PHOTOS BY DANIEL LIPP ITT

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1

Top: Danny Solomon
plays No. 2 singles.

Center: Andover
co-captain Jonathan
Nyquist plays No. 1
doubles.

Right: David Golden
has the No. 4 spot.

40

Jewish players on three high
school teams hope to have
an impact on the state tennis
championships.

MIKE ROSENBAUM SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

When the tennis balls start flying at
the state high school championships
on May 30, several area teams with
strong Jewish participation will bat-
tle for Class B honors.
A recent coaches' poll listed
Bloomfield Hills Andover, Cran-
brook-Kingswood and Detroit Country Day as the
top three teams in Class B.
Meanwhile, in Class A, West Bloomfield
hopes to earn a berth in the finals for the
first time since 1994.
Cranbrook offers opponents twin trou-
ble at the No. 2 and 3 singles spots: twin
brothers Glenn and Eric Steinberg. The se-
niors have both played four years of varsi-
ty tennis.
Eric, who plays No. 3 singles, is also a
second-year co-captain. He won a state ti-
tle at No. 2 doubles as a sophomore, then
earned All-State honors at No. 1 doubles
last season.
Glenn Steinberg moved from third sin-
gles to second singles this season.
"They both are aggressive," says Cran-
brook Coach Don Brown. "They both have
hard-hitting ground strokes. Both basical-
ly stay back in the backcourt, rather than
serve-and-volley. Their strength is their
concentration and ground strokes."
The Cranes' other Jewish player is
sophomore Mark Tapper. As a freshman,
Tapper reached the state finals at No. 3
doubles. This year, he and Gustavo Al-
marez, a defending state champ at second
singles, joined forces to form a powerful
No. 1 doubles team.
Coach Brown calls Tapper "an aggres-
sive No. 1 doubles player. He's got an all-
around game."
Cranbrook lost three of its first five
matches, "which is unusual for us," Brown
says. But as their ranking suggests, the
Cranes still have the potential to compete
for state honors.
Andover's singles lineup features a pair
of sophomores, each in his second season
at his position. At No. 2 singles, Danny
Solomon reached the state quarterfinals
last year. "He's pretty much an all-court
player," says Coach Steve Kirschbaum.
"He can hit the ball from the baseline. He
can attack very well. He's got a good serve."
Seth Herkowitz, at No. 3, features a big
serve, Kirschbaum says.
At No. 4 singles, junior David Golden
was also a state singles quarterfinalist last

year. "He's been predominantly a baseliner," says
Kirschbaum.
Andover's first doubles team — which lost a
three-set match in last year's state finals at No. 2
— includes senior co-captain Jonathan Nyquist
and sophomore Matthew Watson. Kirschbaum
says the pair "possesses good serves, pretty good
volleys. They're both pretty tall.
"Jonathan's consistent, but he knocks the heck
out of overheads and serves. Matthew can be con-
sistent but can also knock the heck out of pretty
much anything."
Sophomore Aaron Beitner, a first-year varsity
performer, plays third singles, while Jamie Frankel,
the Barons' only freshman, sees some doubles ac-
tion.
This is the second straight season in which An-
dover has earned a No. 1 Class B ranking. But
Kirschbaum is only interested in what happens in
the state finals.
"We'd like to finish on top, but the defending
champion, Country Day, and the defending run-
ner-up, Cranbrook-Kingswood, have a history of
always doing well. We're hoping to upset them at
the end." Andover was third in last year's state
tournament.
Country Day, which lost a match to Andover
7-1 this year, features defending state champ Dan
Klemptner at No. 3 doubles.
Class A West Bloomfield features an almost all-
Jewish lineup, beginning with freshman Josh Efros
at No. 2 singles.
"He has an all-court game," says Coach Adam
Bottorff. "He is a very mature freshman in terms
of mental toughness." With the season about three-
quarters over, Efros had lost just one match.
At No. 3 singles, freshman Adam Wright "has
been mainly a baseliner with really tough ground
strokes," says Bottorff.
Junior Matt Amster plays fourth singles. "He's
primarily a serve-and-volleyer and has really good
hands at the net," Bottorff says.
- The first doubles team features sophomores Josh
Must and Joel Muray. "They're a small team," says
the coach, "but they're quick and they're consis-
tent."
At No. 2 doubles, seniors Solly Amster and Jor-
dan Steinway are "pretty much all-court players. l■
They work well together," Bottorff says.
Junior Steve Rosenberg is part of the third dou-
bles team. The fourth team features brothers Casey
and Jordan Lezell, a senior and sophomore. The —
fifth doubles team included senior Igor Widlicki
and freshman Andrew Wilkie, until Wilkie suf-
fered a knee injury.
The teams begin state tournament play with re- 1
gionals on May 16. ❑
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