BOYS TENNIS: La Salle reaches finals, San Marino slips
Tuesday's Semifinals
Division II
Palm Desert 10, San Marino 8
Division V
La Salle 11, Cate 7
My thoughts: There was a lot of focus on San Marino's No. 1 singles player Daniel Weingarten, who didn't play because of an amateur tournament.
Question: Did he do the right thing by playing in a higher-caliber tournament?
By Scott Galetti, Staff Writer
Defending its CIF-Southern Section championship was a tall enough order for San Marino High School's boys tennis team.
The added pressure of not having its No. 1 singles player certainly didn't help matters Tuesday in the Division II semifinals against visiting Palm Desert.
Minus Daniel Weingarten, who was in Sacramento for an amateur tournament, the Titans dropped a 10-8 decision to the visiting Aztecs.
"Daniel had a commitment in Sacramento and he had difficulty getting flights back so he got stuck, and he can't play if he doesn't go to school," San Marino coach John Kuramoto said.
Johnny Wang stepped up to the No. 1 spot and swept his three sets in singles play to lead San Marino (17-6).
The Titans' No. 1 doubles team of Nick Chang and Garry Wu won two of their three sets, as did the duo of Michael Moya and Michael Chang.
"Our boys played very hard, it was a very competitive match and they almost pulled it off," Kuramoto said. "In victory we're humble and appreciative, and we do almost the same thing when we lose. We have to keep it in perspective, make positives from it."
LA SALLE 11, CATE 7
A year after being eliminated in the semifinals, La Salle got its chance for redemption against No. 1-seeded Cate.
After reaching the semifinals for the second consecutive year, the Lancers are going somewhere they've never gone before -- the Division V finals -- following an 11-7 victory Tuesday at La Salle.
The Lancers will face either Thacher or Segerstrom May 28 at Claremont Club at 2:30 p.m. next Wednesday.
La Salle's top singles player, Kevin Sitwala, won two of his three sets.
"I feel absolutely amazing and I can't explain how happy I am to be going to the finals," Sitwala said. "The home-court advantage helped out."
The doubles team of Glen Willis and Matt Lam swept their three sets, and the tandem of T.J. Justo and Spencer Scott took two of their three sets.
"Everything we did today was a team effort," La Salle coach Tim Pawley said. "The guys played better than I have seen them play all season long."
Comments
sksk: sign kill ,sign kill ... signing off,signing off....
Posted by: kal | June 2, 2008 10:31 PM
what does sksk mean?
Posted by: anon | June 2, 2008 2:42 PM
tp asst: you're right , I do feel real bad for Daniel right now... I wish him all the best....and I do regret starting this blog... this was my first blog . I'm not familiar with all the etiquette of blogging... I promise I will personally apologize to Daniel for my hurtful writings ...sksk
Posted by: kal | June 2, 2008 12:36 PM
hey kal why don't you get a life stop bagging on the kid. You obviously seem like a very bitter person and I feel bad for you. Just get over it and leave the kid alone.
Posted by: Tpasst | June 2, 2008 10:03 AM
chkyrslf
You freeking freek, you don't know anything about tennis? so why are you giving your a-hole opinion on something you know nothing about... get a freeking life you idiot...
the reporter asked a question and I answered with facts as I see it,so that make me the problem...
People like you are the problems in our society,you think no one is accountable for anything they do.. It's all someone else's fault.It's the probably the government's fault that you grew up to be a professional blogger or is that your mom's and dad's fault for raising an idiot who has no life.
I guess in your softball world, it's ok for your starting pitcher/captain to go AWOL and play another tournament, missing a semi-final play-off in a league where his school team is the defending champion, leaving his team to lose...
San Marino tennis just needs a closure on this and it doesn't need me or you to bring out more dirt...
I have no doubt in my mind that Daniel will come back strong next year and lead HIS team to a championship,but for now we all need to let this past...this is old news and it seems like bringing up old news is your thing to do...
chkyrslf, do us all a favor and keep your nose in your softballs and out of tennis where you "know nothing about" .
Posted by: kal | June 1, 2008 11:27 AM
Kal,
I know nothing about Tennis but it seems like you are the problem. To take an argument like this to a blog and you, apparently being an adult who is trusted with kids? I can't believe you attached your name to it. I hope it ruins your career in the area. I will listening for your name in the area. This is gross and it is all on you.
Daniel,
Keep you head up and try and weed people like this out of your life.
Scott,
These are the types of posts that you have to blackball. They do no good. They publicly call out a kid and that is not acceptable
Posted by: chkyrslf | May 29, 2008 9:07 AM
Scott,
thanks for posting this topic on your blog. This is a creative way to expose the truth. The San Marino Boys Tennis Team is a program rich in tradition with superior players. CIF Championship banners are hanging in the gym, not semi-final banners. I hope the San Marino tennis community is paying close attention. There are issues that need to be addressed.
Posted by: pat | May 22, 2008 7:34 PM
the kid made a decision to play in a tournament and tried to get home. I think he was in a no-win situation. He has to think about the future, while helping his team at the same time.
Couldn't tournaments on the amateaur level be held at a different time so that they don't interfere with high school schedules?
Posted by: Scott Galetti
|
May 22, 2008 2:11 PM
Why play in another tournament when your high school season is still going on? How is that the coach's fault? Maybe is bad parenting, but then again money talk.
Posted by: over the line | May 22, 2008 1:44 PM
I feel the worst for the co-captain, Nick Chang. He's probably hurt the most from this.
Posted by: TF | May 22, 2008 11:42 AM
Daniel Weingarten,as of lately I can tell you ,no one connected with San Marino tennis wants to speak to you right now..A whole year of hard work from a lot of people was whist away in one unfortunite event..
You can say that it was" a case of miscommunication",misinformed,missed flight,missed-whatever,no fault of yours, never your intentions .. bottom line is you weren't there...Is your fault,maybe not,the team lost those 10 matches,and you didn't play in any one of those matches lost... Is my fault--maybe,I could have forced you into our car and drove you back with us on Monday...but please Daniel,don't start pointing fingers,especially at coach John,he's been behind your back all the way...
Daniel,at one time,I thought you were a great kid,I even thought to myself,if I had a kid I wished that the boy could be like you. I even told Jonny to look up to you as a "role model". Right now,it's a bit hard for everybody to swallow. Everyone makes mistakes,that's part of life..All your words and apologies are falling on deaf ears and I'm the most deaf...Time will eventually mend this,you're still a good kid and after all this blows away if you learn something from this ,you will walk away a better man........ take care.Kal
Posted by: kal | May 22, 2008 8:47 AM
With all this helter skelter on the San Marino High School Tennis Team, I believe that their disciplinary level is way below the San Marino city T-Ball team. I have attended a couple of little league games at Huntington Middle school. The team that I watched was the Tigers, and I have been very impressed with their discipline for such a young age (8-11). What the Tigers had, which the tennis team did not, was cohesion between the players and the coach and also their support of their peers. These three things are what amazed me the most when I watched the young baseball players play. I have yet to see any of these features at a Titan tennis match.
Posted by: paganini24 | May 21, 2008 10:02 PM
The Titan Baseball team won their CIF baseball game because the baseball coach stresses discipline and team.
Posted by: mendelssohn1809 | May 21, 2008 9:56 PM
Hi, my name is Daniel Weingarten and I would like to make clear what happened. I was playing the
National Open in Sacramento over the weekend. As of Monday I was still in the tournament. So I decided that what I would do is play my match at 9 AM and then
leave at 1:10 from the airport and make it to the match on time. Win
or lose I was going to be there. I ahd told Coach Kuramoto this on MOnday and he said that it was fine. However, that morning he called me and brought
to my attention that I had to attend at least 2 periods to be able to
play. As a result, me and my parents tried to find an earlier flight,
but everything was booked. The fact of the matter was that it was
impossible to make it back early enough to go to school. Had I known
that I needed to attend 2 periods I would have left Monday night and
been there first thing in the morning, but I didn't. I want to make it clear that it was never my intention to ditch the match and I would never do anythign that would put the team in a position to be hurt or potentially lose a crucial match. It was a case of miscommunication. And Kal you can have your opinions but if you have a problem with me, please confront me in person, not on a blog.
Thank You
Daniel
Posted by: Daniel Weingarten | May 21, 2008 8:58 PM
on your post about Daniel Weingarten,I coach Jonny Wang,and few others from the tennis team. All year Jonny has out performed Daniel in all levels of tennis,in the high school and sectional tournaments and also those Nat'l level tournaments. We were at the same tournament and Jonny has been doing a super job all year and going in to the Elk Grove tournament we had to make a hugh decision.We told coach John,win or lose Jonny will be back to play the CIF teamplay.
Going into the Elk Grove event,was really a no-win situation for Jonny and that may be a factor to his poor play,there is no motivation if you know you cannot stick around and play until the draw is over... We had made total commitment to San Marino high school tennis and coach John knew this going in.... Daniel was not in the main draw and his Tuesday's play was a consolation round match,it wasn;t like he was in the final rounds or anything like that... It just shows a complete breakdown in what was a dysfunctional season at San Marino tennis...feel free to contact me on this,,,Kal
Posted by: kal moranon | May 21, 2008 10:21 AM