Seoul American doubles team ends
DODEA drought in Far East H.S. tennis
By Dave Ornauer, Stars and
Stripes
KADENA AIR BASE, Okinawa — A day earlier, Josh Pierson’s face was a picture
of anguish, and his chest was heaving from hyperventilation.
Now, he was breathing contentedly, and the pained look had given way to a smile.
Pierson teamed with Thomas Kim to capture the boys’ doubles title Friday in the
Far East High School Tennis Tournament, downing Caleb Cummings and David Millard of the
Christian Academy In Japan 6-2, 6-2.
The win came some 24 hours after Pierson battled hyperventilation following a singles
semifinal loss.
"I’m feeling fine now," Pierson said.
The doubles title was the first in a Far East tournament by any Department of Defense
Education Activity-Pacific players since 1995.
Seoul American finished second as a team with 60 points, the best finish by a
DODEA-Pacific school since 1989.
"It’s great," Falcons coach Julian Harden said. "We’ve worked
a long time for this."
Seoul American finished 24 points behind team-champion American School In Japan, which
captured both major girls titles. Defending champion Reina Komiya teamed with Emmy Harris
to win the doubles, then beat Harris for her second straight singles title.
Cummings rebounded to snag the boys singles title for CAJ, which only had four boys but
came in third with 34 points.
Pierson also recorded a third-place boys singles finish, while teammate Olivia Anglade
placed fourth in the girls singles.
In another first for a DODEA-Pacific school, Julie Ann Barker and Alicia Davis took
third place in the girls doubles, giving Korea’s Osan American its first placement
trophy in its six-year history.
Harden said the Falcons could have come away with more.
"But I’m happy with what we have," he said. "At least we got out of
here with something."
Beating Cummings and Millard, though, was something Harden said he was not expecting.
"Caleb’s got a cannon," he said of the CAJ senior with the powerful
forehand.
Pierson said he and Kim were all too aware of Cummings’ power.
"We had to exploit their weakness, keep it away from Caleb’s forehand, keep
it down the middle and on Millard’s backhand," Pierson said.
They did a good job of that in breezing to a first-set victory. The second set started
out rocky for the Falcons’ pair, as they fell behind 2-0 after blowing a 30-0 lead in
the first game.
Pierson and Kim scraped back, knotting the set 2-2 when Pierson made a running save of
a drop shot by Millard. His laser shot between Cummings and Millard ended the game.
From there, Pierson and Kim could not be stopped. They won the last six games to ice
the match. A forehand smash by Pierson gave Seoul American the lead in the final game. A
net error by Millard sealed it.
Cummings had more success in the boys singles final, upending ASIJ’s Kenji Strait
6-3, 6-2 in a match that took less than an hour.
"That felt much better than the doubles," said Cummings, who also won the
Kanto Plain tournament singles title last month. "We weren’t really hyped for
the doubles; we didn’t keep our intensity. I did this time."
There was little drama in the girls’ draws, as ASIJ was guaranteed to win both.
While Komiya and Harris had an easy time disposing of teammates Jessica Torok and Amy
Beavers 6-2, 6-0 in the doubles, the singles final went nearly two hours, with Komiya
prevailing 7-5, 4-6, 6-2.
"Emmy’s always been above me in the past," Komiya said. "I
didn’t think we’d get a chance to compete in the finals. I’m glad I got a
chance to compete with her."
Despite losing in the doubles final, Torok said she felt little pressure since she was
facing teammates.
"It was actually fun," she said. "You know the people, and there’s
not as much pressure. It’s weird starting out, but after awhile, you feel
relaxed."
Her coach, Ron Dirkse, agreed.
"This is lovely for a coach," he said. "You don’t get an ulcer
worrying about it."
Far East Tournament results
KADENA AIR BASE, Okinawa — Total team points, team and individual
awards and results Friday of the final day of the Far East High School Tennis Tournament,
played on the hardcourts of the Kadena Tennis Center (seedings in parentheses):
Team points
1, American School In Japan, 84; 2, Seoul American, 60; 3, Christian
Academy In Japan, 34; 4, Nile C. Kinnick, 28; 5, Kadena, 26; 6, Zama American, 24; 7, E.J.
King, 20; 8, Yokota, 18; 9, Osan American, 15; 10, Kubasaki, 14; 11, Robert D. Edgren, 7;
12, Pusan American, 5; 13, Taegu American, 3; 14, Guam High, 0.
Standings
Boys singles-1, Caleb Cummings, CAJ; 2, Kenji Strait, ASIJ; 3, Josh
Pierson, Seoul; 4, Willis French, ASIJ.
Boys doubles-1, Josh Pierson and Thomas Kim, Seoul; 2, Caleb Cummings
and David Millard, CAJ; 3, Kenji Strait and Willis French, ASIJ; 4, Roberto Serrano and
Kris Corkish, Kinnick.
Girls singles-1, Reina Komiya, ASIJ; 2, Emmy Harris, ASIJ; 3, Amy
Beavers, ASIJ; 4, Olivia Anglade, Seoul.
Girls doubles-1, Reina Komiya and Emmy Harris, ASIJ; 2, Amy Beavers and
Jessica Torok, ASIJ; 3, Julie Ann Barker and Alicia Davis, Osan; 4, Catherine Koroki and
Hannah Grewatz, Seoul.
Awards
Boys All-Far East team-Caleb Cummings, Stig Olson and Luke
Cummings, CAJ; Kenji Strait and Willis French, ASIJ; Josh Pierson, Seoul; Wayne Lopez,
Kadena; T.J. Salunga, Kinnick.
Girls All-Far East team-Reina Komiya, Emmy Harris, Amy Beavers, ASIJ;
Olivia Anglade, Hannah Grewatz, Crystal Gransback, Seoul; Jennifer Otterson, Kadena; Eva
Zamora, Zama.
BOYS
Singles
Third-place match
Josh Pierson, Seoul, def. Willis French, ASIJ, 8-4
Championship
Caleb Cummings, CAJ, def. Kenji Strait, ASIJ, 6-3, 6-2
Consolation Group 1 Championship
Mark Kretzschmair, Osan, def. Robert Flores, E.J. King, 8-3
Consolation Group 2 Championship
Ryota Nishiyori, Zama, def. Charles Hogle, Seoul, 8-3
Doubles
Third-place match
Kenji Strait and Willis French, ASIJ, def. Roberto Serrano and Kris
Corkish, Kinnick, 8-4
Championship
Josh Pierson and Thomas Kim, Seoul, def. Caleb Cummings and David
Millard, CAJ, 6-2, 6-2
Consolation Championship
Luke Cummings and Stig Olson, CAJ, def. T.J. Dezell and Tait Anderson,
Yokota, 8-6
GIRLS
Singles
Third-place match
Amy Beavers, ASIJ, def. Olivia Anglade, Seoul, 8-5
Championship
Reina Komiya, ASIJ, def. Emmy Harris, ASIJ, 7-5, 4-6, 6-2
Consolation Group 1 Championship
Leslie Forrest, Zama, def. Breanne Robison, Pusan, 8-5
Consolation Group 2 Championship
Maureen Jackson, Kinnick, def. Marianne McCremens, Edgren, 8-5
Doubles
Third-place match
Julie Ann Barker and Alicia Davis, Osan, def. Catherine Koroki and
Hannah Grewatz, Seoul, 8-2
Championship
Reina Komiya and Emmy Harris, ASIJ, def. Amy Beavers and Jessica Torok,
ASIJ, 6-2, 6-0
Consolation Championship
Leslie Forrest and Eva Zamora, Zama, def. Kim Conner and Kim
Hildenbrand, Taegu, 8-0
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