ESG - Tennis
Scholastic teams looking to improve on silver finish
by JASON NADOLINSKI Reporter

Williamsville East's Miranda Podlas will play at first singles for the Western Region women's scholastic tennis team. File photo

If the Western Region's scholastic boys and girls tennis teams are able to improve on last summer's silver-medal finish when the 30th annual Empire State Games commence Thursday, it'll be because some new faces stepped up and rose to the occasion.

The boys team will boast an all-new starting lineup in singles play this time around, while Williamsville East senior to-be Monica Vieth will be the only familiar face in the singles slots for the girls team when Western hits the courts at the Anthony F. Veteran Park in Greenburgh for this summer's competition.

Still, regional coach Chris Horgan, who focuses on the boys' squad, is optimistic both scholastics teams should have a good shot at coming home with some kind of medal.

"With all new singles players for the boys team, there will be some big shoes to fill, but I still feel we'll have a competitive team," Horgan said. "We're capable of giving everyone a run for their money. We have solid players and both the boys and girls teams should be solid at every position."

Orchard Park resident and Nichols senior-to-be Anthony Mazariegos is one of the boys team's three veterans. Mazariegos, who will be playing in his fourth Games, will be teaming with Hamburg's Matt Kane to tackle the first doubles competition. Both players are among the area's best singles players, but they decided their best chance to individually medal would be as a doubles team.

"I'm trying for a gold individually, and we think we should have a pretty good shot at it as a first doubles team," Mazariegos said. "We should have a good chance at gold as a team too, but for that to happen, we need some wins from our new players."

One of those new players is Williamsville resident Boris Borovcanin, Mazariegos' teammate at Nichols. Borovcanin will split time at third singles with another newcomer, Drew Edborg of Rochester.

Another newcomer, Lancaster senior-to-be Anthony Nitkowski, is teaming up with Games veteran Jordan Zenaty of Fairport to man the second doubles slot. Nitkowski began his career as a Redskin in doubles play, so while he most frequently played as Lancaster's top singles player, he feels confident about his return to his roots.

"It'll be my first time competing in doubles at this high of a level, but it should be a great time," Nitkowski said. "My partner and I clicked right away at tryouts, so hopefully that chemistry on the court will help us win a medal."

On the girls' side of the court, Vieth will play second singles this time out despite this being her third Games because she was edged out for the top slot by newcomer Miranda Podlas ... a sophomore-to-be who just happens to be her teammate at East. Podlas placed second at ECICs and fourth at Sectionals this past school year and is looking forward to expanding her tennis horizons.

"It's been really fun so far," Podlas said. "First singles is going to be intense, but I think I'm going to be ready for it. It would be really cool for having never done this before to get a medal."

"I think I'm more prepared this year than any other year, so I'm looking forward to getting a medal," said Vieth, who placed ninth at states this past season.

Both the boys and girls team will kick off this year's competition against Long Island, with the boys getting underway at 8 a.m. Thursday and the girls following two hours later.

"Year in and year out, we've been in the medal hunt with the guys, and the girls have medaled for the past few years after doing really well in the 1990's," Horgan said. "Every match is going to be crucial this year, both individually and for the team, especially if there's a tie down the road. You just never know what the other regions will have."

e-mail: jnadolinski@beenews.com