Tennis column: CdM invitational field set

Richard Dunn

With the 16-team field set for the second annual Corona del Mar

National High School Boys Tennis Invitational, CdM Coach and tournament

director Tim Mang wondered Thursday if some state governing bodies in the

U.S. maintained an outdated travel policy.

The event is a national invitational, but not every region of the

country is represented, because several states, including Florida,

prohibit public schools from traveling more than 500 miles to compete in

athletic contests.

“You know, people worry about tennis in the United States (and the

growth of the sport),” Mang said, “and then you have states that do not

allow kids to travel. You wonder if (state officials) are really out to

support that age level of kid, and you wonder if there’s really a

commitment. There are some who probably haven’t changed a rule in 30

years.”

Despite the fact that 12 of the 16 schools in the tournament are from

California, Mang believes the event -- March 16-17 at the Palisades

Tennis Club in Newport Beach -- features, without a doubt, the finest

field anywhere in the U.S.

“We’re just taking teams that are winning CIF, except us. But we’ll

win it this year,” Mang said, referring to the Sea Kings’ quest for a CIF

Southern Section championship in 2001 with returning standouts Brian

Morton and Cameron Ball.

“These are 16 of the best high school teams in the U.S. There are a

lot of (other competitive) schools that could have come (and elected not

to), but these teams would go right through them, anyway.”

Aside from Mang’s Sea Kings, who also return seniors Peter Kulmaticki

and Michael Bean, last year’s Pacific Coast League doubles champions, the

strength of the tournament field begins with perennial power Peninsula,

which won the inaugural event last year.

Peninsula, which returns nationally ranked Rylan Rizza and Jeff

Kazarian, is a no-brainer as the top seed. Corona del Mar will be seeded

second or third. “We’ll be on the opposite side of the bracket,” Mang

said.

Of the 16 teams, 10 played in last year’s event, also headquartered at

the Palisades Club. (The inaugural CdM national girls invitational was

hosted by the Balboa Bay Club Racquet Club).

After Peninsula and CdM, the seeding process is a mad scramble,

because several schools captured CIF titles in respective sections a year

ago and return many top-notch seniors, Mang said.

“The field is so much tougher than last year as far as talent,” Mang

said.

Last year, third-seeded Cherry Creek of Englewood, Colo., and

fourth-seeded Dr. Michael Krop of Miami, were knocked off in the first

round. Krop also lost in the back draw. (Mang added that Krop traveled

illegally to the event last year.)

Along with CdM and Peninsula, the other returning schools from

California are Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Clovis West of Fresno, Menlo of

Atherton and Monta Vista of Cupertino.

Teams returning from outside the state include Brophy Jesuit Prep of

Phoenix, Horace Mann of New York and Woodberry Forest of Virginia, all

private schools.

Of the six new schools, five are from California: Jesuit of

Carmichael, La Jolla Country Day, Mills of Millbrae, Torrey Pines and

University, which will battle CdM in Pacific Coast League action this

season.

The only new out-of-state school in the tournament is Christ Church

Episcopal of Greensville, S.C., which won a state championship last year.

Mills, located in Northern California about 10 minutes from San

Francisco Airport, learned of the CdM National High School Boys Tennis

Invitational when some players from Brophy Jesuit Prep were raving about

the event during another tournament to members of the Mills squad. Mills

committed Tuesday to solidify the tournament field.

“The best advertising we can get are kids coming back,” Mang said.

“Kids play in tournaments all around the U.S. and they start talking,

which is neat.”

The event, which is still seeking a title sponsor, will also host

matches at Costa Mesa Tennis Center, Park Newport, Newport Beach Tennis

Club and BBC Racquet Club. For more details: (949) 673-4526.

Alex McGoodwin, whose tennis career began in the junior program at the

Newport Beach Marriott Hotel and Tennis Club, earned a spot in the main

draw of the Australian Open Juniors next week.

McGoodwin, who turned 16 on Dec. 28, has trained the past three years

at the Evert Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, Fla., where her family moved

to support her career.

Last year, McGoodwin qualified for the Italian Open and French Open

junior tournaments. The French Open was McGoodwin’s first Grand Slam

appearance.

McGoodwin continues to play the International Tennis Federation

circuit and often competes against players up to three years her elder.

“She’s been doing quite well since the beginning of the year,” said

McGoodwin’s former instructor, Rance Brown, who remains involved in her

career.

McGoodwin played in two other ITF events in Australia prior to

receiving a spot in the main draw of the Australian Open.

In 2000, Brown, also the UCLA women’s assistant tennis coach, was

named the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s National Assistant Coach

of the Year.

The Newport Beach Tennis Club will host its second annual Super Bowl

Celebrity Pro-Am Tennis Tournament Jan. 27-28. Action will take place the

day before the Super Bowl and the pro-am finals will be played prior to

kickoff on Super Bowl Sunday. Details: (949) 644-0050.