him, that is what it’s going to take. Then his sophomore 12 months he obtained higher and, final 12 months, I assumed, all proper, he’s going to be one in every of our starters.
“He’s improved quite a bit over his profession and grow to be a significant member of the group.”
Owan Gongwer, like Halfhill, started his Lex profession as an afterthought. Now the Lex junior is a three-time OCC champ, because of his 6-2, 6-1 win over Ashland’s Oscar Haynes at No. 3 singles.
That was one in every of 5 straight-set victories within the finals for Lex, which received its sixth straight OCC title and seventeenth in 20 years (not together with the Covid 12 months of 2020). Add in 12 straight Ohio Heartland Convention titles earlier than the OCC started play in 2003-04 and that’s 29 championships for Lex in 32 years. Phenomenal.
Gongwer was coming off a title within the Lex Invite, the place he performed No. 2 doubles with senior Karl Etzel. They’ll pair up once more for the postseason however used the OCC event as an opportunity to play a couple of extra singles matches.
Etzel received his fourth OCC title with a 6-3 6-4 victory over Wooster’s Garrett Ronny at No. 2 singles.
“Me and Karl each needed to play singles as we speak, simply because we knew we have been going to be taking part in doubles the remainder of the season,” stated Gongwer, who was the Information Journal’s 2023 co-Participant of the 12 months with teammate Jake Chilcote after they earned second group All-Ohio honors in doubles by reaching the state event quarterfinals.
“It was good to complete (the OHSAA season) with a win in singles,” Gongwer stated. “Doubles is completely different since you even have your associate’s mind-set in thoughts, too. The Lex Invite was actually good apply. We solidified plenty of issues mentally and simply by way of our chemistry, so we’ll be prepared for state.”
Ethan Remy received OCC Participant of the 12 months honors for the second 12 months in a row by advantage of his 7-6, 6-4 win over Wooster sophomore Henry Pozesky at No. 1 singles. Remy, a four-time OCC champ, additionally beat Pozesky final 12 months at No. 1.
Pozesky has by no means received a set off Remy in duals or the league event, however the matches have all the time been aggressive.
“He hits a very good, high-quality rally ball,” stated Remy, whose ceremonial signing with Tiffin College – arguably the most effective NCAA Division II tennis program in Ohio – passed off on Monday. “He’s additionally actually into the matches and that positively helps.”
Dylan Catanese is more likely to step into Remy’s No. 1 slot subsequent 12 months and have an opportunity at including to Lex’s prolonged listing of convention POYs. However, for now, he’s reveling in his success as a doubles participant.
On Wednesday, he and Cooper Remy received No. 1 doubles with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Wooster siblings Brock and Saxson Ronny. It was Catanese’s tenth doubles title in tournaments or invitationals with one other full season to go.
The one blemish on his doubles resume is a loss with Ethan Remy within the first spherical of final 12 months’s OHSAA state event. The group they misplaced to in three units made all of it the way in which to the finals.
“It’s been a very good run in doubles. Fairly wonderful,” Catanese stated. “My doubles sport has grown fairly a bit. My volleys began to get higher my sophomore season and my sport continues to get higher. I’m positively excited (in regards to the postseason).”
Catanese and Ethan Remy are the No. 1 seed in doubles for subsequent week’s sectional event at Shelby. Gongwer and Karl Etzel are No. 2, whereas, in singles, the highest two seeds went to Cooper Remy and Philip Etzel, respectively.
Wanting even farther down the highway, Wednesday’s group championship was the right housewarming reward for the Minutemen to provide themselves. This month, the Faculty of Wooster courts are Lex’s house away from house because the venue may even host the OHSAA state event and the Ohio Tennis Coaches Affiliation state group event.
Lex despatched 5 gamers to OHSAA state final 12 months and has been a fixture within the OTCA group event, ending as Division II runner-up final season.
“It’s good understanding all the opposite groups at state haven’t performed on these courts,” Gongwer stated, “and we’ve.”
The Minutemen, because of their first place end Wednesday and their excellent mark in league duals, ending with the utmost 75 factors to out-distance runner-up Wooster (57). Ashland was third (46), thanks partly to prime 4 finishes on all of the courts besides No. 3 singles.
Caleb Sinchok was fourth for the Arrows at No. 1 singles and Eli Glazier was third at No. 2. In doubles the Ashland tandems of Reid Wash-Grant White and Landon Davis and Drew Friesen completed third at No. 1 and a couple of, respectively.
This text initially appeared on Mansfield Information Journal: Expertise and smarts: Lex has all of it; wins its sixth straight OCC tennis crown
