Feb. 21, 2006
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Organization and Travel Highlight Beginning Of Season... The Broncos kicked off 2006 with a full menu of competition. A small "taste" of their campaign included five matches in the first nine days of the season, followed by four matches in the next nine and finally three more over another five days. Santa Clara also logged plenty of mileage on the road with four consecutive travel weekends (LA, Oregon, Fresno and Utah) and juggled midterms, sore muscles, common colds and plenty of laundry. There was a large smorgasbord of things to keep the players busy during the first third of the season and much was learned in terms of preparation, time management, nutrition, development and rest. Some highlights included a doubleheader sweep of UC Santa Cruz and UC Davis on opening day and the inaugural Hecklers On The Hill barbecue grilled by George Husack Sr. (aka "Pit Bull") and longtime Bronco fan, Jerry Lu. Freshmen Brian Brogan and Tommy Hicks scored impressive victories over Pac-10 opponents USC, Cal and Oregon, while tandems Jan Macek/Bobby Rasmussen and Kevin McQuaid/Blane Shields also tallied notable wins against the Trojans, Bears and Ducks. Sophomore AJ Kerin swept singles and doubles in big matches against WCC rivals Portland and USF. He teamed with Brian Brogan and Chris Iwamura for doubles victories in each match and led SCU to a pair of impressive 6-1 routes. Freshman Aneal Vallurupalli made his debut in the doubles lineup against BYU and Utah, while Kenzo Hirakawa-Wong defeated strong newcomer Carlos Salmon of USC. The Broncos continued to spend time in the weight room with fitness coaches Brien Shamp and Mike Salemi. Both coaches have kept a close eye on the players' progress and developed specific programs to maximize their strength and flexibiliy. Lastly, many thanks to the passionate hecklers whose support has extended the current home winning streak to 20 consecutive matches (dating back to 3/10/04).
Meet Aneal Vallurupalli...
Freshman, Combined Science major
Home: Plano, Texas
Nickname: Lava
Favorite food: Sushi
Least favorite Food: Thai food
Place I frequent on campus: Swig Hall
A favorite film: Gone In 60 Seconds
Pump up song: "Changes" by Tupac Shakur
Meet Tommy Hicks...
Freshman, Business major
Home: Portland, Oregon
Nickname: Claw
Favorite food: Cheeseburgers
Least favorite food: Seafood
Place I frequent on campus: Tennis courts
A favorite film: Training Day
Pump up song: "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses
Without tennis, I'd be: Playing soccer.
Alumni Reunion & Pro-Am Invitational... The Broncos will host two special events this spring in a continued effort to connect with former players, coaches and friends of the men's program. The inaugural Bronco Tennis Reunion will be held on Saturday, March 25 in conjunction with the Santa Clara's home match with Tulsa. Former players will enjoy tasty bbq while rooting on the Broncos over the Golden Hurricane.
The 9th Annual Bronco Pro-Am Invitational is slated for Saturday, April 29 at 2pm. Current and former players will join Bronco fans and friends in a doubles round-robin tournament battling it out for the coveted Pro-Am title while also sharing laughs, volleys, overheads and stories. Please contact the men's tennis office to reserve your spot at these events.
Bronco Wedding Bells... Congratulations to Chris Fowler '90 who married Shengi Cheng at Santa Clara University's Mission Church back on November 6, 2005. Following their big day, the couple enjoyed a lovely honeymoon in Maui and Bora Bora.
Another Bronco Is Born... Carolyn & Jeff Snyder '96 are proud parents as Lauren Hope Snyder was born at 2:40pm on Dec 14, 2005 in San Francisco. Lauren Hope weighed 7lbs 14oz and was 21 inches long.
Bronco Bits... Bronco Tennis Camp for junior players are set for this summer: June 19-23 & 26-30, July 10-14, 24-28 and July 31-Aug 4. Register online at www.santaclarabroncos.com...Join us at the West Coast Conference Championships this April 21-23 at Saint Mary's College in Moraga...Future Bronco Steven Benvenuto, a fall signee, captured the Junior Excellence title on Feb 10 in Fresno...He has moved up to No. 2 in Northern California Boys 18s and No. 60 in the nation...A recent tennis alumni profile campaign returned many interesting findings: Glenn Harris '48 received the Outstanding Engineering Alumni award from SCU for his career as Director of Public Works & City Engineer of Vallejo...Maurice "Monty" Osborn '50 attended SCUon a football scholarship & was a member of the 1950 Orange Bowl championship team...He played tennis after spring practice ended and today plays 3-4 times a week at the Balboa Tennis Club in San Diego...Jack Darnell '71 actively competes in tennis events in Colorado and was rated Top-10 in Men's 55 singles...Landon Nishimura '83 met future wife Jean while on a team trip to Hawaii in 1982. According to Landon, Jean ultimately made the right choice in schools when she attended & graduated from SCU's School of Law in 1995...More alumni news to come and thanks to those who returned their profiles...Go Broncos!