High school tennis
Walnut Hills' Thomas goes for. singles title Area players seek sweep of crowns in Divisions I, II By Dave Schutte Enquirer contributor
Walnut Hills' Eric Thomas leads one of the strongest contingents in years from Cincinnati, with eight singles players and six doubles teams looking to claim state tennis championships in Divisions I and II at Ohio State today and Saturday. Thomas, a senior, won the 2001
Division I state doubles championship with Jonathon Khoury. Now, he's hoping to join Tony Trabert as a singles champion for the school. Cincinnati could sweep the Division I and Division II singles and doubles championships. Thomas is favored in Division I singles, while Princeton's Matt Metully and Wil Lofgren should make a strong run in doubles. Tony Teufel, the district runnerup to Thomas, along with Jim Brannon (Oak Hills) and St Xavier's Neil Sehgal also will battle for the Division I singles championship. The Division II singles tournament features Mike McCarthy, an
Indian Hill junior who finished second last year to Jeremy Miller from Sandusky St. Mary Central Catholic. McCarthy also lost to Miller two years ago in the semifinals. Miller and McCarthy drew into opposite brackets and wouldn't play until Saturday's championship. · McCarthy's teammate and friend, junior Brian Compton, the 2002 state doubles champion with his brother, Mike, could play Miller in a second-round match. · "You can't count Brian out," Indian Hill coach Chris Hemingway said. "I think he can make the final
four." Also in the upper bracket with Miller are Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy sophomore Michael Beatty, Rajiv Gupta (Wellington School) and William Ellison (University School). In Division II doubles, the Indian Hill junior duo of Britt Jamison and Wade Ward plan to make a strong run for the championship. None of last year's top four teams will return. Action begins at 9 a.m. today, with the quarterfinals scheduled for an hour after the first round is completed. The semifinals are scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday, fol-
lowed by the third-place and cham: pionship matches.
State team semifinals Princeton (Division I) and Indi~ an Hill (Division II) will compete in the state team semifinals and championship matches Sunday, al• so at Ohio State. In the 9 a.m. semifinals, Prince:ton meets Cleveland St. Ignatius, while Indian Hill goes against University School from Huntington Valley. · ,, The championship matches will be played an hour after the conclu· sion of the semifinals.