CdM features four fab freshmen

Bryce Alderton

As much as Scott Feichter heralds the seniors, the first-year coach

for the Corona del Mar High girls tennis team equally touts the

incoming freshmen, which provide a glimpse of the future to

compliment past success.

Corona del Mar has won eight CIF Southern Section titles,

including consecutive Division IV crowns in 2000 and 2001 before

moving back to Division I last year and falling to Calabasas, 78-74

in games, in the semifinals.

This year’s version of the Sea Kings is heavily loaded with four

incoming freshmen to go with four returning seniors: Brittany

Holland, Juliette Mutzke, Amanda Rubenstein and Jackie Manning.

Holland won last year’s CIF doubles championship with partner

Taylynn Snyder, but will concentrate on singles this year.

“She wants to write the [Garrett] Snyder book,” Feichter said of

Holland, ranked 33rd in girls 18s in the Southern California Tennis

Association.

Garrett Snyder, who received a scholarship to play at the

University of Texas this season, won a CIF doubles title with partner

Carsten Ball in 2002 and advanced to the CIF singles final last

spring.

“I told her to go for the gold because it is her senior year,”

Feichter said.

Mutzke and Manning provide leadership, with a wealth of youthful

influence invading both the singles and doubles spots. Freshmen

Jillian Braverman, Jill Damion, along with sisters Hayley and Miranda

Young, will see action at both singles and doubles throughout the

year. Feichter will employ “challenge” matches throughout the fall,

where junior varsity members face varsity counterparts for those

coveted spots.

Braverman, ranked 33rd in the SCTA girls 14s, won the girls 16s

singles title at the War by the Shore junior tennis tournament in

late July and partnered with Damion to reach the semifinals of the

Costa Mesa Summer Junior Classic a week later. The Youngs provide a

strong doubles team.

“The Youngs, Braverman and Damion are all ranked and they could

all legitimately play second and third singles and or Nos. 1 or 2

doubles,” Feichter said.

Junior Jamie Steele and Manning, who saw action at singles last

year, played a lot of doubles tournaments this summer and Feichter

likes their progress.

Sophomore Rachel Miller, sister of Wesley Miller, who played

doubles for CdM’s boys tennis team’s 24-0 CIF championship season

last spring, will also play singles and doubles.

The Sea Kings opened Friday (sans Holland) with a 10-8 setback

against Mater Dei at Los Caballeros Racquet and Sports Club in

Fountain Valley and face a tough road if they are to earn a CIF

Division I title. CdM’s nonleague schedule also features

traditionally strong schools such as Beverly Hills, Dana Hills, Troy,

Brentwood and Peninsula.

More than 30 players tried out in late August, when Feichter

missed two weeks with an ear infection. Tim Mang, the boys coach,

took over in the interim before Feichter returned earlier this week.

Feichter took over for Andy Stewart, who resigned to be an

assistant pro at the Mesa Verde Tennis Club. The 52-year-old

mixed-doubles sensation in the 1980s with wife, Lajla, Feichter

welcomes the opportunity to coach at a school nestled in such a

talented tennis area.

“There are many tennis clubs in a small area,” he said. “A lot of

the girls are very tough. Some had tough sisters who came through the

program. [CdM] is sort of a magnet for a talented player.”

Adding another CIF championship banner to the rafters in the CdM

High gym is a realistic goal, Feichter added.

“We have a wide range from seniors to freshmen, who have a chance

to step up and have a great four years,” he said. “We are hitting as

many forehands as possible [in practice]. I’m teaching them to stay

back and hit the ball with a purpose, to take command and win the

point. But that is all based on talent level. We have highly-ranked

doubles players and with a little bit of work we will be great.”