Meet the bobcats- ashley brunk

1. Where are you from and where did you go to high school?

I’m from Phoenix, Arizona, and I went to Shadow Mountain High School.

2. Why did you choose Bates over the other schools you were looking at?

As far as the schools I applied to, Bates was definitely the strongest academically. I attended Prologue to Bates last November, and sitting in on classes, living in a house, and getting a taste of campus life really solidified Bates as my top choice.

3. Where is the coolest place you have traveled to and where do you want to visit next?

When I was 5, my parents and I went to Seoul, South Korea. We definitely got to experience a different culture, and I remember being really surprised that everyone we passed on the street looked like me. I really want to visit Australia. My dad has been there for business, and he says there’s lots to see.

4. Do you prefer crunchy or creamy peanut butter?

I’m definitely a fan of crunchy peanut butter.

5. Favorite sport to watch on TV?

I really get into watching NBA games. I support the Phoenix Suns, and I love watching Barbosa play.

6. What is the best book you have read in the last two years?

I’ll probably think of a better one later, but I’m reading “A Hope in the Unseen” for my education class. It’s really interesting, and I enjoy reading it.

7. What’s your favorite class this semester and what do you plan to major in?

My favorite class this semester is Perspectives in Education. We get to read some interesting books (a.k.a. “A Hope in the Unseen”), and I get to work in a kindergarten classroom. The kids are adorable and I love observing their class.

8. What is your favorite Commons meal?

Sesame nuggets with sweet and sour sauce, mixed veggies (whatever’s offered), and
strawberry frozen yogurt with chocolate sprinkles.

9. What would your dream job be and why?

My dream job is to be a professional writer, and I think being a travel writer would
be amazing. What could be better than going to exotic places and getting paid for it?

10. If you could have any animal as your pet, what would be and why?

I’m very happy with my dog, Fluffy. He’s half poodle, half bichon. I miss him a lot.

cats have long but successful days at NEWITTs

When the women travel to Amherst, Smith, and Mt. Holyoke to play in the New England Women’s Invitational Tennis Tournament (NEWITTs) every fall, they know weather is going to have an affect on the tournament. Last weekend, like many years before, the weather made for a longer day than most had hoped. And for the first year women on the team, they got their first chance to live through our team motto: Enjoy the Struggle.

With rain looming all weekend, the tournament draw was made with the plan to play all matches indoors at Mt. Holyoke and Smith. With over 200 hundred women in the tournament, the format was shortened to eight game pro sets for both singles and doubles. And just like last year, the format was a Fed Cup style, with each pair from a school would team up to play one doubles match and singles match for each player with the team winning two out of the three matches to advance to the next round. Bates had teams playing at all different times during the day, Jenna and Ashley being the first at 9am and Alex and Meg not playing their first match until 4pm. There would be a lot of sitting around throughout the day, but this also allowed the Cats to support each other.

Because there were so many matches played over the weekend, I will highlight some of the great performances of the Cats. Alex and Meg advanced the furthest in the A flight, making it to the round of 16 losing to a strong #1 team from defending National Champion Williams. The freshman duos of Jenna and Ashley, and Katie and Jacquie showed all the doubles drills we have been doing are paying off as they won 3 out of 5 of their doubles matches over the weekend. Maria and Jean, our only team in the B flight, made it to the round of 16 proving we are much deeper team than in the past. On Saturday, Ashley came from behind in her singles match against Babson to get the win. Even though she had been playing well she was down 4-7 and knew she had to step up her play to another level if she was going to find victory. That is exactly what she did, winning 9-7 and securing the 3-0 victory for her and Jenna.

The tournament was a great learning experience for our young team, but was also a lot of fun for the Cats to finally play against other competition after about six weeks of practice. We have a lot to look forward to in the spring season, but everyone knows how hard we have to work to take down the top teams in the NESCAC. Going through such a long two days was certainly not the easiest thing to do, but as this team grows together they will use this experience to thrive in tough situations and will definitely Enjoy the Struggle.

cats have strong showing at wallach invitational

The men’s team didn’t have to go far once they woke up to play in their most recent tournament, the Wallach Invitational. Our annual Bates men’s tournament was this past weekend played out at the Wallach Center. Several of the Cats did well, unfortunately we couldn’t come away with any wins in the championship matches. Amrit and Matt made the finals of the A flight doubles, only to lose to a very tough Vassar team, 8-5.  A pair of sophomores, Jeff and Sawyer, playing in the first tournament together saw some considerable success making it all the way to the championship match of the B flight doubles. They lost to the Skidmore team of Bevan and Bond, 8-4.

Amrit and Matt made it to Sunday morning in singles, both losing in the A flight semifinals. Fenno and Ryan made it to the B flight semifinals in singles, but had to play each other once they got there. Ryan reached the semis by coming from one set behind against Keolasy from Amherst to win it in a third set match tiebreak. Zach also had to go the distance against his quarterfinal opponent, Cheng from Skidmore. He fought off three match points to eventually win it 13-11 in an exciting, back and forth battle on Saturday afternoon. The match between Ryan and Fenno was equally entertaining, with the win going to Ryan 10-6 in the third set match tiebreak.

After this weekend the Cats realized what they need to work on over the offseason to get ready for February. We have a talented team, but it’s the training done over the next few months that will propel us to the goals we want to achieve. Now it’s time for the Cats to go to work.

For the women, they head to Amherst to play in the NEWITT tournament this weekend, so look out for a full recap, photos, and video clips next week.

Ben and Amrit honored at football game

During the halftime of last weeks football game against Tufts, Ben and Amrit were united for the first time since graduation day back in May. They were being honored by the school for their success last spring along with the women’s rowing team. As many of you know, Ben and Amrit won the doubles National Championship in three sets against rival Bowdoin and Ben finished 2nd in the singles championship. The women’s rowing team was being honored for having the highest finish ever for a Bates team, second in the nation. Even though it was a rainy afternoon, a large crowd came to support the Cats duo as they were thanked by Bates’ President Hansen for their hard work and dedication in bringing another National Championship back to Bates. This is the second National Championship for Bobcat Tennis, the first being won in 2006 by Will Boe-Wiegaard.

On another note, the men have their last fall tournament this weekend right here at Bates at the Wallach Center. Play will start at 9am on both Saturday and Sunday and will last all day.

cats travel to williams to compete in wilson/ita regional championships

One weekend after the four our drive to Middlebury to play in the first fall tournament, it was time to make another long drive to western Massachusetts to play in the ITA tournament hosted by Williams. The winner of the singles and doubles draws would be crowned an ITA All-American and compete in the Small College National Tournament, something Stein and Amrit did a year ago. This tournament is arguably the hardest of all the ITA Regional tournaments held in the fall, with some of the best players in the country competing in it. Friday morning started with singles for Reiss, Max, Bettles, and Jeff. Reiss gave the Cats their first win of the day with a solid performance against Fenichell of Bowdoin. In the afternoon he played the #1 seed Lebedoff from Williams. In one of the best matches of the tournament, Reiss pushed the Purple Eph to three sets, eventually losing it 6-4 in the third. Reiss constantly put his opponent under pressure, by attacking non stop the whole match. He came up with winners that left Lebedoff and the Williams supports wondering how exactly he hit that shot. Reiss would then go on into the consolation bracket where he would defeat Kim and Sorrell from Amherst on Saturday.

Bettles, playing in just his second collegiate tournament, won his first two matches over Meyer from Williams and White from Brandeis to reach the final 16. Unfortunately, Saturday would not be as successful as Friday, with Matt losing to Lee of Middlebury. Max and Jeff could never get things going in singles in their first round matches, losing to Laber of Tufts and O’Dell of Middlebury respectively. They pair would certainly redeem themselves when the doubles started later in the afternoon. Amrit was last to go on the court for singles, getting a bye in the first round. He would join Bettles in the round of 16 with a win over Lunghino, a freshman from Middlebury. He, just like Bettles would have a tough defeat on Saturday morning against Felix Sun of Williams, who would eventually lose in the semis. Again, the Cats would shine in the doubles draw later in Friday afternoon.

Rupa and Bettles, fresh off their Middlebury Championship, were the #2 seeds. They started off with a convincing win against a Clark team, then stepped up their level of play in the round of 16 against the Williams duo of Meyer and Binder, winning 8-4. Going into Saturday afternoon, the pair had high hopes of reaching the semis, only to see another Williams team on fire stop the Cats in their tracks. They were upended by Petrie and Chaplin 8-2. It was certainly a learning experience for Amrit and Matt, as this was only their 7^th match together.

Like I mentioned before, Jeff and Max would redeem themselves in the doubles draw even though this was the first time they had played a competitive match together. The Cats started with a victory over the Trinity team of McConnell and Ayers, 8-6. Then as the day was turning into evening, they would face the #5 seed of Lebdoff and Chow playing on their home courts. The Cats started slow and were down a break of serve as it was apparent they hadn’t played much together. It seemed as if it was going to be an easy Williams victory when they were serving up 6-3, but that is exactly when Jeff and Max fired themselves up. The guys started ripping returns and crossing at the net on every ball. Suddenly it was Lebedoff and Chow who looked uneasy and started to press. The two teams found themselves locked in a 6-6 tie, with the Cats finding the energy after a long day of tennis to come up with the shots needed to take the lead. Nothing Williams did mattered; this was the Cats’s day as Max closed it out on his serve. It was an impressive win for the Cats, proving to themselves if they play high energy, aggressive doubles they can hang with any team in the country. Later at dinner, Jeff would say this was the most fun he had ever had on a tennis court. Unfortunately, just like Matt and Amrit, Saturday was not as fun as Friday. Max and Jeff struggled to find the recipe for success against a veteran Middlebury team of Thompson and Lee.

The ITA Championship weekend did not go as well as the Cats hoped, but it is still very early in the season. The fall tournaments are mainly about gaining experience, and every Bobcat came away with many lessons learned. The men are back on the court Oct.10-11 right here at Bates for the Wallach Invitational. Come out and support the Cats in their final contest until February.

amrit and bettles battle to middlebury doubles title

This past weekend the men’s team traveled to Middlebury for the Middlebury Invitational, marking the start of the 2009-2010 season. This tournament was a great chance for the young players to get some experience as well as prepare the Cats for the ITA Regional Championship this coming weekend at Williams. We had a solid showing for our first matches of the season, with the highlight being Amrit and new partner, first-year Matt Bettles, winning the A flight doubles title. Along the way to winning the championship, Rupa and Bettles beat two Middlebury teams and the #1 team from Trinity. By beating the team of McCook and Feldman from Trinity, Amrit was able to avenge his loss to Feldman in the quarterfinals of the singles. It was also a gratifying win for Bettles since he lost in a super-breaker to McCook in his first collegiate match.

Max Berger had the best singles showing, making the semifinals of the B flight, losing a tough battle on Sunday to Derick Angle from Middlebury. Max teamed with Mike Reiss to get a solid win over a good Bowdoin team of Davis and Won, 9-7, before losing to McCook and Feldman in the next round.

In the C flight, both Ryan Mannelly and Jeff Beaton had good first round wins before losing to Middlebury opponents in the quarters. They then paired up to play doubles, beating Post and Albano from Colby, 8-4. Again it would be Middlebury that would get in the way, as they fell to Lunghino and Farah 8-3 in the quarterfinals. Bettles wasn’t the only freshman to get his first college match under his belt, Kyle DeSisto from Cohasset, MA, played in the B flight doubles with sophomore Sawyer Lawson. Unfortunately, the two couldn’t get into the win column, but the experience is what was important for the weekend. All in all, the Cats had a good showing and it should be good preparation when we head to Williams for the ITA New England Championships on September 25-27. We had several parents cheering us on at Middlebury, which is always appreciated. We hope to see more of you throughout the fall and into the spring. Remember, Parents Weekend is October 2-4 here at Bates and it would be great to see many of you up on campus that weekend.

Meet the bobcats-jacqui holmes

As the new season begins, we want you to have a chance to meet some of the new faces of the Cats. First up is Jacqui Holmes:

1. Where are you from and what high school did you go to?

I live in Harvard, MA and go to The Bromfield School.

2. What is the biggest difference so far between high school and college?

The biggest difference so far between high school and college is all of the free time. I know it will start to get a lot busier, but for now time to nap during the day is wonderful!

3. Why did you choose Bates?

To be honest Bates was never at the top of my list, because I was always convinced that I wouldn’t go to the same school as my Dad. It wasn’t until applications were actually due that I decided to give it a second look and the more I learned the more I liked about the school. When I came for my visit in the spring I felt so comfortable and happy on campus. Everyone on the team was so so friendly and excited about Bates. That’s exactly what I was looking for!

4. Even though it’s only one week in, what is your favorite class?

So far my favorite class is probably Perspectives on Education. I’m thinking about becoming a teacher so I am excited to start going into the Lewiston schools to work with and help the kids. It’s also neat to be on the other side of things, learning different teaching styles and philosophies about education.

5. What do you miss the most about home?

I think the thing I miss most about home is my mom’s famous tuna casserole. (I know it sounds disgusting, but it is SO delicious)

6. What is your favorite movie?

10 Things I Hate About You.

7. Federer or Nadal?

Federer, of course!

8. Where would you want to visit if you could go anywhere?

I would probably go to Africa. I really want to learn about the difference in the 
lifestyle and culture specifically in Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia. I know that in many respects they are struggling and I would love to have the opportunity to travel there and learn about different ways to help them out.

9. If you weren’t playing tennis, what sport would you want to play?

If I weren’t playing tennis I would probably be running or playing squash. (I’m horrible at squash, but it’s so much fun!)

10. What is your favorite holiday?

My favorite holiday is definitely thanksgiving. It’s really nice to see all of my 
extended family together in one place and I absolutely LOVE pie.

Learning from the pros

As another season is about to begin for the Cats, it’s easy to get excited as well as inspired by watching the US Open. There have been some great matches and stories this year, especially on the American side.  Several members of both the men’s and women’s team spent time at the Open during the first week.  Alums from last year’s team included Caryn, Stein, and Sherman. They joined many of the returning players, Fenno, Ryan, Max, Reiss, Jeff, Woods, Meg, Erika, and Maria. I’m sure there were many other Bates Alums around the grounds while we were there watching some of the same great tennis we were.

You can’t help but get excited about getting back to Bates and back on the courts at the Wallach Center after seeing the pros at their best. The Cats started practice yesterday with some new faces that you will get to know throughout the fall, as well as all the familiar faces from last year. It’s an exciting time for Bates tennis, the men’s team hopes to build off of the National Championship Amrit and Stein captured last May. A young women’s team looks to continue to grow and mature. The downside of Caryn graduating is we lose our #1 player, but the positive is we only lost one player out of the starting line-up. With a team full of sophomores who got a great deal of playing time last year, several senior leaders, and another strong group of freshman, this will be a year we move forward.

The Cats get right into competition, with the men traveling to Middlebury for the Middlebury Invitational on Sept 19-20. That same weekend the women will travel to MIT to compete in the ITA Regional Championships. If you are in the area of either tournament, we would love to have you come out and support us. And don’t forget, Alumni weekend is Sept. 25-27 and Parents Weekend is Oct. 2-4.

Bates Tennis Alum Sam Duvall making headlines at US Open

Many of us have been following the success of the young American tennis players at this year’s US Open, but one Bates tennis alum has been on the front row for most of it. Sam Duvall, a 2005 graduate, is the agent for John Isner and Melanie Oudin who both made the third round of the US Open. The New York Times featured a story about both players as well as Sam in the Sept. 6th issue.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/07/sports/tennis/07agent.html?_r=1

For Isner and Oudin, Nothing Sells Like Wins

by Karen Crouse

The day after his United States Open upset of Andy Roddick, John Isner spent a couple of hours drafting players for his N.F.L. fantasy football team. He was looking for sleeper picks poised for success; in other words, the football version of himself.

Though not a rookie, Isner, 24, is in some ways like Giants receiver Hakeem Nicks, a highly regarded player who on Saturday saw a veteran player, David Tyree, removed from his path to fame and fortune in New York.

Isner pushed Roddick, the 2003 champion and the longtime American torch bearer, out of his way Saturday in a fifth-set tie breaker. He sealed his upset a few hours after 17-year-old Melanie Oudin outlasted Maria Sharapova, the 2006 women’s champion, in three sets.

Isner and Oudin, who will play fourth-round matches Monday, have the same agent, Sam Duvall. He joked that he had told Oudin, who will meet 13th-seeded Nadia Petrova, in the second match of the day at Arthur Ashe Stadium, that it is critical that she avoid a second consecutive three-hour match because Isner’s match against Fernando Verdasco on Louis Armstrong Stadium could begin as early as 3 p.m.

A former player at N.C.A.A. Division III Bates College, Duvall has a tennis stable has become the stuff of fantasy players’ dreams overnight.

His cellphone started vibrating as Oudin sat in her changeover chair, sobbing into her towel after coming from behind to beat Sharapova, and it has not stopped.

“I’ve been getting calls, yes,” Duvall said Sunday as he stood in the players’ lounge with his phone in his palm. “All the apparel manufacturers and racket manufacturers want the next best American.”

Isner and Oudin have different stories, but the same gee-whiz demeanor in front of the camera. Their guilelessness is a significant selling point in an age when so many people seem to be angling to be stars.

“They’re very real to people,” Duvall said. “That’s kind of the attraction.”

When Oudin speaks, she uses words like cool and awesome. She described the match against Sharapova as “a blast.” As she scanned Arthur Ashe Stadium after her victory, Oudin had the wide-eyed look of someone straight off the bus, beholding the Manhattan skyline.

Isner, raised in North Carolina and educated at Georgia, is so polite, Duvall said, he will apologize if he has to phone him on a Sunday, the day reserved by many in the South for faith and family and rehashing the previous day’s college football game.

The most animated Isner got in his postmatch news conference was when he described watching the first half of Georgia’s game at Oklahoma State while waiting for his match against Roddick to start. “I get really emotionally involved,” he said. “My coach had to sit me down and tell me to take it easy. I use up a lot of energy watching football.”

After he upset Roddick, Isner was met by an ATP official, and he asked the official who won the Georgia football game. To his dismay, the Bulldogs lost.

Isner, who led Georgia to the 2007 N.C.A.A. tennis championship, turned professional that year and advanced to the third round of the Open before losing to the eventual champion, Roger Federer.

He was a hot marketing commodity then, but fell off the radar with a so-so sophomore season on the tour.

“He came out really hot, and we capitalized right away,” Duvall said. “Then he had his struggles, and now he’s back.”

Isner is a curiosity because of his height. He is a shade over 6 feet 9 inches.

Oudin, one of the shorter players on the women’s tour at 5-6, draws attention because of her fight.

“She a little bulldog,” Isner said admiringly. “She’s feisty. That’s why she’s doing so well.”

She’s America’s newest sweetheart. On Sunday morning, Duvall accompanied Oudin to the MSNBC studios for an interview. The exposure she is receiving could not come at a better time; her contracts with Adidas and Wilson are expiring soon.

“My job is to capitalize on the opportunities that present themselves,” Duvall said, but with a discriminating eye.

“We aren’t thinking this is a fluke, so we’re in no rush to sign deals,” he said.

On cue, his phone started vibrating — a reminder, as if he needed it, that his clients are sleepers no more.

Meg and Ryan Mix it up against Cohasset

All our players understand that summer is an important time to train hard and spend as much time on the court as they can. Another good thing about summer is the chance to play in tournaments that have a little less pressure than a dual match in the middle of the season. Meg and Ryan had a chance to play in one such tournament a few weekends ago in Connecticut. Here is a summary by Ryan, who will be a senior this year,  with pictures from Meg’s dad:

Meg and I played in the Cohasset Town Charity Tournament. It was a round robin mixed doubles tourney, where the matches actually took place at people’s houses on the water throughout Cohasset. Meg had played last year with a partner in the A flight and got to the semis so we wanted to better that this year. We were in the second A flight and played 3- 8 game pro sets on Saturday. The first one we came out excited and nervous since all the Cohasset moms were wondering who these two college kids were and how good they were, but we ended up beating out another college guy and woman 8-6 after being down a break early and then getting it back before breaking at 6-6. After calming down, we started to put a lot more balls in play and the second match was some good mixed doubs against the team that finished second in our pool. After going up 4-0 we ended up winning that one 8-5. Then, after a re-energizing lunch we beat our last opponent 8-4.

Relieved to go onto the next day and be able to make it to the finals with one more win we were treated to an excellent homecooked dinner by Nick and Kathy Anderson with family and friends. Waking up early the next day our semi-final match seemed easy as we stepped on the gas pedal and never let off just like Coach Gastonguay would want to see. We ended up winning the first 7 games in route to a 6-0, 6-3 win, setting us up to play an All-American player who graduated from Notre Dame and her partner. Unfortunately, we never could get things going in the match and ended up losing 6-1, 6-1 but luckily were still rewarded with our own cheese cutting set from the town.

Overall, for both Meg and myself, it was one of the most enjoyable weekends of the summer being able to play with each other and got us psyched to play the following weekend in Jeff’s tourney and get back up to campus to really get things going again.