Springfield High wins second
straight Sinnock Invitational
By
TREVOR LAWRENCE
STAFF WRITER
4.21.2002
It was déjà vu all over again for the Springfield High School boys tennis team at the J.D. Sinnock Invitational on Friday and Saturday at Washington Park.
For the second straight year, the Senators finished their doubles competition Friday at the Springfield Racquet and Fitness Center because of bad weather. And for the second consecutive year Springfield won the tournament, collecting 70 points, just one shy of last year's total.
Normal Community placed second in the 16-team event with 55 points, followed by Edwardsville (53). Jacksonville (13½points) finished 10th, while Sacred Heart-Griffin (12) and Chatham Glenwood (11½) placed 11th and 12th, respectively.
"Team-wise they really earned this thing this weekend," Springfield coach Ross Graham said. "They had to battle through all the doubles and all the singles. They're playing better at the right time. It's a big confidence boost."
Springfield's Collin Chapman, Mike O'Keefe, and Tyler Robinson each placed first in singles and in doubles competition.
The Senators had five first place finishes, including No. 1 and No. 2 doubles. Springfield then won singles titles in seeds 3-5.
In doubles, Chapman and 0'Keefe defeated Jon Harris and Brian Tweedie of Normal Community 6-3, 6-2. The duo lost to Hams and Tweedie earlier in the week, but avenged the loss Friday night in impressive fashion.
"It was a great match and we were kind of out for revenge," Chapman said. "We got the momentum right away and we played outstanding; we played out of our minds. We're really happy about that."
"This tournament really helped us come together," Chapman added. "At first we weren't playing as well, but this weekend we really stepped it up and we worked with each other."
Graham agreed and said the doubles teams are starting to jell.
"I'm real pleased with the doubles, they're really starting to step up," Graham said. "They were playing good but they weren't playing at the level they need to be. Friday night was a big win; it was a real motivator."
Chapman ended the tournament with a 7-5, 6-0 triumph over Jake Snyder of Edwardsville to take the title at No. 5 singles.
Tyler Robinson rolled to a first place finish at No. 3 by defeating. Chad Fisher of Normal Community 6-1, 6-3. The night before, No. 2 seeded Tyler and David Robinson won their second straight doubles title in three sets over Greg Mennerick and Scott Light of 0'Fallon. Tyler Robinson said that Springfield has turned it up a notch since the start of the season.
"We're doing really good," Tyler Robinson said. "Going into next weekend at the (Arlington Heights) Hersey Tournament, which is a mini-state tournament, we're looking really good. Our doubles teams are really coming together. Next weekend's going to be sweet."
David Robinson, playing at No. 1 singles, took third with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Mennerick. Robinson lost in the semifinals to Jon Harris 6-3, 7-5 of Normal Community. He had suffered a three-set defeat to Harris earlier this week. Harris went on to win the title for the second straight year. But Robinson was still satisfied with his slowing on Saturday.
"It's pretty good," David Robinson said. "I was kind of disappointed losing to Harris, but other than that finishing third isn't bad."
As for doubles, David Robinson said the title-match victory over O'Fallon was a positive for the team.
"It's a good win," David Robinson said. "We played really well the first set, but struggled the second set. The third set we said we need to win this, and we just carried through."
Mike O'Keefe cruised to take No. 4 singles, but his twin brother Dan lost in the semifinals of No. 2 singles to Jonathan Stanley of Danville in three tough sets.
Other notables included Jon Lin of Chatham Glenwood, who finished tied for fifth at No. 1 singles after defeating Matt Rineberg of Pekin.