Herrmann Tennis Academy Standout and Glenbrook South Senior Michael Moore finished his tremendous high school career with a second place finish at the Illinois High School Association Boys Tennis Championships. Moore, a Notre Dame recruit, was the top seed in the 128 player draw and one of twelve HTA players at the tournament
Moore dominated his first three matches, beating Lake Forests’ Peter Wolniak 6-0, 6-1 in the first round, Collin McWethy of Oswego 6-1, 6-0 in the second, and Ben Quazzo of Latin 6-0, 6-2 in the third. Day two was more challenging, but Michael took two more matches in straight sets, including a 6-1, 6-3 over academy classmate Andrew Scholnick.
In the semifinals Moore took out defending state champion Denis Bogatov 6-1, 6-7(3), 7-6(3) in a three and a half hour battle. Less than two hours later Moore was back on court and facing #2 seed Blake Bazarnik. Bazarnik took the first set 6-4, before Michael bounced back with a 6-3 win in the second. The two players went stroke for stroke in the third set and were dead even at 6 all. Ultimately Bazarnik took the tiebreak 7-4 for the match and the title.
Moore placed in the top eight at state each of the last three seasons.
“Michael has been such a huge part of our academy for the past six years and I am extremely happy that he could be a state finalist,” said HTA Owner Ken Herrmann. “Although he didn’t finish the season with the results he wanted, he had an incredible high school career.”
Helping Glenbrook South take fourth were two other HTA stars, Junior Ben Hoogland and Freshman Michael Sellitto. Hoogland received a top eight seed for the tournament and won each of his first three matches in straight sets to advance to day two. In his fourth match Moore was upset by Lake Zurich’s Michael Redlicki 6-2, 6-4. Redlicki became one of the biggest stories of the IHSA event as he finished fourth as a freshman.
Hoogland got back on track in the consolation draw and won three more matches to advance to the Consolation semifinals where he fell to HTA sophomore Robert Stineman 6-1, 6-3 to tie for seventh place in the tournament.
Sellitto finished an outstanding freshman season with a third place finish in the doubles draw. Sellitto teamed up with Tommy McNichols to win their first five matches of the tournament. On day one the duo won each match in three sets, but the competition picked up on day two and the Titans pulled out two tight three set matches. In the semifinals they lost to eventual second-place finishers Ross Putterman and David Packowitz 6-0, 6-4. In the third place match Sellitto and McNichols bounced back from a first set loss to beat New Trier’s John Beam and Branter Jones 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(1). This was the fourth New Trier-GBS meeting of the year and Glenbrook South won on three occasions.
Stineman (sixth place), Scholnick (7th place) and Jones were a part of the HTA contingent that lead New Trier to third in state.
“The level of play at this event was incredible and it was especially rewarding to see the impact that many of our players had on the teams that were at the top of the standings at the end of the tournament,” said Herrmann.
Also representing the academy and their high schools were: Bill Angel (Fr., Glenbrook North), Marcus Ampon (Sr., Highland Park), Etham Frenkel (Sr., Stevenson), Kevin Prescott (Sr., Chicago Latin), Jooho Yu (Sr. Glenbrook North), and Vova Zverkovskiy (Jr., Niles West).
To qualify for the state tournament players must finish in the top four at their respective sectional. Moore, Scholnick, Jones, and Sellitto were each sectional champions and six of the top sixteen seeds at state were academy members.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Michaels Take Home District Titles
Michael Moore and Michael Kusznerko each started the summer off on a huge note, winning the Chicago District Championships held June 12-17 at eight sites across the Chicago Area.
Moore, who also captured the title in 2008, breezed into the semifinals by winning his first four matches in straight sets and only dropping 13 games. In the semifinals Moore dropped the first set 6-7 to Augie Bloom, before storming back and taking the next two sets 6-3, 6-3. The finals were a rematch of the IHSA State Championships held two weeks earlier, and just as in that match Bazarnik took the first set.
Playing on his home courts at the Glenbrook Racquet Club, Moore unleashed ace after ace to take the second set and even the match at 3-6, 6-4. Leading 2-1 in the third set Moore went up 0-40 on Bazarnik’s serve. After miss-hitting a forehand to take the score to 15-40, Michael forced Bazarnik into a forehand error to take the game and go up a break. Each player held for the next four games and Moore served for the championship at 5-3. Ensuring that Bazarnik couldn’t get back into the match Moore immediately hit three un-returnable serves to race out to a 40-0 lead. At match point Moore forced Blake into an error to take the title.
In the Boy’s 12s draw Michael Kusznerko ran through the draw winning all six of his matches in straight sets. Kuszernko took out the #11, #6, #4, and #2 seed in route to the title.
Nearly 1 of every 7 participants in the 490 player District Championships trained at the HTA this season, in addition to the players listed above, the following competitors represented the academy: Brian Alden, Bill Angel, Emily Barretta, Jeremy Barretta, Johnathon Benedetto, Quentin Benedetto, Ben Bleier, Ryan Buxbaum, Drew Campbell, Julian Childers, Daniel Choi, Scott Drier, Ted Eberle, Colin Egerter, Thomas Fawcett, Cammy Frei, Lauren Frei, Etham Frenkel, Luke Gensburg, Claire Golden, Josh Greenberg, Nick Hamburger, Conrad Harron, Kenny Herrmann, Aron Hiltzik, Ben Hoogland, Sam Hoogland, Nate Jacobson, Robert Jacobson, Maddy Kahn, Dennis Kontorovich, David Korobov, Michael Korobov, Courtney Lang, Max MacKinnon, Chas Mayer, Michael McFadden, Joel Meyer, Kaitlin Mogentale, David Myers, Vinnie Nagaraj, Rebecca Newmark, Blake Oslan, Arthur Ozga, Kevin Prescott, Alexa Prosniewski, Alex Rachlin, Alyssa Ritchie, Patrick Rourke, Evan Ruda, Sarah Rudo, William Sauser, Andrew Scholnick, Michael Sellitto, Jake Sheehan, Robert Stineman, William Szokol, Grace Tapak, Chris Vaselopulos, Brandon Wozniczka, Jooho Yu, Vladimir Zverkovskiy.
“It was incredible that over 65 players who trained at our academy this year participated in Chicago’s biggest event,” said Owner Ken Herrmann. “The two Michaels each had excellent tournaments and I expect them to have great results at the Midwest Closed.”
Moore, who also captured the title in 2008, breezed into the semifinals by winning his first four matches in straight sets and only dropping 13 games. In the semifinals Moore dropped the first set 6-7 to Augie Bloom, before storming back and taking the next two sets 6-3, 6-3. The finals were a rematch of the IHSA State Championships held two weeks earlier, and just as in that match Bazarnik took the first set.
Playing on his home courts at the Glenbrook Racquet Club, Moore unleashed ace after ace to take the second set and even the match at 3-6, 6-4. Leading 2-1 in the third set Moore went up 0-40 on Bazarnik’s serve. After miss-hitting a forehand to take the score to 15-40, Michael forced Bazarnik into a forehand error to take the game and go up a break. Each player held for the next four games and Moore served for the championship at 5-3. Ensuring that Bazarnik couldn’t get back into the match Moore immediately hit three un-returnable serves to race out to a 40-0 lead. At match point Moore forced Blake into an error to take the title.
In the Boy’s 12s draw Michael Kusznerko ran through the draw winning all six of his matches in straight sets. Kuszernko took out the #11, #6, #4, and #2 seed in route to the title.
Nearly 1 of every 7 participants in the 490 player District Championships trained at the HTA this season, in addition to the players listed above, the following competitors represented the academy: Brian Alden, Bill Angel, Emily Barretta, Jeremy Barretta, Johnathon Benedetto, Quentin Benedetto, Ben Bleier, Ryan Buxbaum, Drew Campbell, Julian Childers, Daniel Choi, Scott Drier, Ted Eberle, Colin Egerter, Thomas Fawcett, Cammy Frei, Lauren Frei, Etham Frenkel, Luke Gensburg, Claire Golden, Josh Greenberg, Nick Hamburger, Conrad Harron, Kenny Herrmann, Aron Hiltzik, Ben Hoogland, Sam Hoogland, Nate Jacobson, Robert Jacobson, Maddy Kahn, Dennis Kontorovich, David Korobov, Michael Korobov, Courtney Lang, Max MacKinnon, Chas Mayer, Michael McFadden, Joel Meyer, Kaitlin Mogentale, David Myers, Vinnie Nagaraj, Rebecca Newmark, Blake Oslan, Arthur Ozga, Kevin Prescott, Alexa Prosniewski, Alex Rachlin, Alyssa Ritchie, Patrick Rourke, Evan Ruda, Sarah Rudo, William Sauser, Andrew Scholnick, Michael Sellitto, Jake Sheehan, Robert Stineman, William Szokol, Grace Tapak, Chris Vaselopulos, Brandon Wozniczka, Jooho Yu, Vladimir Zverkovskiy.
“It was incredible that over 65 players who trained at our academy this year participated in Chicago’s biggest event,” said Owner Ken Herrmann. “The two Michaels each had excellent tournaments and I expect them to have great results at the Midwest Closed.”
Thursday, June 11, 2009
HTA in the News
With the great results our players had at the IHSA tournament the academy and our members have been showing up a lot in the newspapers recently. Below are links are excerpts to some of the stories.
Zverkovskiy turning up his game for future
By Dan Shalin, Pioneer Press
"He plans to spend several days a week at the Herrmann Tennis Academy in Northbrook. It's the same place where local tennis stars like Glenbrook South's Michael Moore, Evanston's Joseph Collins, and many of New Triers top performers train.
Twice a sweek Zverkovskiy will have lessons with Ben Pettinari, a Frenchman who has been his coach at Herrmann since Vova was 14."
All-Area North Stars Boys Tennis Team
Glenbrook South teammates see stars
by Dan Shalin, Pioneer Press
"His (Moore's) second place finish earned him the distinction of being the only GBS singles player to medal three times at the state meet.
For his performance Moore is name the 2009 Pioneer Press North Stars Singles Player of the Year. Moore's teammates, senior Tommy McNichols and freshman Michael Sellitto, comprise the North Stars Doubles Team of the Year."
(All five of the First Team Singles Players are HTA Academy Members)
Bazarnik tops Moore for state tennis title
By Mike Garofola, Daily Herald Correspondent
"The Moore-Bogatov match was a classic, taking nearly 3 1/2 hours to complete, with Moore outlasting the Warren senior 6-1, 6-7(3), 7-6(3). Together, they wowed the ever-cheering audience with abundant highlight reel shots.
'In the end, Michael hit more of the clutch shots, and just didn't miss when it counted,' said Bogatov, who came back to defeat Redlicki in the third place match."
Odd couple proves to be perferct pairing
By George Wilcox, Pioneer Press
"Glenbrook South's doubles team of McNichols and Michael Sellitto may have appeard to be an odd, first-time pairing when the season began, but the senior and freshman matched their state tournament top-four seed.
McNichols and Sellitto becamse the third doubles team from GBS to finish third in the state meet."
Glenbrook South boys tennis may have state's top one-two punch
By Mike Helfgot, Chicago Tribune
"Ben Hoogland didn't think high school tennis was good for his game. Then he saw what it did for Michael Moore. Now Glenbrook South High School has two of the top players in Illinois.
Moore, a senior headed to Notre Dame, and Hoogland, a junior, just might be the state's top one-two punch; the seeding committe for this weekend's state tennis tournament believes they are."
Titans Lead Local Effort at State Finals (Recap of Glenbrook South at IHSA Tournament)
Zverkovskiy turning up his game for future
By Dan Shalin, Pioneer Press
"He plans to spend several days a week at the Herrmann Tennis Academy in Northbrook. It's the same place where local tennis stars like Glenbrook South's Michael Moore, Evanston's Joseph Collins, and many of New Triers top performers train.
Twice a sweek Zverkovskiy will have lessons with Ben Pettinari, a Frenchman who has been his coach at Herrmann since Vova was 14."
All-Area North Stars Boys Tennis Team
Glenbrook South teammates see stars
by Dan Shalin, Pioneer Press
"His (Moore's) second place finish earned him the distinction of being the only GBS singles player to medal three times at the state meet.
For his performance Moore is name the 2009 Pioneer Press North Stars Singles Player of the Year. Moore's teammates, senior Tommy McNichols and freshman Michael Sellitto, comprise the North Stars Doubles Team of the Year."
(All five of the First Team Singles Players are HTA Academy Members)
Bazarnik tops Moore for state tennis title
By Mike Garofola, Daily Herald Correspondent
"The Moore-Bogatov match was a classic, taking nearly 3 1/2 hours to complete, with Moore outlasting the Warren senior 6-1, 6-7(3), 7-6(3). Together, they wowed the ever-cheering audience with abundant highlight reel shots.
'In the end, Michael hit more of the clutch shots, and just didn't miss when it counted,' said Bogatov, who came back to defeat Redlicki in the third place match."
Odd couple proves to be perferct pairing
By George Wilcox, Pioneer Press
"Glenbrook South's doubles team of McNichols and Michael Sellitto may have appeard to be an odd, first-time pairing when the season began, but the senior and freshman matched their state tournament top-four seed.
McNichols and Sellitto becamse the third doubles team from GBS to finish third in the state meet."
Glenbrook South boys tennis may have state's top one-two punch
By Mike Helfgot, Chicago Tribune
"Ben Hoogland didn't think high school tennis was good for his game. Then he saw what it did for Michael Moore. Now Glenbrook South High School has two of the top players in Illinois.
Moore, a senior headed to Notre Dame, and Hoogland, a junior, just might be the state's top one-two punch; the seeding committe for this weekend's state tennis tournament believes they are."
Titans Lead Local Effort at State Finals (Recap of Glenbrook South at IHSA Tournament)
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