Tennis Making School History

TENNIS MAKES SCHOOL HISTORY

By Joyce Barnett

What’s the best way a team can honor its coach? Bring home a championship, of course. And that’s exactly what the Boys’ Latin varsity tennis team did this spring. Not just a championship. They honored first year head coach Rich Zielaskewicz by winning the MIAA B Conference championship for the first time in School history. It was the BL tennis program’s finest year, and the capstone of Mr. Z’s coaching career thus far.

Rich Zielaskiewicz came to Boys’ Latin over 20 years ago as a math teacher in middle school. Coach Z began his 15-year tennis career with the middle school’s B team. Moving from there to the A team, he ultimately transitioned to coaching the junior varsity team. Five years later he earned the position of head varsity coach.

Under Coach Z’s guidance, the Lakers prepared for the season by playing matches against strong A Conference teams, and once regular conference play began they were ready and eager to take on their opponents. Having lost to Park in the playoffs the year before, this match was circled on their calendar as they anticipated that it would be the toughest regular-season match. It was. Number one seeded doubles team of seniors Markus Engel and Finn Hopkins, number two seeded doubles team of Even Rosen ’25 and Charlie London ’25, and third seeded singles player Eli Holder ’25 won their matches and guaranteed the number one seed for the Lakers.

Senior captains Markus Engel, Finn Hopkins and Paul O’Connor all played instrumental roles in the team’s success. O’Connor, a four-year varsity player and the number one singles seed, and the Engel and Hopkins doubles team dominated the B Conference throughout the season. With a 5-0 record, the Lakers were undefeated in conference play. Their winning ways continued. Supported by a large and enthusiastic crowd, the Lakers took on the Park School Bruins for the championship. The doubles team of Engel and Hopkins was joined by up and coming doubles team Evan Rosen and Charlie London in winning the individual championship as well as the conference championship. Engel and Hopkins finished the season with an unbeaten record. “This was a special doubles pair – working together beautifully as a unit and helping to lead the team with their fire and confidence,” Coach Z said.

In describing O’Connor’s championship match, Coach Z wrote: “In an epic three-hour battle on center court, Paul O’Connor showed why he is the best player on the team. His grit and determination were a sight to behold. Although he came up a little short, all the team’s success this year trickles down from and leads back to Paul.”

Eli Holder, the number three singles seed, won his match handily. Of Holder, Zielaskiewicz commented, “With a unique combination of talent, work ethic, and character, Eli is a treasure and a coach’s dream player. Moving forward, he will play a vital role in the program for the next three years.”

Number two singles seed James London ’24 took home the individual championship. Although playing well, the Rosen/London team lost in three tight sets. Paul O’Connor, Markus Engel, Finn Hopkins, Evan Rosen and James London all captured All-MIAA honors.

One of Coach Z’s challenges to his team was to maintain a growth mindset. He also applied that challenge to himself, and this summer attended Tennis University at the Van Der Meer Tennis Academy in Hilton Head, SC. “There’s always more to learn as a coach,” he says. After a rigorous, immersive week of instruction, participants were tested on their ability to conduct group lessons and on their skills as players among other things,

and took a written exam on their in-depth knowledge of tennis. At the end of a week of nine-hour days on the court and in the classroom and what Coach Z terms “information overload from the start,” he can proudly claim that he is now a USPTR (Professional Tennis Registry) Certified Tennis Instructor. He hopes to be able to provide the varsity team with the Van Der Meer experience during spring break next year.

Reflecting on the season Zielaskiewicz wrote: “Every time we sat in an assembly in the GAC, the championship banners for Lacrosse, Basketball, Ice Hockey, and even Robotics and old-fashioned 6-man football were in full view. Nothing for tennis. Although we didn’t speak about it much, a banner for tennis was an underlying motivator for the work we put in during the season.”

While the leadership of graduated seniors Engel, Hopkins and O’Connor will most certainly be missed, the 2023 team is young and boasts a strong foundation in Holder, Rosen and the London brothers. Whatever the future successes of the BL tennis program, there is now a tennis banner in the GAC, and no doubt that the 2022 season will remain one for the history books.

C. MARKLAND KELLY AWARD WINNER: DOM PIETRAMALA ‘22

By Mac Kennedy Dom Pietramala ‘22 became the 14th Boys’ Latin player to win the C. Markland Kelly, Jr. Award, given each year to the “Best Lacrosse Player in the State of Maryland.” Dom is pictured far left with Bruce Regan ‘66, Charlie Stieff ‘74, and Ron Regan ‘64.

The Kelly Award was established in 1945 by C. Markland Kelly in honor of his son Ensign Kelly, who was missing in action and presumed killed in the 1942 Battle of Midway. The first recipient of the Kelly Award was goalie Joe Sollers ‘47.

BELOW IS A LIST OF BL PLAYERS WHO HAVE WON THE KELLY AWARD: K.C. Miller ‘48, midfield 1948 Mickey Webster ‘55, attack, 1955 Bruce Regan ‘66, midfield 1966 Charlie Stieff ‘74, midfield, 1974 Tim Daly ‘78, defense, 1978 Guy Matricciani ‘81, defense, 1980 Marshal Morgan ‘85, midfield, 1985 John Webster ‘88, attack, 1988 Dan LaMonica ‘00, attack, 2000 Travis Reed ‘07, attack, 2007 Colin Heacock ‘13, attack 2013 Shack Stanwick ‘14, attack, 2014 Dom Pietramala ‘22, attack, 2022

TEWAARATON AWARD: LOGAN WISNAUSKAS ‘16

By Mac Kennedy Logan Wisnauskas ‘16 is the recipient of the 2022 Tewaaraton Award, given every year to the best college lacrosse player. (This award is similar to college football’s Heisman Trophy.) Logan was also named the winner of the Lt. Raymond Enners Award, which is given annually to the NCAA’s most outstanding player in men’s college lacrosse. The award, presented by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA), is named for 1st Lt. Raymond J. Enners, United States Military Academy, class of 1967, who was killed while serving in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War.

This marks the second time in four years that a BL Laker has won the award: Pat Spencer ‘15 won it in 2019. Additionally, current BL Board of Trustees member and grandfather of two Lakers (Ryan Evans ‘20 and Conor Evans ’21), Joe Cowan H’21 was the first award recipient in 1969.

This past season Logan led the Maryland Terps to a National Championship and finished second in the nation in points per game (5.94) and goals per game (3.44). After putting up four points in the NCAA Final, for a total of 103 points in 2022, he finished his Maryland career with at least one point in all 75 of his NCAA games.