Feb. 26, 2001

Men's Tennis Team Brings Home Three First-Place Finishes from Principia Tournament

After completing the fall 2000 season with a 2-2 dual record, the Truman men's tennis team began the spring campaign with a trip to the Principia College Tournament on Friday and Saturday.

First-place finishers were junior Erich Podzinski (Evergreen, Colo.) and sophomore George Kidera (St. Louis/Chaminade) with 3-0 records at No. 3 and No. 5 singles, respectively, and freshman Ben Smith (Ft. Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain) at No. 8 singles with a record of 2-0.

No. 1 singles player sophomore Justin Menolascino (Manchester, Mo./Chaminade), along with No. 2 senior Nathan Artz (Kansas City, Mo./North Kansas City), No. 4 senior Allan Atkins (Hannibal, Mo.) and No. 7 freshman Eric Babb (Fairfax, Va./Robert E. Lee), all placed second with 2-1 records. Sophomore Adam Rees (Shelbyville, Ind.) finished third at No. 6 singles and was 0-2 for the tourney.

In doubles action, Menolascino and Podzinski took first-place as the No. 1 team, while the No. 2 team of Artz and Atkins and the No. 3 team of Kidera and Rees both finished second.

Other teams that participated in the tournament were the University of Missouri-St. Louis and Jefferson College. Because it is a junior college, matches with Jefferson do not count on the Bulldogs' official record.

Listed below are complete results from the tournament:

No. 1 Singles: Ben Crandell, PC, def. Justin Menolascino, Truman, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6; Menolascino, Truman def. Matt Vaulkhard, UMSL, 7-6, 6-3; Menolascino, Truman def. Yves Sinson, JC, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6

No. 2 Singles: Nathan Artz def. Nickolei Nesterov, JC, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6; Josh Heepe, UMSL, defeated Artz, 6-4, 6-4; Artz def. Asa Foss, PC, 6-3, 6-4

No. 3 Singles: Erich Podzinski, Truman def. Jamie Odegard, PC, 6-2, 6-2; Podzinski, Truman def. Minh Phan, UMSL, 6-3, 6-3; Podzinski, Truman def. Adam Stutts, JC, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6

No. 4 Singles: Allan Atkins, Truman def. Cody Leonard, JC, 6-3, 6-3; Eric Schrumpf, UMSL def. Atkins, Truman, 6-3, 7-5; Atkins, Truman def. Mike LeVan, PC, 6-4, 6-4

No. 5 Singles: George Kidera, Truman def. Pereai Aboro, PC, 6-3, 6-2; Kidera, Truman def. Maris Gruden, UMSL, 7-6, 5-7, 7-6; Kidera, Truman def. Fernando Rames, JC, 6-3, 6-4

No. 6 Singles: Josh Whitlock, JC def. Adam Rees, Truman, 6-4, 6-4; Ryan Trek, UMSL def. Rees, Truman, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6

No. 7 Singles: Eric Babb, Truman def. Jeff Slaughter, PC, 6-3, 6-4; T.J. Schaeffer, UMSL def. Babb, Truman, 6-2, 6-4; Babb, Truman def. Matt Herod, JC, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6

No. 8 Singles: Ben Smith, Truman def. Ryan Trek, UMSL, 6-3, 6-2; Smith def. Josh Whitlock, JC, 6-3, 6-3

No. 1 Doubles: Menolascino/Podzinski, Truman def. Crandell/Aboro, PC, 8-3; Menolascino/Podzinski, Truman def. Vaulkhard/Heepe, UMSL, 8-3; Menolascino/Podzinski, Truman def. Sinson/Nesterov, JC, 8-4

No. 2 Doubles: Artz/Atkins, Truman def. Leonard/Stutts, JC, 8-4; Phan/Schrumpf, UMSL def. Artz/Atkins, Truman, 8-4; Artz/Atkins, Truman def. Foss/LeVan, PC, 8-5

No. 3 Doubles: Kidera/Rees, Truman def. Odegard/Slaughter, PC, 8-3; Gruden/Trek, UMSL def. Kidera/Rees, Truman, 8-3; Kidera/Rees, Truman def. Rames/Whitlock, JC, 5-1 (retired)

No. 4 Doubles: Smith, Truman def. Schaeffer/Slaughter, UMSL, 8-3

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