Sweeney shines for North Central tennis
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Qualifying for the NCAA Division III men's tennis tournament was an important feat for Prairie Ridge grad Sam Sweeney.
When the junior at Naperville's North Central College steps onto the court Thursday at Oberlin College in Ohio, he will be the first NCC player ever to appear at nationals.
"It's a big stepping stone for the program," Sweeney said. "It's nice."
But Sweeney, the two-time College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Player of the Year, wants more from his trip to Ohio for the 32-player event.
"I think I can win it," said Sweeney, who was 18-3 in singles this season and 18-3 in doubles as NCC's No. 1 player. "To get there is a good thing, but I want to get pretty deep (in the tournament.)"
This week, Sweeney was chosen as the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Central Region Player to Watch.
He is currently ranked No. 3 in the Central Region.
Sweeney credits his strong campaign to the work he put in over the past year.
"Definitely, my serve and my fitness" have improved, Sweeney said.
While training at Five Seasons Sports Club in Burr Ridge, Sweeney credits tennis coaching pro Ernesto Faisal and personal trainer Jason Korte with sharpening his game.
"They've made a big impact," he said.
Faisal has helped Sweeney add 10-15 mph onto his serves, which regularly zips past opponents as more than 100 mph, Sweeney said.
Korte has helped Sweeney improve his overall fitness and make his legs much stronger.
"I'm definitely in the best shape of my life," the 22-year-old Sweeney said.
After nationals, Sweeney already has his sights set on another career move.
sweeney said he plans to try qualifying for several professional tournaments this summer.
He currently is ranked No. 237 nationally in the United State Tennis Association's Top 500 rankings.
"My body's definitely ready," Sweeney said.
Ace in the pen: Prairie Ridge grad Andy Deain , a senior relief pitcher at Northern Illinois, is leading Mid-American Conference baseball pitchers this season with 11 saves, which ranks eighth in NCAA Division I.
Deain has a 3-3 record for the Huskies (22-31) and also leads the MAC with 32 appearances.
Warhawks shine on court: Three former prep standouts played a role in helping D-III Wisconsin-Whitewater's women's tennis team reach the final 16 teams in the NCAA tournament this spring.
Amy Siemon (Crystal Lake South), Annie Smith (Jacobs) and Abby Martin (Johnsburg) helped the Warhawks post a 23-6 dual meet record and make the NCAA postseason field for the third straight season.
Siemon, a junior, finished 24-8 in singles while playing in the Nos. 1 through 4 spots in the lineup. As a doubles player, Siemon went 21-6. While playing at Nos. 2-4 singles, Smith went 23-7 in singles. The sophomore was 23-10 in doubles.
Martin played Nos. 5 and 6 singles and posted a 5-2 mark, to go with a 7-1 doubles record.
MAC track highlights: Dundee-Crown grad Juliet Alrich, a senior at D-I Kent State, placed third in the 400-meter dash last weekend in 55.6 seconds to help the team win the MAC's outdoor women's track and field championship.
Alrich was a 12-time All-American at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville before transferring to Kent State. She also ran the anchor leg on Kent's 4x400 relay team that placed third in 3:45.63.
Jacobs grad Sarah Ross, a sophomore at Western Michigan, placed sixth in the pole vault with a career-best performance of 12 feet, 4 3/4 inches.
Barry Bottino writes a weekly column and a blog about local college athletes for the Northwest Herald. Write to him at BarryOnCampus@hotmail.com and check out his On Campus column every Saturday in the Northwest Herald sports section.
